Past Award Recipients

A historical list of the AAFCS Distinguished Service Award Honorees may be viewed here. For a more comprehensive history of recipients of AAFCS awards, grants, fellowships, or scholarships, please contact here. 

2023 Recipients

Distinguished Service Award (DSA)                         Karen Alexander, CFCS, Texas Affiliate 
Sue Byrd, CFCS, Tennessee Affiliate
Carol Werhan, Indiana Affiliate               
National Teacher of the Year (TOY)

Carmen Pedersen, Georgia Affiliate

Merit Finalist:
Jill Hanson, CFCS, Minnesota Affiliate 
Sue Strutz, CFCS, WisconsinAffiliate 

Affiliate Top Teachers of the Year:
Amy Paxton, Montana Affiliate 
Emily Brill, CFCS, Pennsylvania Affiliate 
Leah Good, Kansas Affiliate
Miranda Bright, Nebraska Affiliate 
Pamela Vande Voort, CFCS, Iowa Affiliate
Taylor Key, Tennessee Affiliate
Leader Award Shandi Andres, Kansas Affiliate 
Menia Chester, CFCS, CNWE, Georgia Affiliate 
Martha Herndon, Tennessee Affiliate 
Gwendolyn Hustvedt, Texas Affiliate 
New Achiever Award Miranda Ritger, CFCS, Wisconsin Affiliate 
Virginia Rolling, Georgia Affiliate
Graduate Fellowships Laura VanWaardhuizen, Jewell L. Taylor Fellowship, Iowa  Affiliate
Undergraduate Scholarships Leslie Rodriguez,  Jewell L. Taylor Scholarship, Oklahoma Affiliate 



2022 Recipients

Distinguished Service Award (DSA)                         Beverly Card, CFCS, Virginia Affiliate 
Barbara George, CFCS-Retired, Wisconsin Affiliate 
Marilyn Swierk, CFCS-Retired, Florida Affiliate                 
National Teacher of the Year (TOY) Christina Desimone, CFCS-HDFS, Maryland Affiliate

Merit Finalist:
Kimberly Kay Baldwin, CFCS, Colorado Affiliate 
Gretchen Lee, Minnesota Affiliate 

Affiliate Top Teachers of the Year:
Kimberly Hart-Shatswell, Wisconsin Affiliate 
Jill Hurt, Kentucky Affiliate 
Katie Newcomb, Ohio Affiliate
Janis Moore, CFCS-Retired, Iowa Affiliate 
Marissa Pipkin-Jones, South Carolina Affiliate 
Leader Award Karen Alexander, CFCS, Texas Affiliate 
Donna Dinco, Wisconsin Affiliate 
Sharleen Kato, CFCS-HDFS, Washington Affiliate 
Susan Shockey, CFCS, CPFFE, Ohio Affiliate 
New Achiever Award Ashleigh Childs, Georgia Affiliate 
Olivia Johnson, Texas Affiliate 
Michael Westbrook, Wisconsin Affiliate 
Graduate Fellowships Nicole Wanago, Jewell L. Taylor Fellowship, Montana Affiliate
Undergraduate Scholarships Emily Hogsett, Jewell L. Taylor Scholarship, Colorado Affiliate 



2021 Recipients

Distinguished Service Award (DSA)                         Joanne Bankston, Ph.D., Kentucky Affiliate 
Karen Bergh, Ph.D., Washington Affiliate
Duane Whitbeck, Ph.D., Kansas Affiliate

                                        
National Teacher of the Year (TOY) Lori Henry, Minnesota Affiliate


Merit Finalist:
Charlene Kelley, Wisconsin Affiliate

Affiliate Top Teachers of the Year:
Brandi Ammons, West Virginia Affiliate
Erin Byrnes, Pennsylvania Affiliate
Marla Sterling, Kansas Affiliate
New Achiever Award Nicole Heflin, Indiana Affiliate
Rebekah Luong, CFCS, Arkansas Affiliate
Leader Award Janine M. Duncan, CFCS, Kansas Affiliate
Sharon "Sha" Pate, Florida Affiliate
Jeanne Schwass-Long, CFCS, Wisconsin Affiliate
Nancy M. Shepherd, Texas Affiliate
Alice Spangler, CFCS-Retired, Indiana Affiliate
Graduate Fellowships Kristian Hogans, Mary Cochran Fellowship
Tania Naber, Mildred Davis Fellowship, Georgia Affiliate
Charlene Smith, Jewell Taylor Fellowship, Pennsylvania Affiliate
Undergraduate Scholarships Kenzlee Camp, Jewell Taylor Scholarship

