Congratulations to the 2025 recipients of CMA’s annual Adviser Awards! A total of 15 advisers will be honored this year during special ceremonies at MediaFest25 next month in Washington, D.C.
CMA honors excellence in college media advising through a series of annual awards that recognize both emerging talent and longtime leadership. These honors celebrate advisers who have made a lasting impact on their students, programs, institutions and the field of collegiate journalism.
Emerging Adviser Awards honor advisers in the early stages of their careers—those with fewer than five years of advising experience—who have shown outstanding promise and dedication. Recipients demonstrate strong leadership, an ability to inspire student journalists and a clear commitment to the values of collegiate media from the very beginning of their advising journey.
Here are the 2025 Emerging Adviser Award recipients:
Iris Berkeley, University of Colorado Boulder
Eleni Gastis, Laney College
Leigh Landini Wright, Murray State University
Distinguished Adviser Awards recognize advisers with five or more years of experience who have demonstrated consistent and exceptional service in support of student media. Recipients have made a significant impact through leadership, mentorship and dedication to journalistic excellence. These advisers are widely respected by peers and students alike for their commitment to learning, ethics and press freedom.
Here are the 2025 Distinguished Adviser Award recipients:
Paige Clancy, Vanderbilt University
Chris Delboni, Nova Southeastern University
Laurie Fox, The University of Texas at Arlington
Georgia Kral, Saint Peter’s University
Nick Kratsas, West Virginia University
LeeAnn Lambert, BYU-Hawaii
Julie Lewis, University of Central Missouri
Sean McDonald, Neumann University
Shane Tilton, Ohio Northern University
Special Honors recognize individuals and institutions whose extraordinary service, leadership or contributions fall outside the scope of CMA’s annual awards. These honors are presented selectively—only when one’s impact truly rises above. From advancing press freedom to shaping the direction of college media nationwide, Special Honors celebrate the visionaries, advocates and changemakers who leave a lasting imprint on CMA and the student journalism community.
Here are the 2025 Special Honors recipients:
Ron Spielberger Service to CMA Award
Jackie Alexander, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Dan Reimold Student Media Champion
Shawn Isaacs, University of West Georgia
More information about CMA’s Adviser Awards and list of past inductees can be accessed here.
