Kate Haugen, associate vice president for student affairs, was honored as a Woman of the Year recipient at the YWCA annual event Monday, April 4. Haugen received the Lifetime Achievement – Florence Reed Owens award, which recognizes a woman who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to equality, empowering women and girls and/or eliminating racism. The award recipient in this category also must exemplify integrity and display compassion for humanity.

According to her nominators, Haugen’s career represents years of dedication to relational leadership.  She is known as a consensus builder who leads by inclusion. Her career achievements include numerous conference presentations, publications and keynote addresses. She oversaw a $3 million remodeling project of an NDSU student services building and the creation of a one-stop service center called Bison Connection. Both of these projects were focused at making university services more accessible to students. Her leadership role on several university committees allows her to influence important university decisions for the benefit of students, with particular attention to those from under-represented groups.

Outside of NDSU, Haugen serves on the Plains Art Museum Board of Directors, the North Dakota Humanities Council and the Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation Board.

NDSU nominees in other award categories included Judy Pearson, associate dean, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Patty Corwin, senior lecturer, Department of Sociology and Anthropology.