Aquinas College Associate Professor of Sociology, Susan Haworth-Hoeppner, Ph.D., has been honored with the Jane Addams Outstanding Service Award for her outstanding contributions to the Girls Empowering Together (GET) program as well as for her work with the Jane Hibbard Idema (JHI) Women’s Studies Center at Aquinas. She was presented with the award by the Midwest Sociological Society (MSS) on April 4, 2014 at the MSS Annual Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.

Created by the JHI Women’s Studies Center and Grand Rapids Public Schools, GET is year- long after-school leadership program that addresses the related fields of educational success, civic engagement, leadership, self-empowerment, and discrimination among socially and economically at-risk 9-12th grade high school girls from a local public schools. With the leadership of Dr. Haworth-Hoeppner, students of Aquinas College work as mentors for the young women enrolled in the GET Program. As part of the Jane Addams Outstanding Service Award, a contribution to GET will be made from the MSS in Dr. Haworth-Hoeppner’s name.

The Jane Addams Outstanding Service Award is one of the top awards given by the Midwest Sociological Society. This award honors and makes visible the efforts of individuals who serve the cause of girls and women. It highlights positive role models who advance girls’ and women’s issues, causes, and status through personal involvement in service activities. The Jane Addams Outstanding Service Award recognizes and highlights those who embody the passion, dedication, and activism of Jane Addams.