Sepmeyer Award – Excellence in Credentials Evaluation Research
Sepmeyer Award – Excellence in Credentials Evaluation Research
Sepmeyer Award – Excellence in Credentials Evaluation Research
History
For many years, the late Inez Sepmeyer worked at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she focused on the admission and placement of international students and conducted research on international educational systems. Encouraged and aided by her late husband, Ludwig, she established the first U.S. private credentials evaluation service (IERF) in 1969. Her vision led to the publication of The Country Index, as well as many other significant publications in the credentials evaluation field. Contributions include publications with the following organizations: NAFSA: Association of International Educators and American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) – both of which have awarded her honorary and/or life memberships. The award is named in honor of Inez and Ludwig Sepmeyer because of their combined involvement in international education and their commitment to research and publications on world educational systems.
Eligibility
All individuals or teams are eligible, regardless of institutional affiliation, years of experience, citizenship, or country of residence. Current or new credential evaluation research projects or articles completed within the past year, as the award and grant are intended to honor achievements in research that address the needs, trends, and solutions of this ever-evolving field. The Sepmeyer Award aims to recognize and encourage smaller, thoughtful pieces of research and resource materials. For this reason, submissions of chapter books, e-books, websites, and databases are not eligible for consideration. Nominations will not be considered for previous recipients who received the Sepmeyer Award and Grant within the last three years.
Nomination Procedures
Nominations and self-nominations are both encouraged. Submissions should include the following:- Full name and contact information for the nominator and/or nominee(s).
- Copy of the presentation proposal, newsletter article, or self-published resource. Please specify the date and platform of publication, if applicable. Supporting materials, such as video clips and speaker notes for conference presentations may also be submitted but are not required. The resource must be in English or a bilingual format that includes English.
- Authorization by the authors for IERF to post the article/presentation slides, if chosen.
- 150-word description of the submission piece and its significance in the field.
Criteria and Selection
Each nomination and submission will be assessed based on the following criteria:- Presentation and clarity of nomination package
- Presentation and clarity of resource
- Helpfulness of resource to the field
- Significance of contribution to the field
The selection will be made by a committee who are highly reputed professionals in credentials evaluation, international enrollment management, and international higher education. The decision of the committee, once announced, will be final. The 2025 panel members are:
- Andrea Armstrong, Senior Policy Advisor and Research Lead Admissions, The University of Toronto, Canada
- Jeremy Mixell, Director, Graduate International Recruitment, DePaul University
- Melody Ojeda, Senior Evaluator, International Education Research Foundation (IERF), USA
- Diana Stevens, Associate Director, Strategic Support and Operations, Global and Educational Pathways Australian Catholic University, Australia
Award
The recipient(s) of the award and grant will be formally notified by email no later than June 30, 2025. A single award of $1,000 USD and an honorary certificate will be distributed to the recipient(s). If there are multiple authors, the award will be shared among the recipients. The recipient(s) will be featured on IERF’s website and social media platforms and will be given priority consideration for co-presenting or joint publication opportunities.
Contact
For more information, please email institutions@ierf.org.
2024 Recipient Announced
The Sepmeyer Award for Excellence in Credentials Evaluation Research is awarded to Matthew Cwiklinski, Credentials Evaluator & Project Coordinator at Scholaro, Inc. His work entitled Digital Fraud and Advanced Image Forensics introduces advanced image forensics for use in credential evaluation for professionals without extensive training in computer science, digital forensics, or mathematics.
Well done Matthew!
