AAA Career Awards

Ivan L. Preston Outstanding Contribution to Research AwardWinners

The Ivan L. Preston Outstanding Contribution to Research on Advertising Award is designed to honor an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the discipline of advertising through a systematic and sustained program of published research. The award carries a $1,000 prize. This award will be given only to active AAA members for exemplary research on advertising.

While research is a factor in other awards, this is the Academy’s top research award, and as such the threshold for honoring a nominee is high. Factors that will be considered for this award include, (1) the systematic and sustained nature of research across 20 years or more, (2) the volume of research publications during that time, (3) the quality of that research, and (4) its overall impact on the field. In addition, (5) only research clearly involving or affecting advertising and related communications methods (e.g., public relations, direct marketing, sales promotion) will be considered, and (6) to be eligible only AAA members who are actively involved will be considered, i.e., they’ve done significantly more than just pay annual dues.

Distinguished Service AwardWinners

The Distinguished Service Award is given to individuals who have rendered distinguished service to the Academy organization and/or advertising education, going beyond the expectations or requirements of their jobs. Being an officer, editor, or committee chair is deemed part of a faculty members’ job. The person should be a champion of advertising education, active in providing opportunities for the professional development of students and faculty, and someone who unselfishly performs this meritorious service. One need not be a member of the AAA to be considered for this award.

It is expected that the Distinguished Service Award will be given infrequently, and only for truly distinguished service. Generally, the award is given in recognition of the organization’s mission in areas that we don’t generally recognize such as we do for editors, the association’s officers, or committee chairs. This is not a leadership award.  

Billy I. Ross Advertising Education AwardWinners

The Billy I. Ross Advertising Education Award is to recognize innovative work that advances the field of advertising education. It is given to people who have completed a specific innovative project that advances advertising teaching. This project can be short-term or over some extended time period. Examples of projects might include: innovations for teaching an advertising course, an innovative textbook or uniquely valuable teaching tool (e.g., software, app), published work about innovative class projects in advertising, published research that advances advertising education, support materials (such as visual aids) for conference presentations about advertising education, and dissemination of information to advertising educators that is helpful in the classroom.

Kim Rotzoll Award for Advertising Ethics and Social ResponsibilityWinners

The Kim Rotzoll Award for Advertising Ethics and Social Responsibility recognizes individuals or organizations who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to advertising ethics and social responsibility. The award is designed to recognize the work of those whose contributions have made a truly outstanding contribution to advance understanding and/or practice of ethical and social responsibility issues in advertising.

Charles H. Sandage Award for Teaching ExcellenceWinners

The Charles H. Sandage Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes outstanding contribution to advertising teaching. The “Sandy”, as it is known, celebrates sustained and varied excellence in teaching, mentoring, and related activities. This is the most prestigious award to recognize and celebrate long-term and sustained contribution to advertising education. This award is sponsored by the University of Illinois.

The award recognizes effective teaching as multifaceted, and a meaningful nomination should explain, with reference to documents and with as much detail as possible, the outstanding teaching contributions of the nominee.

Mary Alice Shaver Promising Professor AwardWinners

The Mary Alice Shaver Promising Professor Award honors a junior faculty member who has demonstrated excellence and innovation in advertising teaching and research. The award is given to full-time faculty who have taught no more than 4 years and who are members of the American Academy of Advertising. This award is sponsored by UNC.

The potential awardee must be nominated by a current AAA member who is at the rank of full professor at the nominee’s school. If the nominee’s school is without an AAA member at this rank, a nomination can be made by an associate professor, with a supporting letter from a full professor who is an AAA member. We acknowledge that excellence and innovation in teaching and research can manifest itself differently from person to person and from program to program.