The Edwin Crawford Award recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement, quality and effectiveness of state relations on behalf of a higher education institution or system. Recipients are relatively new to the profession and have shown great effort, initiative and innovation in achieving the legislative goals of their institution or system.

The award is named in honor of the late Edwin Crawford, who exemplified excellence in state relations and public affairs during more than 40 years in state government relations at Auburn University, the University of Virginia, the Ohio State University and the University of California System.

The award recipient receives a crystal award at the annual Higher Education Government Relations Conference.

Dr. Amler led successful efforts to secure $10.25 million to create the Hudson Valley's first and only biotechnology incubator. Additionally, he secured funding for the NYSTAR Center for Precision response to Bioterrorism and other Disasters and to establish the Touro College of Dental Medicine at NYMC, the first new dental school to open in New York State in 50 years. According to Chancellor and CEO Edward Halperin, "Dean Amler has definitively elevated NYMC's ability to influence policy and enact change in the Hudson Valley Region and across the State of New York."