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06.16.2014 | SSP News & Releases

SSP Announces Its 2014 Awards for Leadership and Service

The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) has announced the 2014 recipients of its most prestigious awards: the Distinguished Service Award, the SSP Appreciation Award and the Emerging Leader Award. These honors recognize outstanding service in support of SSP’s strategic goals.

Former SSP President Carol Ann Meyer presented the awards at a luncheon during the 36th Annual Meeting in Boston last month.

“It is my pleasure to acknowledge several of the many, many impressive, productive, passionate and dedicated volunteers that have contributed and continue to contribute to the success of SSP,” she said.

President Kent Anderson (left) with Distinguished Service Award winner Lois Smith (right).

President Kent Anderson (left) with Distinguished Service Award winner Lois Smith (right).

Lois Smith was honored with the 2014 Distinguished Service Award. As Meyer presented the award, she noted Smith’s impressive list of credentials and specifically called attention to her “energy beyond bounds, enthusiasm past understanding and critical thinking skills to rival an astrophysicist.”

Smith has served as cochair of the Communications Committee for the past two years and will cochair the Professional Development Committee in the upcoming year. Among her many accomplishments in her work for SSP, she is a past SSP president and board member and she led the task force that created the Emerging Leader Award.

“As I’ve said so many times during my career and tenure with SSP, this organization is my classroom and its members are my mentors,” she said. “I’ve been privileged to work with many amazing volunteer leaders in the past 20+ years, who have set a high bar that I keep aiming to reach. It is an unexpected and humbling experience to receive this award, and I thank everyone who has helped me earn it.”

President Kent Anderson (center) with SSP Appreciation Award winners Emilie Delquie (left) and Jocelyn Dawson (right).

President Kent Anderson (center) with SSP Appreciation Award winners Emilie Delquie (left) and Jocelyn Dawson (right).

Jocelyn Dawson and Emilie Delquie received this year’s SSP Appreciation Award, which recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond their responsibilities to contribute to the success of the society.

Dawson and Delquie cochaired the Annual Meeting Program Committee for the past two years, during which the attendance at the meetings reached record highs: 840 in 2013, and 970 this year.

“Being involved with SSP is incredibly rewarding, and we were always impressed by all the work done by the volunteers on our committee and by how generous they were with their time and ideas,” Delquie said.

Dawson commented that one of the best things about working on the committee was having a glimpse into all of the innovative work in the industry.

“I enjoy being part of an organization where people are so willing to share their ideas and experiences,” she said. “They help to make all of our work better.”

Maryam Ronagh, a Professional Development Committee member and past Travel Grant recipient, was presented with the 2014 Emerging Leader Award.

“This year’s recipient received a glowing nomination, two outstanding endorsements, and anecdotal high-fives from anyone who knows her,” Meyer said as she announced the award. “The nomination and endorsement statements of this impressive young woman were peppered with words like ‘initiative,’ ‘encouraging,’ ‘leading,’ ‘passionate,’ ‘dedicated,’ ‘proactive,’ ‘keen,’ ‘organizational and communication skills,’ and ‘eagerness to learn.’”

Most recently, Ronagh led this year’s SSP video interview project, for which she interviewed SSP members, officers, and board members about the scholarly publishing industry and the benefits of SSP. The video, which can be viewed on the SSP website, serves as a resource for people interested in pursuing a career in scholarly communication.

“My interactions with SSP since the beginning have been so developmentally fruitful, both personally and professionally,” Ronagh said. “I had the opportunity to play a role in exploring different avenues to help students and young professionals in the amazing world of scholarly publishing.”

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