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Award recognizes faculty who are engaged in exemplary community engagement activities

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Missouri Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ President Tim Wolfe today awarded one of the UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ President’s Awards to Deborah Hume, associate teaching professor of public health at the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Missouri-Columbia.  

Wolfe — in front of faculty gathered for a departmental meeting — surprised Hume with the President’s Award for Community Engagement, which includes a $5,000 award. The award recognizes faculty who are engaged in exemplary community engagement activities such as volunteerism, service-learning, educational programming and outreach. The award marks the fifth of 11 to be presented in 2014.

The UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ President’s Awards are presented annually to faculty members across the four campuses of the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Missouri Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ who have made exceptional contributions in advancing the mission of the university.

President’s Award for Community Engagement
Deborah L. Hume, Ph.D.
Associate Teaching Professor
Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Missouri-Columbia

Dr. Deborah Hume is a founding member of the Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition and the faculty advisor for the student group MU Stop Traffic. These groups operate in a partnership to combat the global problem of human trafficking in its local manifestations. The groups provide education and training for professionals in law enforcement, juvenile justice, social services and health care working directly with this issue.

Hume tightly links her research in public health with her anti-traffic advocacy. Faculty and students both recognize her as an example of how academic research can lead to engagement in a community to create a better quality of life for its citizens. Hume has spoken publicly to over 100 academic and community groups, including the Missouri Police Chiefs’ Association, the Missouri Association of School Nurses, the American Counseling Association of Missouri and the Missouri Public Health Association. Her expertise in the field has also informed several pieces of Missouri legislation regarding human trafficking.

Hume’s students can’t help but be influenced by her passion. Hume has mentored numerous MU students in internships, service-learning and independent projects related to human trafficking. Two of her students were recently recognized with the MU Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence. She has also been named the Instructor of the Year in the MU Master of Public Health program twice in her career.

One nominator wrote, “She doesn’t pay lip service to community involvement; she provides an excellent role model for students by demonstrating and giving back to others and implementing change through education.”

Hume’s commitment to advocacy and continued service and research has led to a great impact on the global problem of human trafficking in her local community.

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