Alexandria, Va. – August 26, 2020 – The American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) honored their 2020 Distinguished Service Award Honorees during the AAFCS Virtual Conference in an online recognition event, Salute to the Stars - Toast of Blue!, held on June 25th with AAFCS staff and conference participants. AAFCS’ Annual Conference was transformed from an in-person conference into a 2-day conference via Zoom this year, which allowed many new attendees from all over the world to participate.
Among those selected for the associations’ most prestigious award was Carolyn Barnhart, CFCS, whose leadership through service began in in her teens. From high school to the present, she has demonstrated what it means to be a leader. She started her FCS leadership journey in 4-H. In high school, she served as the Wisconsin FHA (now FCCLA) State President, in college she was the WIM (WI, IL, IA, IN, MN, MI) FCS President and the First VP of the AAFCS Student Unit. She served as the Wisconsin Affiliate of AAFCS (WAFCS) President, and in 2015-16 she was the AAFCS National President.
“She is indeed a master teacher. She has given all of us an unparalleled legacy of leadership.”
- Joyce Beery Miles, Lafayette, Indiana
Mentoring is also a big part of her life. Whether serving as a Department Chair of Food and Nutrition at the University of Wisconsin-Stout or National President of Phi Upsilon Omicron, volunteering in her church, serving as Clerk on the School Board, or as President of the Board for the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts, Carolyn connects with others, encouraging their talents and abilities. She was instrumental in the founding of the AAFCS Leadership Academy, which continues today. In the classroom she received multiple college and university awards while teaching 36 years at UW-Stout. She continues to advise the members of the Tau Chapter of Phi Upsilon Omicron and encourages students to be involved professionally.
Click on these links to read about the
2020 DSA Honorees.
About the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) Based in the Washington, D.C., area, AAFCS was founded in 1909 as the American Home Economics Association and is the only association for family and consumer sciences students and professionals across multiple practice settings and content areas. For 111 years, AAFCS has focused its mission on providing leadership and support for professionals whose work assists individuals, families, and communities in making more informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life. Through research, experiential education, and technology, our members help people develop the essential knowledge and skills to lead better lives, be work and career ready, build strong families, and make meaningful contributions to our communities.
About Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Family and consumer sciences or FCS is the field of study focused on the science and the art of living and working well in our complex world. The field represents many areas, including human development, personal and family finance, housing and interior design, food science, nutrition, and wellness, textiles and apparel, and consumer issues.