Award-winning Titles

Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the awards program is the original and premier showcase for outstanding work by inhouse creatives and their departments. It spotlights graphic design for commerce and culture at its best and celebrates the knowledge and abilities inhouse designers bring to the table to support organizations, products, services, causes, and ideas.

This year, GDUSA received more than 60,000 entries. Included in the winning designs are three Cognella textbook covers created by Cognella Graphic Designers Jess Estrella and Emely Villavicencio, featured below.

Waves: An Anthology of Caribbean Literature (First Edition)
Edited by Patricia McDonald

Featuring cover design by Cognella Senior Graphic Designer Jess Estrella

Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence: A Holistic Perspective (First Edition)
Delia Marie Franklin

Featuring cover design by Cognella Senior Graphic Designer Emely Villavicencio

Readings in African American Culture: Resistance, Liberation, and Identity from the 1600s to the 21st Century (Second Edition)
Written and edited by Angela Schwendiman

Featuring cover design by Cognella Senior Graphic Designer Emely Villavicencio

First Place – Professional Issues Category

Leadership Laboratory for Nurse Leaders (First Edition)
Barbara Mackoff, Ed.D.

The first edition of Leadership Laboratory for Nurse Leaders, written by Barbara Mackoff, Ed.D, was awarded first place in the Professional Issues category in the 2022 American Journal for Nursing Book of the Year Awards. The award program recognizes the most valuable nursing texts published annually.

Learn more about Leadership Laboratory for Nurse Leaders in the Cognella Title Catalog.

Third Place – History and Public Policy Category

Health Equity and Disparities (First Edition)
Anita Finkelman, MSN, RN

The first edition of Health Equity and Disparities, written by Anita Finkelman, MSN, RN, was awarded third place in the History and Public Policy category in the 2022 American Journal for Nursing Book of the Year Awards. The award program recognizes the most valuable nursing texts published annually.

Learn more about Health Equity and Disparities in the Cognella Title Catalog.

Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings (Fifth Edition)
Daniel P. Modaff and Jennifer A. Butler
Outstanding Textbook Award

The fifth edition of Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings, written by Daniel P. Modaff and Jennifer A. Butler, received the Outstanding Textbook Award from the Organizational Communication Division of the National Communication Association. The award recognizes groundbreaking work that provides overviews and syntheses of previously published theory, research, and strategies to facilitate students’ understanding and analyses of such organizational communication theory and research.

Learn more about Organizational Communication in the Cognella Title Catalog.

For more than 50 years, Graphic Design USA has sponsored exhibitions that feature and recognize the creativity, ingenuity, and skill of premier graphic designers. The GDUSA American Inhouse Design Awards highlight the extraordinary work of in-house graphic designers and graphic design departments in companies, organizations, and institutions across the nation. While GDUSA receives thousands of submissions for the awards each year, only about 10% receive honors.

Selected from more than 6,900 entries, the nine award-winning Cognella book covers for 2022, designed by Graphic Designers Emely Villavicencio , Jess Estrella, Asfa Arshi, and Abbie Goveia reflect the quality and passion Cognella strives to deliver to academic partners each and every day.

Read the press release announcing the award. 

An Introduction to the Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication (First Edition)
Megan R. Dillow

Follow, Communicate, Lead: Creating Competent Connections (First Edition)
Michelle Terese Violanti and Cassandra Ann Ray

The Kora: A Contextual Reclamation of the African Perspective (First Edition)
Edited by Kevin B. Thompson, Ph.D.

