Professional Achievement Award
The Professional Achievement Award recognizes a graduate who has continued the pursuit of intellectual growth and has explored creative avenues in his or her chosen field. As a result, this individual has achieved notable success and recognition in his or her career.
2026- Dr. Christine (Jolliff ’89) Denecker
Dr. Christine (Jolliff ’89) Denecker has built a distinguished career in higher education rooted in teaching, curiosity and a willingness to follow unexpected opportunities. After beginning her career as a high school English teacher at Allen East in Harrod, Ohio, Denecker transitioned into higher education, eventually earning a Ph.D. in rhetoric and writing from Bowling Green State University while working full-time and raising her young family. Her career at the University of Findlay has included serving as chair of the English department, co-founding the Center for Teaching Excellence, helping to grow the Master’s in Rhetoric and Writing program and leading institutional initiatives before becoming vice president of academic affairs in 2026.
Bluffton played a defining role in shaping Denecker’s path. Although she entered Bluffton as an elementary education major, Professor Mary Ann Sullivan recognized her passion and potential as a reader and writer and encouraged her to pursue degrees in English education and communication. Sullivan’s mentorship gave Denecker the confidence to see herself differently and sparked a lifelong love of literature, learning and exploration. Professor Libby Hostetler also helped open doors, advocating for Denecker’s student teaching placement and giving her an opportunity that would shape how she approached teaching throughout her career.
Her Bluffton experience fostered independence, leadership and a desire to engage with the wider world. Participation in the C. Henry Smith Scholars program challenged her to pursue learning for its own sake, while her friendships with fellow Bluffton graduates Dawn (Soule ‘89) McQuown and Annette (Althaus ‘89) Heslep have remained a lasting source of joy.
Denecker counts among her most meaningful professional accomplishments earning her Ph.D., becoming a teacher who makes a difference and co-editing “The Dual Enrollment Kaleidoscope: Reconfiguring Perceptions of First Year Writing and Composition Studies,” which received the 2024 Conference on College Composition and Communication’s Best Edited Collection Award. She credits Bluffton with teaching her to remain curious, humble and open to unexpected opportunities. Looking back, she sees many of the pivotal decisions in her career as chances she was willing to take, and, with the perspective of time and faith, as moments in which she could see God’s guidance leading her forward.