Category Archives: Awards

Scholarships to Attend the SOA/MAC Annual Meeting 2026

The Society of Ohio Archivists is pleased to announce six scholarships available to students and archivists to attend the SOA/MAC joint annual meeting on May 14-16, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio:

  • Student Scholarship Award – 2 awards for enrolled graduate students.
  • New Professional Scholarship Award – 2 awards for new archival professionals with three years or less experience in the workplace.
  • Ohio Preservation Council Student/New Professional Scholarship – 1 award for either students or new professionals.
  • Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (JEDAI) Award – 1 award.  This is an identity-based scholarship designed to help diversify the profession.

This year’s scholarship consists of full registration to the MAC/SOA annual meeting, a per diem for lunch costs, hotel accommodations, a one-year SOA membership, and a $100 travel stipend. Awardees are required to submit a photograph and write about their experience for publication in the Ohio Archivist newsletter.  Deadline to apply is March 13, 2026.

The Membership & Awards Committee is responsible for soliciting applications and submitting recommendations to Council. The awards will be presented at the SOA annual business meeting on May 15, 2026.

How to Apply

A PDF Scholarship application is available to download. The Scholarship rubric is available for your reference. Applications and inquiries can be sent via email to Membership & Awards Committee co-chairs Stephanie Shreffler and Julia Teran. See more details on the scholarships webpage

Call for Nominations for the 2026 Merit Award

The SOA Membership & Awards Committee seeks nominations for the 2026 Society of Ohio Archivists Merit Award.

The award is given to individuals or organizations that have by excellence in deeds, actions, or initiatives improved the state of archives in Ohio over the past year. The award will be announced at the SOA and MAC Joint Annual Meeting, which will be held on May 14-16, 2026, at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

A fillable PDF Merit Award nomination form is available to download. The Merit Award rubric is available for your reference. Deadline to apply is March 13, 2026.

Nominations should include the following information:

  • Name of nominee;
  • Nominee’s employer or institution;
  • Nominee’s mailing address, phone number, and email address;
  • Brief reason for nomination;
  • The nominator’s contact information so that the awards committee may contact you for additional information.

See the list of past awardees on the Merit Award page.

Applications and inquiries can be emailed to Membership & Awards Committee co-chairs Stephanie Shreffler and Julia Teran.

Call for Applications: 2025 Meeting Scholarships

The Society of Ohio Archivists is pleased to announce five scholarships to attend the SOA Annual Meeting available to students (2 awards), and new archival professionals (2 awards) with three years or less experience in the workplace. The final scholarship category, the Ohio Preservation Council Student/New Professional Scholarship, is available to either students or new professionals.

The awards will be presented at the SOA Annual Meeting business meeting which will be held on Friday, May 16, 2025, at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. Deadline to apply has been extended to March 8, 2025. Deadline to apply is March 1, 2025.

 

The scholarship consists of registration to the SOA annual meeting (including lunch), a one-year SOA membership, and a $100 travel stipend. Awardees are required to submit a photograph and write about their experience for publication in the Ohio Archivist newsletter.

How to Apply:

A fillable PDF Scholarship application is available to download. The Scholarship rubric is available for your reference. Applications should include the following information:

  • Applicant’s name, mailing address, and email address.
  • Students should list their school’s name and academic program;
  • New professionals should list their employer and number of years working within the field;
  • Description about how the meeting will benefit the applicant professionally;
  • Brief description of the applicant’s scholarship and contribution to archives. This will be taken into consideration along with the applicant’s number of years in the field or academic study;
  • Statement of the applicant’s need for financial support to attend the conference;
  • Details: Scholarship page.

Continue reading

Call for Nominations: 2025 Merit Award

The SOA Membership & Awards Committee seeks nominations for the 2025 Society of Ohio Archivists Merit Award.

The award is given to individuals or organizations that have by excellence in deeds, actions, or initiatives improved the state of archives in Ohio over the past year. The award will be announced at the SOA Annual Meeting, which will be held on Friday, May 16, 2025 at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio.

A fillable PDF Merit Award nomination form is available to download. The Merit Award rubric is available for your reference. Deadline to apply has been extended to March 8, 2025. Deadline to apply is March 1, 2025. Continue reading

2024 SOA Merit Award Winners

The SOA Membership & Awards Committee is pleased to announce the 2024 Merit Award recipients! The awards were presented at the annual meeting on May 17.

Congratulations to Greene County Archives, recognized for their work to preserve the vital records of Greene County through the new Online Catalog System and Digital Repository.

