Awards

Distinguished Scholar Award

NCA Distinguished Scholar Award

The NCA Distinguished Scholar Award was created in 1991 to recognize and reward NCA members for a lifetime of scholarly achievement in the study of human communication. Recipients are selected to showcase the communication profession. The award is supported by the Mark L. Knapp Distinguished Scholar Fund.


Distinguished Scholars Inductees

2023

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Robert Asen

Bernadette M. Calafell

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Theodore Clevenger Jr.*

Lisa A. Flores

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Tina Maria Harris

Karen A. Foss

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Charles E. Morris III

Katherine Grace Hendrix

 
Distinguished Scholar Inductee Kent A. Ono

D. Soyini Madison

2022

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Robert Asen

Robert Asen

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Theodore Clevenger Jr.*

Theodore Clevenger Jr.*

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Tina Maria Harris

Tina Maria Harris

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Charles E. Morris III

Charles E. Morris III

 
Distinguished Scholar Inductee Kent A. Ono

Kent A. Ono

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Lynn H. Turner

Lynn H. Turner

2021

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Tamara Afifi

Tamara Afifi

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Mohan Dutta

Mohan Dutta

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Laura Ellingson

Laura Ellingson

Distinguished Scholar Inductee E Patrick Johnson

E Patrick Johnson

 
Distinguished Scholar Inductee Rake Shome

Raka Shome

2020

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Dawn O. Braithwaite

Dawn O. Braithwaite

Distinguished Scholar Inductee James Chesebro

James Chesebro*

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Dana L. Cloud

Dana L. Cloud

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Ronald L. Jackson

Ronald L. Jackson

 
Distinguished Scholar Inductee Brian H. Spitzberg

Brian H. Spitzberg

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Sarah Tracy

Sarah J. Tracy

2019

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Molefi Kete Asante

Molefi Kete Asante

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Lawrence Frey

Lawrence Frey

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Gary Kreps

Gary Kreps

 
Distinguished Scholar Inductee Thomas Nakayama

Thomas Nakayama

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Denise Hauani Solomon

Denise Haunani Solomon

2018

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Wayne A. Beach

Wayne A. Beach

Distinguished Scholar Inductee James Price Dillard

James Price Dillard

 
Distinguished Scholar Inductee Mary Anne Fitzpatrick

Mary Anne Fitzpatrick

2017

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Ronald Arnett

Ronald C. Arnett

Distinguished Scholar Inductee François Cooren

François Cooren

 
Distinguished Scholar Inductee Sandra Petronio

Sandra Petronio

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Mary Stuckey

Mary E. Stuckey

 
Distinguished Scholar Inductee Joseph B. Walther

Joseph B. Walther

2016

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Patrice Buzzanell

Patrice M. Buzzanell

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Donal Carbaugh

Donal Carbaugh

 
Distinguished Scholar Inductee Jon F.  Nussbaum

Jon F. Nussbaum

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Sandi W. Smith

Sandi W. Smith

2015

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Stephen Browne

Stephen Browne

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Carolyn Ellis

Carolyn S. Ellis

2014

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Noshir S Contractor

Noshir S. Contractor

Distinguished Scholar Inductee G Thomas Goodnight

G. Thomas Goodnight

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Alan Gross

Alan G. Gross

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Anita Vangelisti

Anita L. Vangelisti

2013

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Michael Hyde

Michael J. Hyde

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Robert Ivie