Writing for Public Relations and Strategic Communication (First Edition)
William Thompson and Nicholas Browning

The End of Social Work: A Defense of the Social Worker in Times of Transformation (First Edition)
Steve Burghardt

A School Counselor’s Guide to Small Groups: Coordination, Leadership, and Assessment (Second Edition)
Sarah I. Springer, Lauren J. Moss, and Christine J. Schimmel, Editors

Clinical Interventions for Internalized Oppression (First Edition)
Jan E. Estrellado, Lou S. Felipe, and Jeannie E. Celestial 

101 Thought-Provoking Questions from the Everyday Therapist (First Edition)
Ashley Evans and Tim Hollinger

Criminal Law in Context: Sensational Cases and Controversies (First Edition)
Lindsey L. Runnell

A Race Is a Nice Thing to Have: A Guide to Being a White Person or Understanding the White Persons in Your Life (Third Edition)
Janet E. Helms
The William Holmes McGuffey Longevity Award

The third edition of A Race Is a Nice Thing to Have: A Guide to Being a White Person or Understanding the White Persons in Your Life, written by Janet E. Helms, received the William Holmes McGuffey Longevity Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. The award recognizes textbooks and learning materials whose excellence has been demonstrated over time. It bears the name of William Holmes McGuffey, whose influential primers helped bring the United States out of frontier literacy and were in print 1836 – 1921. To be nominated, a work must be in print for 15 years and still be selling.

Read the press release announcing the award.

Learn more about A Race Is a Nice Thing to Have in the Cognella Title Catalog.

Empowering Public Speaking
Deanna L. Fassett and Keith Nainby
The Most Promising New Textbook Award

Empowering Public Speaking, written by Deanna L. Fassett and Keith Nainby, received the Most Promising New Textbook Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. The award recognizes excellence in first edition textbooks and learning materials. Works are judged by textbook authors and subject matter experts for their merits in four areas: pedagogy, content/scholarship, writing, and appearance and design.

Read the press release announcing the award.

Learn more about Empowering Public Speaking in the Cognella Title Catalog. 

Introduction to 21st Century Counseling: A Multicultural and Social Justice Approach
S. Kent Butler, Anne Flores Locke, and Joel M. Filmore, Editors
The Most Promising New Textbook Award

Introduction to 21st Century Counseling: A Multicultural and Social Justice Approach, edited by S. Kent Butler, Anna Flores Locke, and Joel M. Filmore, received the Most Promising New Textbook Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. The award recognizes excellence in first edition textbooks and learning materials. Works are judged by textbook authors and subject matter experts for their merits in four areas: pedagogy, content/scholarship, writing, and appearance and design.

Read the press release announcing the award.

Learn more about Introduction to 21st Century Counseling in the Cognella Title Catalog. 

Making Black Lives Matter: Confronting Anti-Black Racism
Kevin Cokley, Editor
The Most Promising New Textbook Award

Making Black Lives Matter: Confronting Anti-Black Racism, edited by Kevin Cokley, received the Most Promising New Textbook Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. The award recognizes excellence in first edition textbooks and learning materials. Works are judged by textbook authors and subject matter experts for their merits in four areas: pedagogy, content/scholarship, writing, and appearance and design.

Read the press release announcing the award.

Learn more about Making Black Lives Matter in the Cognella Title Catalog. 

Thinking Like a Researcher: An Engaged Introduction to Communication Research Methods
Jake Harwood
The Most Promising New Textbook Award

Thinking Like a Researcher: An Engaged Introduction to Communication Research Methods, written by Jake Harwood, received the Most Promising New Textbook Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. The award recognizes excellence in first edition textbooks and learning materials. Works are judged by textbook authors and subject matter experts for their merits in four areas: pedagogy, content/scholarship, writing, and appearance and design.

Read the press release announcing the award.

Learn more about Thinking Like a Researcher in the Cognella Title Catalog. 

Who Am I? Identity in the Age of Consumer DNA Testing
Anita Kathy Foeman and Bessie Lee Lawton
The Most Promising New Textbook Award

Who Am I? Identity in the Age of Consumer DNA Testing, written by Anita Kathy Foeman and Bessie Lee Lawton, received the Most Promising New Textbook Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. The award recognizes excellence in first edition textbooks and learning materials. Works are judged by textbook authors and subject matter experts for their merits in four areas: pedagogy, content/scholarship, writing, and appearance and design.

Read the press release announcing the award.

