Rachel MorrisonChapman University President Daniele C. Struppa was honored with the College and University Professional Association Human Resources (CUPA-HR) Chief Executive HR Champion Award at a virtual ceremony on Aug. 3, 2021. The award recognizes a president or chancellor of a higher education institution or system who has demonstrated significant support for the institution’s HR function. The award is CUPA-HR’s highest award for a non-HR individual.
“At Chapman, we often celebrate President Struppa as a ‘Renaissance Man,’ a game-changing thought leader who continuously pushes boundaries and inspires us to reach the highest of standards and ambitions,” said Brian Powell, vice president and chief human resource officer at Chapman. Powell nominated Struppa for the award. “His sustained support – and expectation – for a transformational human resources department is as sincere as it is progressive and refreshing. Daniele is a novel thinker and leader, an ardent supporter of Chapman HR, and a champion for an incredible employee experience. Celebrating his visionary leadership with this prestigious award is not only well-earned but fitting for our Renaissance President.”
At the virtual ceremony, CUPA-HR CEO Andy Brantley noted that Struppa’s award was based on his strong support of the university’s Human Resources Department and the leadership of Chapman’s HR team throughout the pandemic, noting that the “advocacy and support for campus culture [is clearly] front and center” at Chapman.
President Struppa thanked CUPA-HR, Segal and Powell and cited the leadership of the human resources team at Chapman as central to the Chapman experience. “Our mantra at Chapman is ‘anything imaginable,’ and the leadership of a strong human resources department is critical to engagement, achievement and maintaining a community of belonging. I am proud that Chapman has an HR operation that is taking Chapman to a new level,” he said.
The award comes with a monetary gift to the university sponsored by Segal, a higher education consulting firm. In the spirit of continued support for employee engagement and wellbeing, Struppa intends to use the funds to host an HR-sponsored employee appreciation banquet to celebrate the contributions made by administrative staff during the course of the pandemic. Struppa also announced that he intends to make the employee appreciation banquet an annual event.
CUPA-HR is the professional association for human resources professionals in higher education.
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