The Ray Coppler Disability Awareness Award was initiated during the 2010–11 academic year and was permanently named after its first recipient. Ray was an undergraduate student at ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â who was an active advocate of disability rights and equal access, working closely with D2A2 and the Office of Social Equity. Ray graduated from ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â with a bachelor of arts in history and a minor in economics.
The Coppler Award is designed to reflect the mission and vision of Disability Access and Advising (D2A2). This includes D2A2's mission to enhance the inclusion of ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â's students with disabilities, and the vision of a university that exceeds accessibility compliance - one that enhances the integration and success of persons with disabilities, and a campus-wide culture of access.
The Coppler Award honors and gives special recognition to an ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â student (undergraduate or graduate) who has displayed exemplary and creative contributions (beyond the requisites of their major) toward disability awareness, advocacy, accessibility, support, and/or education. Special consideration is given to students whose efforts have impacted the inclusion of people with disabilities within the ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â community.
Each year, D2A2 seeks campus-wide nominations for the award. The nominations are then reviewed by a committee comprised of both ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â students and employees, including past Coppler Award recipients.
Following are the recipients of the Ray Coppler Award to date:
2025–26 recipient
- Abbie Muthoni Muhoro, graduate student (MBA, Supply Chain Management)
2024–25 recipient
- Lucia Ugarte, undergraduate student (English)
2023–24 recipient
- Avery Gretz, undergraduate student (Applied Anthropology)
2022–23 recipient
- Taylor Burkholder, undergraduate student (Disability Services)
2021–22 recipient
- Bonnie Freiman, undergraduate student (Disability Services)
2020–21 recipient
- Brianna Doyle, graduate student (PhD; English, Composition and Applied Linguistics)
2019–20 recipient
- Emily Eckerd, undergraduate student (Special Education)
2018–19 recipient
- Kathleen Brown, undergraduate student (Disability Services)
2017–18 recipient
- Resa Crane Bizzaro, faculty member (Department of English, Composition and Applied Linguistics Program)
2016–17 recipient
- Lisa Hammett Price, faculty member (Department of Communication Disorders, Special Education, and Disability Services)
2015–16 recipient
- William VanEmburg, undergraduate student (Early Childhood/Special Education and Disability Services)
2014–15 recipient
- Robert Matchett, undergraduate student (Disability Studies and Sociology, Educational Psychology minor)
2013–14 recipients
- John Grant, graduate student (PhD; English, Composition and TESOL) and temporary faculty member (Department of English and American Language Institute)
- Annah Hill, faculty member (Department of Communication Disorders, Special Education, and Disability Services)
2012–13 recipient
- David Lorenzi, faculty member (Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Sport Science)
2011–12 recipient
- Lindsey DePra, undergraduate student (Art Education and Deaf Education)
2010–11 recipient
- Ray Coppler, undergraduate student (History)