Dr. Stafford L. Hood Legacy Award

 Purpose 

In honor of the enduring legacy of Dr. Stafford L. Hood, Founding Director of the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Stafford L. Hood Legacy Award recognizes an individual whose body of work exemplifies Dr. Hood's deep and authentic commitment to advancing culturally responsive evaluation and assessment through culturally grounded inquiry, intellectual rigor, ethical responsibility, and community-centered approaches. This award honors individuals who have significantly advanced culturally responsive evaluation and assessment through scholarship, practice, leadership, mentorship, and service. Recipients should have a career trajectory of centering culture, promoting equity and justice, transforming evaluation and research theory and practice, and investing in the next generation of evaluators. The award celebrates leaders who understand that evaluation, assessment, and research are not simply about measuring outcomes, but about creating the lasting relationships they cultivate through the people they mentor and the communities they partner with. 

Eligibility 

Nominees should demonstrate sustained contributions that align with the spirit and values of Dr. Stafford L. Hood's legacy. Qualified candidates should demonstrate transformation impact in the field through meaningful influence on evaluation, assessment, education, policy, or communities through scholarship, practice, leadership, organizational change, policy, or sustained community impact. Nominees may come from any discipline or sector (i.e., academia, government, nonprofit organizations, tribal nations, philanthropy, consulting/contracting, or community organizations). 

Selection Criteria 

1. Advancement of Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment 

Significant contributions to advancing culturally responsive evaluation and/or assessment through research, practice, policy, teaching, or community engagement. Examples: Advancing CRE theory or methodology; innovative applications; influencing evaluation practice, promoting organizational change; culturally responsive assessment; equity-centered inquiry. 

2. Innovation and Intellectual Leadership 

Visionary thinking that expands how evaluation is conceptualized or practiced through innovative methods, frameworks, scholarship, or national/international leadership. 

Examples: Initiating interest groups, community practice and/or spaces to promote dialogue and thought leadership in the field; development of frameworks; scholarly publications, influential blogs, and/or technical reports; influential international projects. 

3. Community-Centered Practice 

Fostering transformational impact through community partnerships, trajectory of building authentic partnerships that center community priorities, participatory approaches, shared decision-making, Indigenous/local knowledge, and meaningful community action. 

Examples: Letters of agreement, working partnerships with communities and/or community organizations, co-authoring presentations and/or publications with community partners. 

4. Excellence in Measurement, Assessment, and Evaluation 

Demonstrated excellence in culturally meaningful evidence generation, validity, rigorous design, culturally grounded measurement, and strengthening evidence for decision-making. 

Examples: Advancing excellence in measurement, assessment, and evaluation to strengthen decision-making, improve practice, and demonstrate meaningful results through the development of tools or instruments, for example. Publications, book chapter, journal volume or special issue, presentations, issue brief, conference proceedings, white paper, technical reports, tool or instrument. 

5. Mentorship and Capacity Building 

Sustained commitment to mentoring, teaching, coaching, developing emerging evaluators, creating learning opportunities, and building organizational or community capacity. 

Examples: Evidence of mentorship and coaching, training, workshops conducted. 

6. Collaborative Leadership 

Bringing together people across disciplines, organizations, cultures, and communities to advance shared learning and collective impact. 

Examples: Evidence of community partnerships; evidence of deep collaborations with communities, engaging partners in decision-making. 

Submission Requirements 

•  Applicant Contact Information (name, title, organization, email, country) 
•  Nominator Information (name, organization, email, relationship to nominee) 
•  Narrative Statement (maximum 1,500 words) describing how the nominee embodies Dr. Hood's legacy, including contributions, innovation, mentorship, community engagement, impact, and alignment with the award. 
•  Curriculum Vitae or Résumé (maximum 10 pages). 
•  Two Letters of Support (e.g., community partners, colleague, supervisor, student, etc). 
•  Supporting Materials (minimum two and maximum four items including publications, reports, evaluation products, policy documents, teaching materials, or community testimonials). 
•  Self-nominations are permitted. 

Nominations due on Friday, September 11th.