2020 Recipients

Distinguished Service Award (DSA)                         Carolyn Barnhart, CFCS, Wisconsin
Jacqueline Holland, CFCS-HDFS, Maryland
Jane Steiner, CFCS-Retired, Indiana
Virginia Vincenti, CFCS, Wyoming

                                        
National Teacher of the Year (TOY) Kayla Correll, CFCS, Wisconsin


Merit Finalists:
Grace V. Quarles, CFCS, Virginia
Louise E. Tallent, CFCS, Indiana
Lisa R. Tapper, CFCS, Iowa
New Achiever Award Ivy Odom, Georgia
Anne Pitts, CFCS, Kansas
Hannah Upole, Tennessee
Leader Award Gayla Randel, CFCS, Kansas
Ida Marie Snorteland, CFCS-Retired, South Dakota
Carol Werhan, Indiana
Graduate Fellowships Taylor Newman, University of Georgia
Jewell L. Taylor Fellowship

Jiaxiu Song, University of Texas Austin
Ethel Parker International Fellowship

Sukyung Seo, University of NC at Greensboro
Elizabeth Williams International Award

Jingchen Zhang, University of Minnesota
Helen Strow International Fellowship
Undergraduate Scholarships Sadie Hooker, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
Jewell L. Taylor Scholarship

2019 Recipients

Distinguished Service Award (DSA)                         Valerie L. Giddings, North Carolina
Margaret Viebrock, CNWE, CFCS, Washington
Janelle M. Walter, CFCS, Texas
Sally J. Yahnke, Kansas                                              
National Teacher of the Year (TOY) Heather Jones, CFCS, Virginia

Merit Finalists:
Renee Fortune Sigmon, Indiana
Jenna Black, Georgia
New Achiever Award Cassy Dalbom, Kansas
Julie Martin, Wisconsin
Amanda Matdies, Montana
Kaylee Ann Wiens, Minnesota
Leader Award Cindy Quilling, Wisconsin
Jeong-Ju "Jay" Yoo, Texas
Graduate Fellowships Robert Van Dyke, Texas Tech University

Jewell L. Taylor Fellowship

Annamarie Sisson, Kansas State University
Margaret Terrell Fellowship

Farin Bakhtiari, The University of Texas at Austin
Jessica Parks, University of Georgia
Myrna P. Crabtree Professional Development Scholarship
Undergraduate Scholarships Emily Leerhoff, Iowa State University
Jewell L. Taylor Scholarship

2018 Recipients

Distinguished Service Award (DSA)                         Jan Bowers, CFCS, Washington
Gay Nell McGinnis, CFCS-Retired, Texas                                                
National Teacher of the Year (TOY) Jenny Watson, CFCS, North Carolina

Merit Finalists:
Camelle Kinney, Nebraska
Karen Roberts, Virginia
New Achiever Award Ashley Nelson, CFCS, Minnesota
Sarah Puddy, Wisconsin
Leader Award Alyson McIntyre-Reiger, CFCS, Indiana
Deborah Sullivan, Ohio
Marilyn Swiontek, CFCS, Wisconsin
Chalkley-Fenn Public Policy Award Gayla Randel, CFCS, Kansas
Wiley Berger Award for Volunteer Services June Thomas, CFCS, Georgia
Centennial Scholars Karen K. Melton & Nicole McAninch, Baylor University
Excellence in Extension Grant Joan Koonce, CPFFE, Georgia
Graduate Fellowships Shanting Chen, University of Texas at Austin
International Flemmie D. Kittrell Graduate Fellowship

Dawn Michaelson, Auburn University
Jewell L. Taylor Graduate Fellowship
Undergraduate Scholarships Kennedy Navis, University of Wisconsin Stout
Jewell L. Taylor Undergraduate Scholarship

2017 Recipients

Distinguished Service Award (DSA)                         Mary Turner Gilliland
Ethel Jones, CFCS
Carol Kellett                 
                                          
National Teacher of the Year (TOY) Brenda Osman, Indiana

Merit Finalists:
Kimberly Baldwin, CFCS, Colorado
Melody Weatherford, CNWE, South Carolina
New Achiever Award Meilana Charles, CFCS-HDFS, Texas/Washington
Esther Aloia, Pennsylvania
Leader Award Barbara George, CFCS, Wisconsin
Susan Turgeson, CFCS, Wisconsin
Melinda Swafford, Tennessee
Graduate Fellowships Rachel Schichtl, CFCS, Texas Tech University
Jewel Taylor Fellowship
Undergraduate Scholarships Faith Dalton, Purdue University
Jewell Taylor Scholarship

2016 Recipients

View our 2016 Awardee page, here.