Every year, AIR honors institutional research (IR) professionals who have made notable contributions to the success of the association and the IR field through demonstrated service, leadership, and scholarship throughout their careers.

This year, we are pleased to introduce our newest award: The AIR Rising Star Award. Unlike AIR’s existing prestigious awards, the Rising Star Award recognizes the achievements of new IR professionals who exemplify the qualities of emerging leaders.

Mitch Nessler, who chaired the Ad Hoc Award Committee in 2023, is pleased the Committee recommended this new award. “It will provide early career IR professionals with recognition for their potential contributions to the field,” Nessler said, “which is an acknowledgment that will be helpful as they progress in their careers.”

Rising Star Award recipients will have:

• A maximum of seven years of experience in the profession.
• Demonstrated exemplary performance and contributions to the field, their institution’s IR function, or both.
• Made positive contributions to projects, initiatives, and/or publications that demonstrate noteworthy early achievement, the potential for ongoing achievement, and interest in advancing the field.
• Realized increasing levels of responsibility, formal and/or informal, internal and/or external to their institution.
• Been generous with their time and ideas, including willingness to engage and share through mentoring and/or collaborative activities within and/or beyond their institution.

If that describes you or a colleague, consider nominating yourself or a colleague today. Nominations close on Friday, January 26, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. For more information and/or to nominate, visit airweb.org/Rising-Star-Award.