2022 NACUBO Awards Recognize Outstanding Business Officers, Institutions

(Denver, CO) – In recognition of their outstanding contributions to higher education, seven business and finance leaders and two universities have received 2022 NACUBO Awards from the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

NACUBO's annual awards recognize individual and institutional excellence in higher education business and financial management. Honorees were recognized at the NACUBO 2022 Annual Meeting in Denver, as well as at in-person and virtual events throughout the academic year.

“NACUBO takes great pride in honoring these outstanding role models for higher education,” said NACUBO President and CEO Susan Whealler Johnston. “Their contributions are demonstrations of sound higher education fiscal management that we can all learn from, and we are so glad they are NACUBO members.”

2022 Distinguished Business Officer Award
Elizabeth Hardin, Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative fellow, received the 2022 Distinguished Business Officer Award for her extensive contributions to higher education. She spent the bulk of her career at the University of North Carolina—Charlotte, where she is credited with developing the managerial and financial systems necessary to grow the institution from a regional campus with $510.4M in net assets to an R2 university with $2.1B in net assets, among other achievements on campus, around Charlotte, and with NACUBO.

2022 Service to NACUBO Award
Archibald “Arch” Asawa, vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer at Soka University of America, received the 2022 Service to NACUBO Award. Asawa is a member of the NACUBO board of directors and a past board member and president of the Western Association of College and University Business Officers (WACUBO). He has lent his expertise to the NACUBO Fellows and New Business Officers Programs, among others, as well as to NACUBO content programming.

2022 Rising Star Award
Two individuals received this year’s Rising Star Award, which is designed to recognize outstanding professionals with high potential to succeed as executives and business officers in higher education.

Nichol Luoma, vice president of university business services at Arizona State University, received the 2022 Rising Star Award. Luoma has led the progress of her university’s sustainability operations and practices, including reaching its goal of carbon neutrality in its scope I and II greenhouse emissions. She has also overseen initiatives including an employee health office, the improvement of the materials management operation to ensure more efficient deliveries across four campuses, and a critical resources management process during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Irene Crasto-Bolin, controller at New York Medical College, received the 2022 Rising Star Award. She is the youngest controller in her institution’s history and is credited as a key finance leader for the school’s $120 million operating budget.

2022 Daniel D. Robinson Accounting Award
Kelli Perry, assistant vice president for finance and controller at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has received the 2022 Daniel D. Robinson Accounting Award. At her institution, Perry streamlined purchasing and created a financial responsibility supplemental schedule that can be audited. She is a very active NACUBO volunteer, frequently speaking at accounting conferences and serving as chair of the Accounting Principles Council.

2022 Student Financial Services Award
Christine Blakney, senior managing director of Student Business Services at Texas Tech University, received the 2022 Student Financial Services Award for her extensive contributions to her institution, the profession, and NACUBO. Working at Texas Tech since 2003, Blakney leads operations for all tuition and fee billing, refunding, collections, and related student communications. She has been a key advocate on 1098-T issues with the IRS and is a frequent contributor to NACUBO programs, councils, and research surveys.

2022 Rodney H. Adams Endowment Management Award
Kenneth Souza, senior director of investments for the University of South Florida Foundation, received the 2022 Rodney H. Adams Endowment Management Award for his outstanding contributions to professional development activities in the area of college or university endowment and investment management. He has worked for the University of South Florida Foundation since 2008, where he oversees more than $600 million in endowment and operating pool assets. He is also an active NACUBO volunteer.

2022 Excellence in Sustainability Award
Two institutions received the 2022 Excellence in Sustainability Award, which recognizes institutions for a specific campus innovation, process, or program that advances environmental sustainability in higher education or progress toward a more environmentally sustainable future.

The University of Texas at Arlington received the 2022 Excellence in Sustainability Award for its work towards equitable and resilient food systems. Initiatives include the on-campus Maverick Pantry, which offers food and household supplies, the Dine On Campus app, which alerts students to opportunities to collect unused food, and a composting program, which annually composts approximately 30 tons of food waste.

Furman University received the 2022 Excellence in Sustainability Award for its Community Conservation Corps, a home weatherization program for low-income households in the Greenville community. University staff and community volunteers have helped more than 150 homeowners weatherize their homes, saving up to 25 percent on their energy bills. The program also is helping Furman University to meet its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2026.

Some of these awards were supported in part by a generous sponsorship from Huron Consulting.

About NACUBO
NACUBO, founded in 1962, is a nonprofit professional organization representing chief administrative and financial officers at more than 1,700 colleges and universities across the country. NACUBO works to advance the economic vitality, business practices, and support of higher education institutions in pursuit of their missions.