Distinguished Service Award

The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) was established by the American Home Economics Association (AHEA) Foundation in 1979 as a living tribute to members of AHEA (now AAFCS) to recognize superior achievements in family and consumer sciences, outstanding contributions to the family and consumer sciences profession, and sustained association leadership at both state and national levels. A list of prior recipients can be found here. 

2025 Recipient

DSA Press Release 

Read the official announcement and congratulations to our 2025 Distinguished Service Award recipient here. 

DSA Honorary Fund

Honor our DSA recipient Lizabeth Self-Mullens, CFCS-Retired by donating to the 2025 DSA Honorary Fund today. The Fund supports the Association's programs and services, including research, public awareness efforts, and publications. The community’s tax-deductible donations sustain these and other programs that support professionals whose work assists individuals, families, and communities in making informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life.

You can make your gift on the AAFCS website by clicking here. Donate by mail here. 

DSA Book of Letters

We invite you to join us in celebrating Liz’s remarkable accomplishments by sending your congratulatory letters, notes, or messages of appreciation here. Alternatively, you can mail your notes directly to the AAFCS office at 1410 King Street, 2nd Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314. Your kind words will surely mean a great deal to Liz as she receives this well-deserved recognition.

Please submit your messages by May 15 to ensure they are included in the celebration. Let’s make this moment even more special by sharing our appreciation for Liz's impact and leadership in the field!

Lizabeth Self-Mullens, CFCS-Retired, Tennessee

Lizabeth Self-Mullens, Ph.D., CFCS-Retired, Tennessee holds degrees in Home Economics Education, Textiles & Apparel, and Human Ecology. Her career includes service as a faculty member, extension educator, program director, unit director, assistant dean, dean, assistant vice president for academic affairs, and provost. Liz retired in 2018 as Dean, of the College of Agriculture & Human Ecology at Tennessee Technological University. She served as the 2020-2021 AAFCS Board President, Counselor on the 2021-2022 AAFCS Board of Directors, and Chairperson of the AFCS Past Presidents’ Unit for two years. She participated in the AAFCS Council for Certification and Task Force for Program Advancement. She currently serves on the Leadership Council, Past Presidents’ Unit, ATD Showcase Committee, several communities, and as a mentor in the AAFCS Leadership Academy. Locally, Liz teaches quilting classes to adults and children, participates with the Friends of White Plains to restore an 1840s historic home, and chairs the Upper Cumberland Quilt Festival Board.

2024 Recipients

DSA Press Release 

Read the official announcement and congratulations to our 2024 Distinguished Service Award recipients here. 

Joanne S. Cavis, CFCS - Retired - Georgia

Joanne was grounded in the sciences by a home economist mother and chemical engineer father. Raised in Baltimore and Philadelphia, she was the oldest of five children, married her high school sweetheart, has a son and daughter and six grandchildren. Joanne majored in Home Economics, with a concentration in textiles and clothing at the University of Delaware. Her career began in retail, textile licensing and adult education in the northeast. A move to Columbus, Georgia, center of southeastern textiles, offered opportunities to connect with other home economists and contribute to her community through volunteer work. In 1980, Joanne joined the University of Georgia Extension Service which resulted in a 30-plus year career addressing critical community issues and leadership in professional organizations. Accomplishments earned her Senior Public Service Associate faculty rank, equivalent to academic full professor. In retirement, Joanne continues to work with professional organizations at state, national and international levels.

Lois Lewis, CFCS, CPFFE - Minnesota

Lois Lewis is a retired professional whose career includes being a County Extension Educator for six years, and teaching high school Family & Consumer Sciences for 30+ years. She has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s in Education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Over the years, Lois built her FCS program into a fulltime position, and implemented a successful ProStart culinary program. She has received many awards, including the 2012 AAFCS National Teacher of the Year, the 2014 Minnesota ProStart Educator of Excellence, and the 2018 Minnesota Rural Education Association Educator of Excellence. She was a Minnesota Teacher Induction Program mentor and an Educators Abroad University Supervisor, and has also had multiple leadership roles in the Minnesota Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (including President) and in AAFCS, most notably as Elementary, Secondary and Adult Education Community leader and a Council for Certification member