Esteem Indicators: Awards and Honors

2022
• Finalist for the Pearson Excellence in Higher Education Awards:
  Outstanding Teaching Through the Pandemic, December 2022
• Mental Health First Aider, Completed MHFA Training – certified Fall 2022

2021
• 2020-21 Advisor of the Year, Winthrop University, College of Visual and Performing arts
   - nominated and selected by students during Covid
• DEI Certification Award, Winthrop University
• PhD in Children's Literature, University of Glasgow School of Education

2019
• Associate Fellow Recognising Excellence in Teaching (RET), University of Glasgow
• Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), University of Glasgow

2018
• Scottish Book Trust, Bookbug Selection Committee for the 2019-20 list  

2017
• MFA in Illustration with Distinction, University of Edinburgh College of Art
• Featured Illustrator, SCBWI British Isles
• Artwork Featured in the Edinburgh City Centre Museum, Scotland

2016
     • Invited speaker to TEDx 2016 University of Edinburgh

2015
     • Artwork chosen for the SCBWI Bologna BIG Show, Italy
     • Artwork chosen for the SCBWI British Isles Gallery Show, London

2014
• A BIRD ON WATER STREET winner of:
     • Georgia Author of the Year
     • Green Earth Book Award Honor
     • Southern Independent Booksellers Association (SIBA) OKRA Pick
     • The 2014 National Book Festival Featured Title for Georgia
     • GOLD Mom's Choice Award Winner
     • eLit 2014 Gold Medal Winner in the Environment/Ecology/Nature category
     • GOLD Moonbeam Children's Book Award in the Pre-teen fiction, historical/cultural category
     • Academics' Choice Award Winner
     • 2015-16 Georgia Children's Book Award
     • 2015 SIBA Book Award Nominee
     • Finalist for the 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards
     • Georgia Center for the Book's 10 Books All Young Georgians Should Read list
     • Nominated for Tennessee's Volunteer State Book Award

2013
• Chosen to present at the Fay B Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

2012
• Artwork chosen as part of the SCBWI Bologna Book Fair Illustrators' Gallery

2010
• SOAP, SOAP, SOAP named to the "25 Books All Young Georgians Should Read" list by the Georgia Center for the Book

2009
• SCBWI National Volunteer Scholarship awarded to attend the 2009 Summer Conference in LA
• SCBWI Magazine Merit Award

2008
• Bronze Medal - Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, Paco and the Giant Chile Plant
• iParenting Media Awards Outstanding Product for 2008, Ready for the Day!
• Assoication of Booksellers for Children's (ABC) Top Title For Back to School, Ready for the Day!
• SCBWI Barbara Karlin Grant, Judge
• Highlights Magazine, illustrator of the month, April 2008
• CBC Magazine's Hot Off the Press list, Paco and the Giant Chile Plant, March 2008

2007
• 76th Annual Writer's Digest Magazine Writing Competition,
        Honorable Mention in the Children's Fiction Category for "Queen Bea"
        out of over 19,000 submissions
• SmartWriters.com Grand Prize W.I.N.NER for illustration, "Lula's Brew"

2006
• The Prince's Diary named No.1 Valentine's Day Pick by Book Sense in conjunction
        with the Association of American Publishers
• SCBWI-Southern Breeze Writing Competition for illustrated children's books,
        Honorable Mention for "Queen Bea"
• Story Dynamics "Discovering Ease" story competition, Honorable Mention for "Queen Bea"
• childrensillustrators.com illustrator of the month

2004
• SCBWI Featured Artist, September 2004
• SCBWI Online Illustration Competition, Honorable Mention for "April Fools"