Congratulations to the Columbus Metropolitan Library and the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library, recognized for their work in preserving the archives of their hometown newspapers.

3 people holding awards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photograph (left to right): Robin Heise, Greene County Records Center and Archives; Angela O’Neal, Columbus Metropolitan Library; and Larry Richmond, Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library.

 

 

Meeting Scholarships Awarded for 2024

The SOA Membership & Awards Committee is pleased to announce five scholarships awarded at the Annual Meeting on May 17.

Scholarship awardees, pictured left to right:

  • Jessica Licker, Ohio University (Student Scholarship Award)
  • Katie Gable, Kent State University (Student Scholarship Award)
  • Nikala Trujillo, Dawes Arboretum (New Professional Scholarship Award)
  • Emilie Cornelius, Central Ohio Technical College and The Ohio State University Newark campus  (New Professional Scholarship Award)
  • Niel White, University of Denver (Ohio Preservation Council Scholarship Award)five people holding awards

 

 

 

 

 

The scholarship consists of registration to the SOA annual meeting (including lunch), a one-year SOA membership, and a $100 travel stipend. Look for articles sharing their meeting experiences in the fall issue of the Ohio Archivist newsletter!

National History Day at 50: A Salute

by George Bain and Connie Conner, Advocacy and Outreach Committee members.

The National History Day program was born in 1974, 50 years ago this year, as a modest venture in the area of Cleveland, Ohio under the direction of Case Western Reserve University History Professor David Van Tassel. But it was a dream that began to expand across the state and then over several years into other states and then became national in scope. Also known widely by its initials as well, NHD is an admirable educational entity that deserves recognition for stimulating the study of history. But why, as it celebrates its Golden Anniversary, is it of direct importance to the archival community? Continue reading

Call for Applications: 2024 SOA Scholarships

The Society of Ohio Archivists is pleased to announce five scholarships available to students (2 awards), and new archival professionals (2 awards) with three years or less experience in the workplace. The final scholarship category, the Ohio Preservation Council Student/New Professional Scholarship, is available to either students or new professionals.

The awards will be presented at the SOA Annual Meeting business meeting which will be held on Friday, May 17, 2024 at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio. Applications are due by March 18, 2024.

The scholarship consists of registration to the SOA annual meeting (including lunch), a one-year SOA membership, and a $100 travel stipend. Awardees are required to submit a photograph and write about their experience for publication in the Ohio Archivist newsletter.

How to Apply: Applications should include the following information:

  • Applicant’s name, mailing address, and email address.
  • Students should list their school’s name and academic program;
  • New professionals should list their employer and number of years working within the field;
  • Description about how the meeting will benefit the applicant professionally;
  • Brief description of the applicant’s scholarship and contribution to archives. This will be taken into consideration along with the applicant’s number of years in the field or academic study;
  • Statement of the applicant’s need for financial support to attend the conference;
  • Details: Scholarship page.

Applications and inquiries can be sent via email to Membership & Awards Committee co-chairs Jennifer Long Morehart and Helen CongerDue March 18, 2024. Download the Scholarship announcement PDF.

Call for Nominations: 2024 SOA Merit Award

The SOA Membership & Awards Committee seeks nominations for the 2024 Society of Ohio Archivists Merit Award.

The award is given to individuals or organizations that have by excellence in deeds, actions, or initiatives improved the state of archives in Ohio over the past year. The award will be announced at the SOA Annual Meeting, which will be held on Friday, May 17, 2024 at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio. Continue reading

Meeting Scholarships Awarded for 2023

The Society of Ohio Archivists Membership & Awards Committee is pleased to announce four scholarships awarded at the Annual Meeting on May 12, 2023.

Scholarship awardees are:

  • Student Scholarship Award: Kirsten Dilger, Wright State University
  • Student Scholarship Award: Jacob Stickel, Wright State University
  • Ohio Preservation Council Scholarship Award: Colleen Badenhop, Kent State University
  • New Professional Scholarship Award: Paige Kinzer, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky
Four people posing for a photograph. They are the scholarship winners.

2023 Scholarship Awardees pose at the Society of Ohio Archivists Annual Meeting on May 12, 2023 (L to R): Jacob Stickel, Kirsten Dilger, Paige Kinzer, and Colleen Badenhop

The scholarship consists of registration to the SOA annual meeting (including lunch), a one-year SOA membership, and a $100 travel stipend. Look for articles sharing their meeting experiences in the fall issue of the Ohio Archivist newsletter.