Sugino, Athanasopoulos Awarded by the National Communication Association
The Department of English would like to congratulate Assistant Professor Corinne Sugino and Assistant Professor Charles Athanasopoulos for each being recognized by the National Communication Association (NCA) earlier this year. Sugino received both the Scholar-Activist Award and the Early Career Award, while Athanasopoulos received the New Investigator Award and the Community Engagement Award.
The NCA is a non-profit scholarly organization dedicated to advancing communication scholarship, teaching and practice and supporting communication educators, researchers and practitioners. Founded in 1914 as the National Association of Academic Teachers and Public Speaking, NCA was established when 17 speech teachers separated from the National Council of Teachers of English to create an organization devoted specifically to the study and teaching of public speaking. The organization adopted its current name in 1997 as the field expanded to encompass communication in a wide range of contexts, media and disciplines.
Sugino was recognized by the Critical and Cultural Studies Division (CCSD) of the NCA with the Scholar-Activist Award which “honors a scholar who significantly contributes to their communities above and beyond their research, teaching, and/or service with activist interventions.” The Asian/Pacific American Caucus commended her with the Early Career Award, for a person whose “body of work has significantly contributed to communication scholarship, teaching, and/or service in Asian-Pacific American communities and demonstrates promise for continued development.”
In reflecting on the awards, Sugino remarked, “I am deeply honored to receive these two awards, and to know that my work is making an impact. I am grateful for all of the colleagues and students who have supported my work in and beyond academia over the years.”
Professor Sugino joined the English Department in the fall of 2024, and her first book, Making the Human: Race, Allegory, and Asian Americans was published by Rutgers University Press in 2025. She was previously recognized by the Asian/Pacific American Caucus with both the Outstanding Article Award (2022) and the Outstanding Dissertation Award (2023).
The Critical and Cultural Studies Division also recognized Professor Athanasopoulos with the New Investigator Award for “an emerging scholar who has taken a leadership role in CCSD by setting a new research agenda for critical and cultural studies.” He also received the Community Engagement Award from the Activism and Social Justice Division, which “honors a division member who has engaged in collective action aimed at community engagement.”
Regarding his achievements, Athanasopoulos remarked, “I’m humbled to be recognized by NCA for both a research and community engagement award. I’ve always tried to take a synergistic approach to writing, teaching, and community organizing rather than viewing them as mutually exclusive.”
Athanasopoulos also joined the department in 2024, and Palgrave Macmillan published his first book, Black Iconoclasm: Public Symbols, Racial Progress, and Post/Ferguson America, in the same year. He was also previously recognized by the CCSD with the Outstanding Article Award (2023). Looking forward, Athanasopoulos hopes that “above all, these awards reflect to our students that they can pursue their career goals without sacrificing their passions and ethical commitments.”
Congratulations to both Corinne Sugino and Charles Athanasopoulos for their impressive achievements!
