A Recap of our Inaugural Awards Ceremony
and Call for 2025 Nominations
To celebrate the achievements of our alumni and to encourage our students on their own professional and academic paths, the Department of Art History inaugurated a new tradition in 2024: the FSU Art History Alumni Awards.
In November we honored museum professionals Matthew McLendon (BA 2000) and Daniel Noel (BA 2017) with respectively the first FSU Art History Professional Achievement Award and the first FSU Art History Emerging Professional Award. McLendon is the Director and CEO of the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, TX, and Noel is Development Coordinator at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH. The honorees toured the FSU campus, presented short talks about their achievements in light of their experiences studying Art History at FSU, and engaged in lively discussions with students and touching reunions with faculty mentors. See a photo gallery from their visit below…

We now invite nominations for the 2025 FSU Art History Professional Achievement Award and Emerging Professional Award. These awards honor and celebrate individuals who exemplify the values and mission of the Department of Art History at Florida State University, and who have demonstrated excellence in their professional and personal achievements. Candidates are selected based on their accomplishments in the arts, education, museum, and other professional sectors, as well as their impact on the broader art historical community.
Recipients must be present at the Alumni Award celebration, held annually in the fall, in order to receive the award.

The criteria include:
- Graduated from the Department of Art History (any degree)
- Significant Career Achievements
- Community Involvement/Recognition
- Service to the Department of Art History / Florida State University
Please send nominations to arthistory@fsu.edu before April 30, 2025. Include the following information:
- Nominee’s name and contact information
- Proposed award category (Emerging Professional or Professional Achievement)
- Current position title and institution/company
- Degree and year received (if known)
- Pertinent Accomplishments, Recognitions, Service
This information may be included in the body of the email or in an attached document.
“The alumni presentations and discussion with students were so inspiring. It was really helpful to hear their stories and advice in the middle a challenging semester – to see not only how their experiences here opened doors for them, but also how they faced the same concerns, hard work, and decisions that I’m facing now. Talking with them really helped me gain perspective.”
– Art History MA student Megan Neely