Robert L. Ivie

 
Distinguished Scholar Inductee Gerry Philipsen

Gerry Philipsen

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Cynthia Stohl

Cynthia Stohl

2012

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Arthur Bochner

Arthur P. Bochner

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Robert Craig

Robert Craig

 
Distinguished Scholar Inductee John Louis Lucaites

John Louis Lucaites

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Peter Monge

Peter Monge

2011

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Clifford Christians

Clifford G. Christians

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Gail Fairhurst

Gail T. Fairhurst

 
Distinguished Scholar Inductee Dennis Mumby

Dennis K. Mumby

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Barbie Zelizer

Barbie Zelizer

2010

Distinguished Scholar Inductee John Daly

John A. Daly

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Steven Duck

Steven W. Duck

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Karen Tracy

Karen Tracy

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Joseph Turow

Joseph Turow

2009

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Carole Blair

Carole Blair

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Stephen Lucas

Stephen E. Lucas

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Michael Roloff

Michael E. Roloff

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Edward Schiappa

Edward Schiappa

2008

Distinguished Scholar Inductee James Aune

James A. Aune

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Leslie Baxter

Leslie A. Baxter

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Charles Berger

Charles R. Berger

Distinguished Scholar Inductee J Michael Hogan

J. Michael Hogan

2007

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Lance Bennett

Lance Bennett

Distinguished Scholar Inductee W Norwood Brigance

W. Norwood Brigance*

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Robert Entman

Robert Entman

Distinguished Scholar Inductee Howard Giles

Howard Giles

2006

John Waite Bowers

John Waite Bowers

Brant R Burleson

Brant R. Burleson

 
Doris Graber

Doris A. Graber

2005

Joseph Cappella

Joseph N. Cappella

Gerard Hauser

Gerard A. Hauser

 
Martin Medhurst

Martin J. Medhurst

Marshall Scott Poole

Marshall Scott Poole

2004

Stanley Deetz

Stanley A. Deetz

Robert Hariman

Robert Hariman

David Seibold

David R. Seibold

Frans van Eemeren

Frans H. van Eemeren

2002

Celeste Condit

Celeste M. Condit

MIchael Schudson

Michael S. Schudson

2001

Michael Leff

Michael Leff

2000

James Andrews

James R. Andrews

Robert Newman

Robert P. Newman

Ellen Wartella

Ellen A. Wartella

1999

Judee Burgoon

Judee K. Burgoon

Linda Putnam

Linda L. Putnam

1998

Thomas Farrell

Thomas B. Farrell

Henry Johnstone Jr

Henry W. Johnstone, Jr.

Julia Wood

Julia T. Wood

1997

Thomas Benson

Thomas W. Benson

Lloyd Bitzer

Lloyd F. Bitzer

 
Lawrence Grossberg

Lawrence Grossberg

1996

Edwin Black

Edwin Black

Beverly Whitaker Long

Beverly Whitaker Long

Bruce Gronbeck

Bruce E. Gronbeck

1995

Wallace Bacon

Wallace A. Bacon

A Craig Baird

A. Craig Baird*

 
Donald Bryant

Donald C. Bryant*

Douglas Ehninger

Douglas Ehninger*

Walter Fisher

Walter R. Fisher

Wilbur Howell

Wilbur Samuel Howell*

Everett Lee Hunt

Everett Lee Hunt*

Franklin Knower

Franklin H. Knower*

 
Marie Hochmuth Nichols

Marie Hochmuth Nichols*

Herbert Simons

Herbert Simons

 
Karl Wallace

Karl Wallace*

Herbert Wichelns

Herbert A. Wichelns*

 
James Winans

James A. Winans*

Charles Woolbert

Charles Woolbert*

1994

Wayne Brockriede

Wayne Brockriede*

James Murphy

James J. Murphy

 
David Zarefsky

David Zarefsky

1993

Jesse Delia

Jesse Delia

Roderick Hart

Roderick P. Hart

Mark Knapp

Mark L. Knapp

1992

Carroll C Arnold

Carroll C. Arnold

Samuel L Becker

Samuel L. Becker

Ernest Bormann

Ernest G. Bormann

Karlyn Kohrs Campbell

Karlyn Kohrs Campbell

Dennis Gouran

Dennis S. Gouran

Franklyn Haiman

Franklyn S. Haiman

Kathleen Hall Jamieson

Kathleen Hall Jamieson

George Kennedy

George Kennedy

 
Gerald Miller

Gerald R. Miller

Robert Scott

Robert L. Scott

*Awarded posthumously