Washington State University Global Campus chancellor Dave Cillay was recently honored with the UPCEA Association’s 2026 Julius M. Nolte Award for Extraordinary Leadership.
Rather than being granted on an annual basis, this award is given by the UPCEA Association only upon the acceptance of a truly outstanding nominee whose professional contributions have transformed higher education. With Cillay’s track record for championing student success, deploying innovative administrative strategy, and challenging his team to best serve the university, he was a clear choice.
Kelly Newell, Global Campus’ associate vice chancellor for strategic partnerships and development who has worked alongside Cillay for years, spoke to his strengths as a leader. “[Cillay] has a vision for where we need to go as an organization and is working hard to position us to be able to innovate and change at the speed of business, rather than academia,” she said. “He is strategic about the future, careful to navigate change and growth with an eye towards partnership, communication, and avoiding potholes or major mistakes. He doesn’t shoot from the hip — he is calculating and deliberate, which instills confidence.”
He is strategic about the future, careful to navigate change and growth with an eye towards partnership, communication, and avoiding potholes or major mistakes.
Kelly Newell
Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships and Development
Washington State University Global Campus
Chrisi Kincaid, Global Campus’ assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, elaborated on this sentiment. Though she noted that Cillay holds his team to high standards, he “balances that with support and empathy,” never neglecting to take into account the needs and experiences of staff and students alike. She considers the culture he has built at WSU Global Campus to be one of his greatest accomplishments, saying, “over the years, I’ve watched [Cillay] work to build confidence in people to lead and make decisions, resulting in a team that feels a sense of ownership regarding the success of the Global Campus.”
In addition to fostering a culture of respect that drives his teams towards excellence, Cillay has been highly engaged in numerous projects and initiatives in the last few months that demonstrate his leadership in higher education. This spring, he organized WSU’s first Global Summit, a system-wide event that connected the WSU community to changemakers across industries. The event attracted more than 1,000 registered attendees from across WSU campuses.
Cillay also serves on the executive committee for WSU’s system-wide redesign, a large-scale endeavor utilizing the feedback of numerous stakeholders from the WSU community and beyond to support the growth of the university in the coming decade.
WSU President Elizabeth Cantwell commended Cillay for his leadership in professional and online education.
“Dave Cillay’s recognition with the Julius M. Nolte Award speaks to a career defined by sustained, transformative leadership in professional and online education,” she said. “Through decades of service, he has advanced access, strengthened innovation, and helped shape the future of our field in ways that extend well beyond Washington State University. This is a rare and well-earned honor.”
