VP Frank Ardaiolo to Receive National Award from NASPA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Each year, NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, recognizes members who are doing outstanding work in the student affairs profession. Frank P. Ardaiolo, vice president for student life at Winthrop University, was selected as the recipient of the 2017 Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean.

Ardaiolo and another Goodnight National Award winner will be honored March 14 at the 2017 NASPA Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

The Scott Goodnight Award, named for NASPA's founding chair of the Board of Directors (1919-20) and former dean of men at the University of Wisconsin, is presented to a dean or senior student affairs officer who has demonstrated sustained professional achievement in student affairs work, innovative response in meeting students' varied and emerging needs, effectiveness in developing staff, and leadership in community and college or university affairs.

The award recipient must also have earned stature among and support of students, faculty, and fellow administrators on campus, and made significant contributions to the field through publications or involvement in professional associations. NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession and provides high-quality professional development, advocacy, and research for 15,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries and 8 U.S. territories.

In his role as Winthrop's vice president for student life, Ardaiolo developed courses for the new leadership minor program. For many years, he has taken students abroad for seminars on global citizenship and leadership. He also has published more than 30 monograph chapters, articles and essays on legal issues, quality improvement, adult learners, student affairs/academic affairs collaboration, civic engagement and African politics.

Winthrop alumna Vicki Stalcup Hamby '93 isn't surprised Ardaiolo received the award. When she was a student, she gave a speech at a dinner for incoming freshman honors students. After the speech, Ardaiolo sent her a handwritten note about considering a career in student affairs and volunteered to mentor her.

"Frank guided me through getting involved on campus for the next two years and loaned me a directory of higher education/student affairs graduate programs to peruse when I was researching graduate schools," she said. "He helped me narrow down my options based on my goals and was instrumental in influencing my selection."

She is now senior associate director of the University of South Carolina Career Center where she has been for almost 19 years. "I love what I do and am forever indebted to Frank for his influence on my life," Hamby said.

Catawba College President Brien Lewis said when the two men worked together at Winthrop, Ardaiolo brought to the table a passion for excellence and a deep personal commitment to students' development and well-being. "He pushed forcefully for increased resources for (and focus on) student-related initiatives to ensure they would have the kind of support from faculty and administration needed to deliver strong programs for the benefit of students," Lewis said.

Prior to his work at Winthrop, Ardaiolo served as director of residence life at Belmont Abbey College, associate dean of students at the University of South Carolina, and assistant vice president and dean of students at the University of Connecticut. Ardaiolo also served on both the NASPA Foundation Board of Directors as chair and the NASPA Board of Directors as the Region III vice president during his long NASPA tenure.

"Every step along my professional journey from undergraduate tenure to my current deanly duties, Dr. A has provided an optimal mismatch of support," said Winthrop graduate Andrew Wilson '96, dean of academic and student services at Johns Hopkins University. "I have him to thank for my focus on becoming, and sustaining my life as, a scholar practitioner."

Another Winthrop alumnus, Anthony Bufis ˜11, said Ardaiolo was an inspirational figure for him.

"Working with him on Orientation and as a Peer Mentor, he showed me a leader to follow by example. He stressed building relationships with students that are long lasting, not just for a moment," said Bufis, now a social studies teacher at Mauldin High School.

Sara Prosser ˜12 went on an Alternative Spring Break trip to Staten Island, New York, with Ardaiolo when she was a student. "He has always been incredibly supportive of all my endeavors as a student at Winthrop and even now almost five years later, he still remains a great mentor and friendHe is the reason I never can stay away from Winthrop for too long, every time I'm in the area I have to stop by," she said.

For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or e-mail her at longshawj@winthrop.edu.