A retired professor in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming is receiving a national Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Virginia “Ginny” Vincenti, professor emeritus in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, will be presented the award June 28 in Baltimore, Md., at the association’s annual conference and expo.
The DSA is presented to outstanding members for their professional achievements and sustained leadership, according to the AAFCS.
Vincenti joined the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences in 1992 and retired in 2017.
“Virginia has had a distinguished career and a large impact on the field of family and consumer sciences nationally and internationally, as well as here in Wyoming,” said Christine Wade, family and consumer sciences department head at UW.
Wade notes that Vincenti has dedicated her life to the betterment of the lives of families and continues to pursue grants and contribute to research regarding elder family financial exploitations.
“Vincenti is a very deserving recipient of this honor,” said Wade.
Sharon Nickols, past AAFCS president, said Vincenti throughout her career as an educator and administrator has inspired others with her keen intellect, comprehensive understanding of the history and contemporary relevance of family and consumer sciences, and dedicated service to the profession and its various entities.
Vincenti has served in 18 AAFCS leadership positions and in 2003-04 served as president. Following her service as president, she was the executive editor for the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal and was a member of the nominating committee and public policy committee.
Vincenti co-edited “Rethinking Home Economics: Women and the History of a Profession,” which provided perspectives on the profession from home economists and women historians.
“Virginia has been a voice and a force for documenting and understanding our history,” said Bonnie Braun, AAFCS president, 2007-08.