Learn more about Who Am I? in the Cognella Title Catalog. 

Making Black Lives Matter: Confronting Anti-Black Racism (First Edition)
Edited by Kevin Cokley, Ph.D.

Native American History and Culture: An Anthology (First Edition)
Edited by Stacey L. Moore

For more than 50 years, Graphic Design USA has sponsored exhibitions that feature and recognize the creativity, ingenuity, and skill of premier graphic designers. The GDUSA American Inhouse Design Awards highlight the extraordinary work of in-house graphic designers and graphic design departments in companies, organizations, and institutions across the nation. While GDUSA receives thousands of submissions for the awards each year, only about 10% receive honors.

Selected from more than 6,800 entries, the two award-winning Cognella book covers for 2021, designed by Senior Graphic Designers Emely Villavicencio and Jess Estrella, reflect the quality and passion Cognella strives to deliver to academic partners each and every day.

Read the press release announcing the award. 

Child and Adolescent Development: A Social Justice Approach
By Kristine Anthis
The Most Promising New Textbook Award

Child and Adolescent Development: A Social Justice Approach, written by Kristine Anthis, received the Most Promising New Textbook Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. The award recognizes excellence in first edition textbooks and learning materials. Works are judged by textbook authors and subject matter experts for their merits in four areas: pedagogy, content/scholarship, writing, and appearance and design.

Learn more about Child and Adolescent Development in the Cognella Title Catalog. 

Intercultural Communication: A Critical Perspective (First Edition)
Rona Tamiko Halualani
The Textbook Excellence Award 

Intercultural Communication: A Critical Perspective, written by Rona Tamiko Halualani, received a Textbook Excellence Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. The award recognizes excellence in current textbooks and learning materials. Works are judged by textbook authors and subject matter experts for their merits in four areas: pedagogy, content/scholarship, writing, and appearance and design.

Learn more about Intercultural Communication in the Cognella Title Catalog. 

The Anthology of Death, Dying, and the Living (First Edition)
Edited by Atiba Rougier

Race and Ethnicity: The Sociological Mindful Approach
Jacqueline Brooks, Heidy Sarabia, and Aya Kimura Ida

For more than 50 years, Graphic Design USA has sponsored exhibitions that feature and recognize the creativity, ingenuity, and skill of premier graphic designers. The GDUSA American Inhouse Design Awards highlight the extraordinary work of in-house graphic designers and graphic design departments in companies, organizations, and institutions across the nation. While GDUSA receives thousands of submissions for the awards each year, only about 15% receive honors.

Selected from more than 6,000 entries, the two award-winning Cognella book covers for 2020, designed by Senior Graphic Designers Jess Estrella and Emely Villavicencio, reflect the quality and passion Cognella strives to deliver to academic partners each and every day.

Read the press release announcing the award. 

The Neuroeducation Toolbox: Practical Translations of Neuroscience in Counseling and Psychotherapy
Written and edited by Raissa Miller and Eric T. Beeson
The 2020 Illinois Counseling Association Awards – Wendall S. Dysinger Award for Outstanding Professional Counseling Publication 

Happy Body, Happy Brain: Physical Exercise for Mental Health and Wellness, a neuroeducation activity created by Michele Kerulis and Daniel Wilsea and included in The Neuroeducation Toolbox: Practical Translations of Neuroscience in Counseling and Psychotherapy, received the 2020 Wendall S. Dysinger Award for Outstanding Professional Counseling Publication from the Illinois Counseling Association (ICA). Established in 1983 and named for one of ICA’s founders, the award recognizes an outstanding published article in professional counseling, human development, student affairs, and related areas. The Neuroeducation Toolbox, written and edited by Raissa Miller and Eric T. Beeson, provides students and clinicians with a set of tools for integrating neuroscience into clinical practice.

Learn more about The Neuroeducation Toolbox in the Cognella Title Catalog.

