Purpose

The Susan Mills-Gray Impact on Communities Health Award recognizes a University of Missouri Extension regional faculty member who has demonstrated excellence through leading or serving an integral role in policy, system, and environmental change efforts related to improved health for a community, county or regional area.

Susan Mills-Gray, Extension Professor, retired in 2021 after serving 38 plus years with University of Missouri Extension. Susan served as a field specialist in nutrition and health for most of her career in the Southeast and West Central regions, then served as the state specialist for nutrition and health for multiple years prior to retirement. She also served as the Interim State Education Director for Nutrition and Health, within the Extension Youth and Families Division. Susan co-authored many of MU Extension’s most successful state-wide core programs including Stay Strong, Stay Healthy; Quality for Keeps: Home Food Preservation; Taking Care of You: Body, Mind, and Spirit; and HIM (Health Information for Men). She was the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including the Vice Chancellor Lifetime Achievement Award, Vice Chancellor Outstanding Teamwork Award, College of Human Environmental Sciences Lifetime Achievement Award, NEAFCS Distinguished Service and Continued Excellence Awards, and the Priester National Award for Outstanding Health Programming.

Award

Recipients will receive a plaque and a $1,000 cash award.

Eligibility

All Extension off-campus faculty are eligible to apply for this award regardless of subject matter expertise.

Criteria

Nominees are evaluated on their policy, system, and environmental change efforts related to improved health for a community, county or regional area. Submissions should address their efforts related to:

• Demonstrated outcomes and impacts
• Program sustainability
• Community, county, or regional area partnerships

Nomination submission

Deadlines and other information about the nomination process can be found on the awards home page. Apply or nominate for this award through InfoReady:

Apply / Nominate

2022 Susan Mills-Gray Impact on Communities Health Award Recipient: Sarah Hultine Massengale

Award recipients