OHIO's Dr. Jim Sand honored with Hallenbeck Service Award

Ohio University’s Dr. Jim Sand, assistant director of Housing and Residence Life,  was named recently as the recipient of the prestigious Hallenbeck Service Award through the Central Atlantic Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (CAACURH) at the February Regional Business Conference.

This lifetime recognition honors service to residence hall leadership. For Sand, it reflects 40 years of dedication to students and the residential experience at Ohio University.

At OHIO, Sand supervises resident directors, graduate assistants and indirectly more than 110 undergraduate student staff members, while also serving as lead advisor for the Residence Hall Association (RHA) and advisor for National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH). Since helping form OHIO’s first residential leadership organization in 1994, Sand has guided its evolution from a Tri-Green Council to tRAC to RHA.

Following the pandemic, Sand played a pivotal role in rebuilding student leadership, reviving NRHH and restoring engagement across campus. In recognition of his impact, OHIO’s NRHH chapter now bears his name.

Sand’s legacy is defined by mentorship and an unwavering belief in student potential. OHIO, his colleagues in Housing and Residence Life, and all students’ past, current and future are grateful for the leadership that has earned him this honor.

OHIO students receive top awards

At the conference, several other notable awards were presented to the OHIO team.

The Overall Conference Spirit Award, presented to undergraduates June Meehan (NRHH President), Megan Luckiw (National Communications Chair for RHA) and Devin Lands (RHA President) as well as resident director AJ Stewart.

Meehan was also recognized with the Cougar Pride Pin and received the CAACURH Grant, while Lands was named RHA President of the Year. Luckiw earned distinction for her NCC Case Study, and collectively, the OHIO group received numerous National and Regional OTMs.

The Central Atlantic Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (CAACURH) is a regional affiliate of the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH), the largest student-run organization in the world dedicated to improving the quality of life for residential students. CAACURH represents 26 member institutions across six states in the Central Atlantic region.