Before entering the academy, Amy Falkner worked for 10 years in the newspaper industry in both editorial and advertising. In 1995, she was named to PRESSTIME magazine's "20 Under 40" list, which honors young professionals in the newspaper business. In 2006, Falkner was selected to participate in the Scripps Howard Academic Leadership Academy, a group of mass communication professionals and scholars picked from a nationwide pool to learn strategies and insights for leading mass communication programs in the 21st century. She is a two-time winner of the Newhouse Teaching Excellence Award which is chosen annually by students. She was also honored with the Meredith Teaching Recognition Award from Syracuse University.