Writing and Reporting the News for the 21st Century: The Speed at Which We Travel
By Yumi Wilson, Gina Baleria, and Grace M. Provenzano
The 2020 Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Textbook Awards

Writing and Reporting the News for the 21st Century: The Speed at Which We Travel, written by Yumi Wilson, Gina Baleria, and Grace M. Provenzano, received the 2020 BEA Textbook Award. Established in 2020, the award was established to recognize an outstanding textbook written by BEA members in the field of broadcasting and mass communication. Writing and Reporting the News for the 21st Century highlights the importance of embracing technology and social media while abiding by the ethical considerations that aspiring journalists must follow.

Read the press release announcing the award.

Learn more about Writing and Reporting the News for the 21st Century in the Cognella Title Catalog.

Research Methods in Social Work (Eighth Edition)
By Dr. David Royse
The William Holmes McGuffey Longevity Award

The eighth edition of Research Methods in Social Work, written by Dr. David Royse, received the William Holmes McGuffey Longevity Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. The award recognizes textbooks and learning materials whose excellence has been demonstrated over time. It bears the name of William Holmes McGuffey, whose influential primers helped bring the United State out of frontier literacy and were in print 1836 – 1921. To be nominated, a work must be in print for 15 years and still be selling.

Read the press release announcing the award. 

Learn more about Research Methods in Social Work in the Cognella Title Catalog. 

Women Leading Change in Academia: Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Cliff, and Slipper (First Edition)
Callie Rennison and Amy Bonomi, Editors
The Most Promising New Textbook Award

Women Leading Change in Academia: Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Cliff, and Slipper, edited by Callie Rennison and Amy Bonomi, received a Most Promising New Textbook Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. The award recognizes excellence in first edition textbooks and learning materials. Works are judged by textbook authors and subject matter experts for their merits in four areas: pedagogy, content/scholarship, writing, and appearance and design.

Read the press release announcing the award. 

Learn more about Women Leading Change in Academia in the Cognella Title Catalog. 

Family Law for Non-Lawyers (Second Edition)
By Kerry Weil Tripp
#1 Ranking on 4 Best Family Law Books for Beginners List
#10 Ranking on 31 Best Family Law Books of All Times List

The second edition of Family Law for Non-Lawyers, written by Kerry Weil Tripp, was recognized as a leading family law resource on BookAuthority, a prominent site for nonfiction book recommendations based upon public mentions, recommendations, ratings, sentiments, popularity, and sales history. The text ranked #1 on the BookAuthority’s 4 Best Family Law Books for Beginners list and #10 on its 31 Best Family Law Books of All Times list.

Learn more about Family Law for Non-Lawyers in the Cognella Title Catalog.

Reading the World: An Introduction to Sociological Critique and Analysis (Second Edition)
By Rafael F. Narváez

Current Controversies in Sports, Media, and Society (First Edition)
Cynthia M. Frisby, Ph.D.

Counseling Children and Adolescents (Fifth Edition)
Ann Vernon and Christine J. Schimmel

For more than 50 years, Graphic Design USA has sponsored exhibitions that feature and recognize the creativity, ingenuity, and skill of premier graphic designers. The GDUSA American Inhouse Design Awards highlight the extraordinary work of in-house graphic designers and graphic design departments in companies, organizations, and institutions across the nation. While GDUSA receives thousands of submissions for the awards each year, only about 15% receive honors.

The three award-winning Cognella book covers for 2019, designed by Senior Graphic Designers Jess Estrella and Emely Villavicencio, reflect the quality and passion Cognella strives to deliver to academic partners each and every day.

Read the press release announcing the award. 

Profiling Violent Crime: A Behavioral and Forensic Approach (First Edition)
Peter M. Klismet, Jr. and Dr. Clarissa Cole
First Place – Non-Fiction, Unpublished Category – Public Safety Writers Association

Profiling Violent Crime, A Behavioral and Forensic Approach, written by Peter M. Klismet, Jr. and Dr. Clarissa Cole, earned first place in the Non-Fiction Book, Unpublished category for the 2019 Public Safety Writers Association Writing Competition.

