Dr. Sonja Ardoin, program director and associate professor of student affairs administration in the Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling in Appalachian State University's Reich College of Education (RCOE), has been named a ACPA-College Student Educators International (ACPA) Diamond Honoree for the Class of 2022. She will receive her award at the ACPA Annual Convention on March 8, 2022, to be held in St. Louis, Missouri.
For Ardoin, this is a “full-circle moment” - “ACPA was the first professional conference I attended as a master's student and has been one of my professional homes throughout my career,” said Ardoin.
“I am humbled and honored to have been nominated by my colleagues from across the country and to receive this recognition from ACPA,” she added.
“The organization has given me opportunities to connect and learn with colleagues and share my research while also challenging me to think more broadly and grow my knowledge and practice,” Ardoin noted. “I accept this recognition as a continued call to serve students, prepare scholar-practitioners for work in student affairs and higher education, and create more equitable and just systems of higher education.”
Ardoin was championed by her colleagues Dr. Brad Johnson from UNC Greensboro, Dr. Kathy Guthrie from Florida State University, and dr. becky martinez from Infinity Martinez Consulting and the Social Justice Training Institute, with an additional support letter from Dr. Nicholas Tapia-Fuselier from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
In their champion letter, they said, “[Ardoin] is an emergent scholar who not only has published significantly but has established herself as an excellent teacher and mentor and is constantly engaged in service to our field.”
About the Award
The ACPA Diamond Honoree Award is a recognition of colleagues who have made outstanding contributions to ACPA, student affairs and services, and higher education. Those selected since the program’s inception in 1999 have distinguished themselves as teachers, administrators, researchers, writers, Association leaders, or those who have continued and significant influence on the quality of college students’ experience. Recipients have demonstrated sustained contributions to ACPA, higher education, and the Student Affairs profession at the local, state, regional, national, or international levels. This is considered one of the association's highest recognitions and each selected class includes approximately 15 members of the international organization.
Scholar-Practitioner
Ardoin earned a Ph.D. in educational research and policy analysis from North Carolina State University, a M.S. in higher education and student affairs from Florida State University, and a B.S. in secondary education from Louisiana State University. She joined the RCOE faculty in 2018, and in 2021 she earned tenure and became the program director for the student affairs administration program.
Ardoin’s research focuses on four areas:
- social class identity in higher education;
- college access and success for first-generation college students and students from rural areas;
- career preparation and pathways for higher education and student affairs;
- student and women's leadership.
She serves the broader field through volunteer roles with ASHE, ACPA, AFLV, the Center for First-generation Student Success, NASPA, and several journal editorial boards, and is engaged as a speaker and consultant.
Counting published and in-press pieces, Ardoin has 35 peer-reviewed publications: four books, one monograph issue, 24 book chapters, and six journal articles, some of which are used by multiple HESA graduate programs across the U.S.
Additionally, in the past six years, Ardoin has received seven small university and association research grants and facilitated 90 presentations at conferences and gatherings. These efforts led to her being named to the 2017-2018 NASPA Emerging Faculty Leader Academy, a 2019-2021 ACPA Emerging Scholar, and the 2021 NASPA Early Career Faculty Award recipient.
Learn more about Ardoin’s work at www.sonjaardoin.com.
Sonja Ardoin
