By Teja Pritchard  

Naomi Rodgers, assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, received a  2025 Career Impact Award from the University of Iowa Pomerantz Career Center.

Rodgers was nominated by Emma Donnelly, who recently graduated with her B.A. in Speech and Hearing Science and who has worked in Rodgers's Stuttering Lab since August 2023. Donnelly nominated Rodgers for extraordinary guidance and mentorship, and helping her get accepted into her dream graduate program: Iowa.

In her nomination letter, Donnelly highlighted the depth of Rodgers’s mentorship and support throughout her graduate application process.

“Professor Rodgers has been a guide in my career journey since becoming my research mentor in my third-year of undergrad,” Donnelly wrote. “She has gone out of her way to meet with me to discuss my post-undergraduate plans. She also helped me cope with the uncertainty of applying to graduate school.”

Rodgers’s empathetic approach to supporting students' academics and well-being has made an impact on Donelly and other students in her department.

“Professor Rodgers goes above and beyond to celebrate her students’ successes and checks-in when she knows we are struggling,” Donnelly wrote. She consistently tries to make those around her feel seen, heard, and understood, and it is clear through her actions and words that she genuinely cares for and values her students.”

For Rodgers, receiving this award affirms the importance of creating student-centered learning environments.

“This award is one of the proudest moments of my career so far,” Rodgers said. “I care deeply about the growth and well-being of our students, and I am so proud of all the students in my lab and classroom who strive to be the best version of themselves.”

Rodgers and Donnelly attended the awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 7, at the Levitt Center for University Advancement.