Laura Clay, Troy Nunamaker and Kristin Walker-Donnelly have been honored by the South Carolina College and Personnel Association (SCCPA) for outstanding work in the field of student affairs.
Clay was named the 2020 recipient of the SCCPA Support Staff Award, which is presented annually to an administrative staff member who has made outstanding contributions to the field of student affairs. Clay serves as administrative coordinator within the Office of Community and Ethical Standards (OCES). She has been instrumental in transitioning Kris Hodge — who assumed the role of assistant dean of students and OCES director in March 2020 — from a 25-year career in the legal profession.
“Laura’s level of dedication to her unit is exemplary,” Hodge said. “She puts an inordinate amount of time and effort into ensuring the absolute best outcome is going to happen for any circumstance. She is a team player, is trustworthy, kind and a good communicator.”
Nunamaker co-authored the SCCPA Outstanding Professional Paper along with Dr. Tony Cawthon from the College of Education. The award recognizes contributions made by SCCPA members in the realm of professional writing. The two wrote a piece on career readiness entitled The Leadership Competency: How Interns and Employers View Development, which was published in a 2020 edition of the National Association of Colleges and Employers Journal. Nunamaker serves as the chief solutions officer for the Center for Career and Professional Development.
“The piece is a valuable contribution to the national discussion on career readiness and how specifically students and employers define and experience leadership as it relates to experiential education,” said Walker-Donnelly, who submitted the nomination.
Walker-Donnelly was honored as the 2020 recipient of the Hilda F. Owens Award for Contribution to Knowledge in the Field. The award recognizes an individual for their outstanding work in the field of student affairs through writing and research within the last three years that has practical significance to the profession. Walker-Donnelly serves as the director of assessment for the Division of Student Affairs at Clemson. She co-authored the publication Managing Career Transitions Across the Lifespan for the Student Affairs Practitioner alongside Cawthon and Dena Kniess from the University of West Georgia in 2019.
“This publication provides current and future student affairs practitioners a comprehensive understanding of current and future positions by providing resources, stories and practical applications,” one nominator said.
The awards were presented virtually in late February.