Awards
The NERCOMP Awards Program recognizes the professional accomplishments of individual NERCOMP members.
About the Award
The Mark Berman Community Outreach award recognizes a member of a NERCOMP institution for their contributions to NERCOMP as well as to the larger higher education community. The person selected demonstrates excellence in nurturing relationships and bringing people together within higher education, regardless of who they are, where they are in their career, or their personal or professional identity.
Mark never missed an opportunity to get to know others or start a conversation.
Mark Berman Community Outreach Award Criteria:
- Involvement – actively involved with NERCOMP/other professional organizations over the years.
- Outreach – shows interest and reaches out to people working in higher education information technology fields with the goal of helping them succeed.
- Teacher/Learner – serves as both a mentor/teacher and lifelong learner, sharing knowledge with others.
- Engaged – volunteers to participate and lead projects and initiatives and engages others to also get involved.
- Connector – builds a strong network of colleagues across organizations/institutions and looks for ways to welcome and connect people together.
The award recipient will receive the following:
- Free registration for the in-person NERCOMP Annual Conference, including pre-conference seminars as well as lodging and travel expenses.
- Recognition at the NERCOMP Annual Conference, highlighted on the NERCOMP website and featured in a NERCOMP press release.
Nominations
Nominations will open in November 2024
Who was Mark Berman?
Mark Berman was an active and enthusiastic member of NERCOMP throughout his entire career in higher education. As Director of Networks & Systems at Williams College (1991 - 2008), he found numerous opportunities to attend and lead NERCOMP workshops (SIGs or PDOs, depending on the time) on a wide range of topics. Mark rarely missed the Annual Conference whether it was in Sturbridge, Worcester, or Providence. Mark carried his enthusiasm for involvement throughout his time as CIO at both MCLA (2008-2011) and Siena College (2011-2020). Mark was active in NERCOMP, EDUCAUSE, CLAC, as well as starting a regional IT group in the Albany area looking to connect with colleagues. He encouraged everyone he met to get involved in some way whether it was attending, presenting, volunteering, or running for the NERCOMP board. In addition to all of the technical and leadership workshops, conferences, board meetings, and outreach projects for NERCOMP and EDUCAUSE, Mark was an avid music lover and was an enthusiastic member of the NERCOMP Band (circa 2014-2016) that played at the annual conference
Award Video
Past Winners
NERCOMP Celebrates its past Mark Berman Community Outreach Award Recipients!
Mark Davis
Swarthmore College
Christine Fitzgerald
Tufts University
René Thatcher
St. Lawrence University