The League established the Terry O’Banion Legacy Award in consultation with Dr. O’Banion to recognize practitioners and thought leaders who stimulate innovative and thought-provoking ideas and action at the community college level. At his recommendation, the name of the award was changed to the Terry O’Banion Provocateur Award to emphasize the focus on his role as a provocateur throughout his career. The recipients and their award-focused papers are listed below.

2024 Terry O’Banion Legacy Award

Adrienne Provost, Ph.D.
Director, Student Strategic Initiatives, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida

Social Media Public Scholars: Reframing the Narrative From the Inside Out

2026 Terry O’Banion Provocateur Awards

First Place

Kate Smith, Ed.D.
President, Rio Salado College

Second Place

Lim See Yew, Ph.D.
Senior Director, School of Engineering, Institute of Technical Education

Beyond Skills-First: The Emergence of Hybrid Intelligence in Human Evolution — Coming Soon!

2027 Terry O’Banion Provocateur Awards

The 2027 awards will be presented at the League’s Innovations Conference in March 2027.