Awards – The G Word

Isabella Greene was the recipient of the 2023 College of Professional Studies Graduate Distinguished Scholar Award at the 2023 CPS Commencement Ceremony. The College of Professional Studies Graduate Distinguished Scholar Award recognizes the graduate student who best demonstrates the college’s core competencies of strategic thinking, communication, collaboration, leadership, and ethics.

Director John W. Warren introduces Isabella Greene as the CPS Graduate Distinguished Scholar Award at the 2023 CPS Commencement Ceremony.

All who are familiar with GW’s graduate program in publishing knows that we are blessed with a plethora of outstandingly talented students. We think that the talent can’t possibly get better, and it goes up a notch. Isabella’s talents and practice in strategic thinking, effective communication, collaboration, leadership, and commitment to ethics exemplify the CPS Core Competencies.

Isabella is one of the most impressive students I’ve had the honor to work with in the eleven years that I have been associated with the program at GW.

She graduates with a GPA of 4.0, in the top 1 percent of her cohort. She worked full-time throughout most of the program as Project Manager for Pubvendo, a digital marketing firm for publishers and authors. Her contributions and projects have been consistently thoughtful, comprehensive, and strategic, while generously supportive of the learning and growth of her peers.

For her Ethics in Publishing capstone, Bella developed a project that combined both applied ethics and research, to improve accessibility and employment in the publishing industry. She conducted extensive interviews about disabilities, including hidden or “invisible” disabilities, developed a survey and a website to support her project, and conducted a case-study within a team of copy editors.

She then developed that project into her own company, AbiliTEAM Consulting LLC., to help employers support employees with disabilities and accommodation needs, including invisible or hidden conditions.

Isabella Greene receives the CPS Graduate Distinguished Scholar Award at the 2023 CPS Commencement Ceremony.

In October, she presented her project and survey at our 12th GW Ethics in Publishing Conference; the only current student to present at our hybrid conference, which was streamed to 400 attendees.

She subsequently entered GW’s prestigious New Venture Competition and reached the semifinal round; as the only CPS student and the only solo entrepreneur in her Business Goods & Services track.

I am honored to have worked with her over these two years. Bella is an accomplished student leader; ambitious and driven, while equally caring, empathetic, supportive and helpful to her peers.

Comments from GW Graduate Program in Publishing professors:

Randy Townsend: I enthusiastically support Isabella Greene’s nomination for this year’s Distinguished Scholar Award. In the Ethics in Publishing course, our discussions on invisible and chronic illnesses inspired Isabella to explore this topic for her capstone project. Isabella’s experience with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome made her project personal. Throughout the 2022 summer session, she mapped out a blueprint for AbiliTEAM Consulting LLC, a company she launched just a few short months after the conclusion of the class. Officially licensed as an LLC in Massachusetts, AbiliTEAM Consulting LLC now supports organizations in their pursuit to become more inclusive and accessible.

Puja Telikicherla: Isabella’s drive, focus, and dedication to positive change make her an outstanding recipient for the Graduate Distinguished Scholar Award. She represents the core values of this merit through her consistent pursuit of education in service to the greater good, her skillful problem-solving, her sincere empathy towards others, and her willingness to create innovative methods within the structure of an established industry. She embodies leadership and teaches by example and her passion for continuous improvement can transform the publishing landscape. I also had the good fortune to see Isabella’s name on our list of submissions for the 2022 Ethics in Publishing conference, held both online and in-person last October. (I am a co-organizer of the conference with John W. Warren and am responsible for evaluating submissions and scheduling presentations). Isabella’s submission, Publishing Accessibility Support Systems, centered on her work as the founder of AbiliTEAM Consulting, an accessibility consulting firm in the service of supporting workers with invisible and chronic illness. It is worth mentioning that the Ethics in Publishing conference occurred just at the conclusion of my Fall 2022 course that Isabella was enrolled in, giving her double duties at a particularly busy time of year. Not only does Isabella have extraordinary energy and motivation, but her time management skills demonstrate just how disciplined she is with her many pursuits and projects, both within the CPS and beyond, and how willing she is to help no matter how menial the task.

Please join me in congratulating Isabella Greene, our 2023 CPS Graduate Distinguished Scholar.

Professor Dean Smith was the recipient of the 2023 College of Professional Studies Faculty Excellence Award at the 2023 CPS Commencement Ceremony. This honor is awarded to the part-time faculty member in the College of Professional Studies who has provided extraordinary service to the students and the college. The award recognizes both enlightened teaching and meritorious efforts to advance the college and its programs.

John W. Warren, Director, GW Graduate Program in Publishing, introducing Professor Dean Smith and the CPS Faculty Excellence Award.

Dean Smith has taught in the MPS in Publishing program since Fall 2012. His course, Book and Journal Publishing, is our students’ first entry into the program; for many of our students it is their first entry into the profession of publishing; a nuanced, complex, and challenging profession to summarize succinctly in a twelve-week course.

Professor Smith’s full-time role is Director of Duke University Press, one of the most prestigious university presses in the world and a rather large enterprise. He has plenty on his hands. Nevertheless, he comes to GW’s Alexandria campus once per week, from Durham, North Carolina, for his twelve-week course to teach the course in person, in addition to teaching the online course during the same twelve weeks.

In his course, Dean brings in a wide variety of guest lecturers to speak about the different sectors and roles in publishing. People such as the President/CEO of Elsevier, and SVP of Ingram Content Group, as well as well-known authors and other publishers.

Dean is a devoted mentor to students and an outstanding professor. He has been instrumental in introducing students to job opportunities. Here are some words of support from Dean’s students, typical of what I hear from his students every year.

From Isabella Greene, our CPS Graduate Distinguished Scholar:

Dean encouraged me to be bold in my pursuit of publishing jobs and to keep an open mind throughout the program. He really set the tone for what ended up being a fantastic program.

Professor Dean Smith receives the CPS Faculty Excellence Award, Commencement, 2023

From Casey Aimer:

Dean exemplifies excellence and a commitment to the program that exceeds all others. His immense love for publishing and preparing the next generation of professionals propels him to travel from North Carolina to teach each week. His class is the cornerstone of the first semester and is the perfect introduction to the program.

And Kelley Robbins:

Tapping his own personal and professional network, Dean brings in longtime publishing professionals to speak to his students during class sessions and share their insights about the industry and areas of expertise. He goes above and beyond the basic requirements of being an instructor and serves as a springboard to help launch students into their publishing careers. I consider him both a friend and mentor and can’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.

Join me in congratulating Professor Dean Smith for the 2023 CPS Faculty Excellence Award.

Category: Awards

Isabella Greene, Publishing—Graduate Distinguished Scholar Award

Dean Smith Faculty Excellence Award, CPS