The award, established in 1981, is given to the “AAUP member who best demonstrates concern for human rights, courage, persistence, political foresight, imagination, and collective bargaining skills." The award comes with $300, to be given to the individual or chapter or the special AAUP fund of the awardee's choice.
All AAUP union chapters are invited to submit nominations for the award; the nominees may be individuals or chapters. The award is presented at the biennial meeting of the AAUP.
To nominate a candidate for the award, please send by email a description of the nominee's achievements with supporting materials to Jerome Thompson.
Recipients of the Marilyn Sternberg Award
| 1982 | Ernst Benjamin, Wayne State University |
| 1983 | David Newton, Connecticut State University |
| 1984 | Leroy Dubeck, Temple University |
| 1985 | Dorothea Hubin, Fairleigh Dickson University |
| 1986 | Peter Falley, Fairleigh Dickson University |
| 1987 | Sylvia Aron, Adelphi University |
| 1988 | Betty Frankle Kirschner, Kent State University |
| 1989 | Norman J. Kopmeyer, Wayne State University |
| 1990 | Pat Strauss, Oakland University |
| 1991 | Jane Buck, Delaware State University and Vivienne Gilroy, Union County College, NJ |
| 1992 | Wells H. Keddie, Rutgers University |
| 1993 | Pearl Gasarch, New York City Technical College |
| 1994 | Maita Levine, University of Cincinnati |
| 1995 | Maita Levine, University of Cincinnati |
| 1996 | Phyllis Gold Gluck, City University of New York and Sally McCracken, Eastern Michigan University |
| 1997 | Jeffery Halpern, Rider University |
| 2000 | Mary Gibson, Rutgers University |
| 2001 | Larry Glenn, Connecticut State University |
| 2002 | Estelle Gellman, Hofsta University |
| 2003 | Janet West, University of Nebraska-Omaha |
| 2004 | Susan Meisenhelder, California Faculty Association |
| 2005 | Carole O’Neill, Emerson College, and the Rutgers Council TA/GA Steering Committee |
| 2006 | Rodger Govea, Cleveland State University |
| 2007 | Ronald L. Cramer, Oakland University |
| 2008 | Barbara Bowen, Professional Staff Congress |
| 2009 | Dorothy Donnelly, Rhode Island University |
| 2010 | Rudy Fichtenbaum, Wright State University |
| 2011 | Howard Bunsis, Eastern Michigan University, and Steve Aby, University of Akron |
| 2012 | Vijay Nair, Western Connecticut State University, and Deanna Wood, University of New Hampshire |
| 2013 | Janet Golden, Rutgers University–Camden |
| 2014 | Mary King, Portland State University David Shiman, University of Vermont |
| 2015 | Irene Mulvey, Fairfield University |
| 2016 | Pamela S. Ecker, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College |
| 2017 | John Zipp, University of Akron |
| 2018 | Martin Kich, Wright State University |
| 2019 | Noeleen McIlvenna, Wright State University |
| 2020 | Deepa Kumar, Rutgers University |
| 2022 | Johanna Foster, Monmouth University |
| 2024 | Kenneth Davis, Edward Waters University Stephen Mockabee, University of Cincinnati |
| 2026 | Dee Sherwood, Western Michigan University Joseph Fu, University of Georgia |