Art and design professor honored with AAF award

A Troy University professor will soon be presented with an award from the American Advertising Foundation (AAF), beating out the rest of the Southeast United States. 

On May 16, Professor Chris Stagl will be awarded the AAF’s Donald G. Hileman Award, which recognizes a college educator as the best in their service andteaching of creative advertising. The nominees were for AAF District 7, which includes Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi, with the AAF placing Stagl above all submitted educators from each of those states.  

According to Stagl, his students played a large part in this. 

“I am completely shocked and honored to be recognized as the top creative educator in the Southeast U.S. for my efforts in creative teaching and service,” Stagl said. “I always tell my students that I am a reflection of the impact they make in the creative community.  

“If this award means anything, it's that they're doing the hard work out there that I helped prepare them for in here.” 

Stagl also attributes this achievement to his support system, whether it be his family, friends or peers in the academic space. He believes some of those peers are more deserving of the award than him. 

“Genuinely, I don't know why I won,” Stagl said. “I think there are so many incredible creative professors out there.  

“I've got a lot of friends in the community, like at AUM and Faulkner, that are just as deserving, so I think there's some good luck involved. Another big part of this field is surrounding yourself with partners and loved ones and friends that build you up, understand your field and celebrate your victories with you - and I'm lucky enough have that in all the best ways.” 

That “why me” mentality is common among people who find success in creative fields, especially when presented with awards like the Hileman Award. It’s never as simple or black-and-white as deserving it or not, though. No one will ever be the true best at something forever, and often it’s about having and showing the right skills at the right time. 

“In the creative field, in general, a ton of us suffer from imposter syndrome,” Stagl said. “From being a creative to being a professor,it truly never ends. 

“There's always someone so much more talented or smarter than you and so a lot of times you feel like you're undeserving.” 

Thankfully for Stagl, those feelings of imposter syndrome were quelled by the validation he got from actually winning the award. Of course, he also said there are lots of validating parts of his job, and one award is not the end-all-be-all of his measure of success. 

“While awards like those don't completely ‘cure’ you from feeling this way, it certainly helps validate that you're doing something right - but not any more than hugging a parent of one of your graduating seniors at their thesis show,” Stagl said. 

It’s those personal connections and experiences that mean the most to him. Being called “the best” at what you do is going to feel good for anyone in any field, but Stagl focuses more on creating emotion and memories in his classroom than he does on creating a flawless piece of work. 

“I teach because I just love finding that balance and rhythm in a classroom when we can create good ideas effortlessly no matter the medium - that's when you see the smiles and know they're having fun,” Stagl said. “It's not always about the best work.  

“A lot of times for us it's about the experience and the moments in between - about just showing a student what's possible and then allowing them to really figure out their own creative style and watching that take shape. That's exciting to me.” 

It’s possible that having his sights set on connection rather than perfection may be the trait that won him the award in the long run. Stagl is set to be awarded the Donald G. Hileman award in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on May 16.