June 15, 2015

ELLENSBURG, Wash. -- Central Washington University sociology professor Judith Hennessy has been named a 2015 recipient of a statewide Timm Ormsby Award for Faculty Citizenship.

Hennessy was nominated for the honor by the university’s faculty senate for her service, which has included work as a family mentor for the Habitat for Humanity family support committee.

A CWU academic service-learning fellow, she has established service-learning partnerships with Bright Beginnings for Kittitas County, Ellensburg Health Clinic, Friends in Service to Humanity (FISH) food bank, HopeSource, and Kittitas-Yakima Valley Community Land Trust. In addition, she provides legislative advocacy training and makes frequent presentations on health care issues impacting women and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.

Hennessy, director of Women’s and Gender Studies at CWU, focuses her research on the needs of financially disadvantaged women with families, gender and sexuality, public policy, and work-life balance.

The Ormsby award, created two years ago, is sponsored by the Washington Council of Faculty Representatives to encourage, recognize, and honor exemplary civic engagement by faculty from the state’s six public universities and college.

CWU music professor Jeff Snedeker also received an Ormsby award in 2014.

Media contact: Robert Lowery, CWU director of Content Development, 509-963-1487, loweryr@cwu.edu