Awards

Our organization is fill with talented professionals who deserve to be reocognized!

Awards are presented at the annual Allerton awards ceremony. Although there are several awards, it is not required to award these each year if there are no worthy recipients. Individuals may receive multiple Hire Big10+ awards over the course of their career, but not in the same year. They can receive the same award multiple times, but not if they are with the same institution. 

Recipients must be members of a Hire Big10+ school at the time of nomination. If they are no longer at that institution at the time of the nomination review or awards ceremony, they may still receive the award to recognize their contributions to the career services profession. The nominator will be asked to provide a forwarding email to notify the winner and mailing address to send the physical award. The professional monetary development stipend for the New Professional will not be given to someone who is no longer at a Hire Big10+ school.

The Hire Big10+ recognizes members annually, view the past winners here.

2026 HireBig10+ Awards Nomination Form

All nominations are due by May 19th at 11:59pm CST. On this form be prepared to answer the following questions:

• Nominee name, contact information and institution

• Nominator name, contact information and institution

• Which award your nomination is for

• Nomination Statement (past nominations have been 500-700 words, but there are no restrictions). Statements should include why this individual is deserving of the award selected, mention criteria in the award description and include specific examples to support the nomination.

Individuals may receive multiple Hire Big10+ awards over the course of their career, but not in the same year. They can receive the same award multiple times, but not if they are with the same institution. Nominators cannot nominate the same individual for multiple awards in the same year. 

Questions?

This year’s Awards Committee Chair is Chris Timm (ctimm1@unl.edu). The Awards Committee consists of past winners of the David S. Bechtel Award: Wil Jones, Rutgers; Jamie Macias, Wisconsin; Jenny Neef, Illinois, Paul Timmons, Oregon; and Chris Timm, Nebraska.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a nomination.

-HireBig10+ Executive Board & Awards Committee

This award is the highest honor an individual can receive within the Hire Big10+ career services network. 

It recognizes one experienced professional (10+ years) who contributed significantly to the field of career services. The honoree has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to students' career success at the campus level and within the profession at the local, regional, or national level. The honoree must also demonstrate a significant contribution to the field through scholarship, innovative initiatives, or other endeavors impacting career services beyond the local campus community. The successful nomination should include at least two nominating statements by professionals who know the honoree's contributions. 

The recipient receives a plaque, is added to the Bechtel perpetual plaque at the University of Illinois and is recognized at the annual Allerton awards ceremony.

The Hire Big10+ consortium does not bestow this award every year. For more information about David S. Bechtel, please see this tribute.

This award recognizes an individual with two or more years of full-time experience within career services. The honoree has shown genuine support and regard for students and colleagues, demonstrated an outstanding commitment to students' career success at the campus level, and is active in the profession at the local, regional, or national level. The successful nomination should include at least one nominating statement by a member of their department's senior leadership team or a department peer. 

The recipient receives a plaque and recognition at the annual Allerton awards ceremony. The recipient receives a plaque and recognition at the annual Allerton awards ceremony.

This award recognizes an individual who supervises at least one full-time staff within a career services department for at least one year. The honoree has shown genuine support and regard for their team, promotes teamwork while supporting individual well-being, and has demonstrated a commitment to the professional development of employees. The successful nomination should include at least one nominating statement by an employee currently or recently within their charge. 

The recipient receives a plaque and recognition at the annual Allerton awards ceremony.

One to two honorees per year.

This award recognizes a career services professional with less than two years of full-time experience.The honoree delivers outstanding services that impact students on their campus, led at least one project, and has taken on at minimum one responsibility outside of their standard job description. They are a promising future leader within career services and demonstrates significant interest in the field. The successful nomination should include at least one nominating statement by a professional who knows the candidate's contributions. 

The recipient receives a plaque, recognition at the annual Allerton awards ceremony, and a monetary stipend to participate in a conference or professional development opportunity ($500-$1000 total).  

*Note: Registration and travel will require pre-approval from HB10+ board and funds approved will be reimbursed. Award funds must be used within one year of receiving the award. The award recipient must still be employed in a Big10+ career services role to receive the monetary stipend.

This award is to formally recognize those that are retiring. 

All announcements will be shared at Allerton.