The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences has awarded Senior Lecturer Mia Russell with the 2025 AAFCS Leader Award. Russell will be honored at the Annual AAFCS Conference in Kansas City, Missouri on June 25-27. Leader Award winners are recognized for their impact on their local communities by “elevating the profession and empowering individuals, families, and communities with their work.”
The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences supports research, leadership, and service that empowers individuals, families and communities. FCS is the comprehensive body of skills, research, and knowledge that helps people make informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life. The field represents many areas, including personal finance, nutrition, family systems, career preparation, the apparel industry, environmentally responsible construction, and more.
Russell has over 20 years of experience in business and finance, is a personal finance subject matter expert, and has served in various roles across nonprofit, academic, and corporate sectors. She has also published a number of articles in the financial education, leadership, and organizational behavior literatures that add to our knowledge of personal financial management tools, health insurance literacy, burnout, and employee engagement.