View a complete list of the 2019 winners.

Learn more about Profiling Violent Crime in the Cognella Title Catalog. 

Gateway to Music: An Introduction to American Vernacular, Western Art, and World Musical Traditions (First Edition)
Jocelyn Nelson
The Most Promising New Textbook Award – The Textbook & Academic Authors Association

Gateway to Music: An Introduction to American Vernacular, Western Art, and World Musical Traditions, written by Jocelyn Nelson, received a Most Promising New Textbook Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. The award recognizes excellence in first edition textbooks and learning materials. Works are judged by textbook authors and subject matter experts for their merits in four areas: pedagogy, content/scholarship, writing, and appearance and design.

Read the press release announcing the award.

Learn more about Gateway to Music in the Cognella Title Catalog. 

Slavic Blood: The Vampire in Russian and East European Cultures (Second Edition)
By Thomas J. Garza

Race and Racism in the West: Crusades to the Present (Third Edition)
Edited by Paul Sweeney

Ink and Edit: Making Research Matter in Writing and in Life (Fifth Edition)
Sam Bell

For more than 50 years, Graphic Design USA has sponsored exhibitions that feature and recognize the creativity, ingenuity, and skill of premier graphic designers. The GDUSA American Inhouse Design Awards highlight the extraordinary work of in-house graphic designers and graphic design departments in companies, organizations, and institutions across the nation. While GDUSA receives thousands of submissions for the awards each year, only about 15% receive honors.

The three award-winning Cognella book covers for 2018, designed by Senior Graphic Designers Jess Estrella and Emely Villavicencio, reflect the quality and passion Cognella strives to deliver to academic partners each and every day.

Read the press release announcing the award. 

Venus in Furs (Second Edition)
By Leopold von Sacher-Masoch – A New Translation by Matthew Kaiser

Dissection Simplified: A Lab Manual for Independent Work in Human Anatomy (Revised First Edition)
By Dr. Danielle Dodenhoff

Reality’s Written Language: A Critical Anthology of Classical and Contemporary Film Theory (First Edition)
Edited with commentary by Jon Wagner and Denise Spampinato

Chronicling California: A Primary Source Reader (First Edition)
Edited by Paivi Hoikkala and Eileen V. Wallis

The Research Toolkit: Problem-Solving Processes for the Social Sciences (Third Edition)
Bruce D. Friedman 

For more than 50 years, Graphic Design USA has sponsored exhibitions that feature and recognize the creativity, ingenuity, and skill of premier graphic designers. The GDUSA American Inhouse Design Awards highlight the extraordinary work of in-house graphic designers and graphic design departments in companies, organizations, and institutions across the nation. While GDUSA receives thousands of submissions for the awards each year, only about 15% receive honors.

The five award-winning Cognella book covers for 2017, designed by Senior Graphic Designers Jess Estrella and Emely Villavicencio, reflect the quality and passion Cognella strives to deliver to academic partners each and every day.

Read the press release announcing the award. 

Politically Incorrect: Women Artists and Female Imagery in Early Modern Europe (Second Edition)
Gina Strumwasser

Organizational Behavior: A New Three Dimensional Leadership Paradigm
Written and edited by Thomas J. Starmack

The Power of Free Expression in America (Second Edition)
Written and edited by Frank Harris III and Jerry Dunklee

For more than 50 years, Graphic Design USA has sponsored exhibitions that feature and recognize the creativity, ingenuity, and skill of premier graphic designers. The GDUSA American Inhouse Design Awards highlight the extraordinary work of in-house graphic designers and graphic design departments in companies, organizations, and institutions across the nation. While GDUSA receives thousands of submissions for the awards each year, only about 15% receive honors.

The three award-winning Cognella book covers for 2016, designed by Senior Graphic Designers Jess Estrella and Emely Villavicencio, reflect the quality and passion Cognella strives to deliver to academic partners each and every day.

Read the press release announcing the award.