Messiah College Department of Human Development and Family Science presents its first Outstanding Alumni Award to Susan Binkley Van Zant `74
November 15th, 2012
GRANTHAM, Pa. (Nov. 15, 2012) — The Messiah College Department of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) recently presented its 2012 Outstanding Alumni Award to Susan Binkley Van Zant, 1974 graduate in home economics. The award, designed to recognize HDFS alumni for distinguished contributions to the service of individuals and families, was presented to Van Zant at the Pennsylvania Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (PAFCS) Regional Meeting on Oct. 25 in Hershey, Pa.
Van Zant was selected in recognition of her career as a family and consumer sciences teacher in the Cocalico School District, for her commitment to caring for her sister’s children after her sister’s death, and for founding Jan’s Circle of Friends, a group of women who assist children with domestic violence and parental loss. Van Zant’s nominator describes her as “an inspiring model and leader who has dedicated her life to providing women with the opportunity for education in an effort to foster and develop women’s capacity for charitable leadership.”
About the Human Development and Family Science Department at Messiah College
The Messiah College department of human development and family science offers two undergraduate degrees: the Bachelor of Arts in human development and family science and the Bachelor of Science in family and consumer sciences education, K-12 certification. Minors in children and youth services, gerontology, human development and family science, multicultural families, and pre-counseling and therapy are also available. Graduates of both programs are eligible to become provisionally certified as a family life educator through the National Council on Family Relations.
About Messiah College
Messiah College, a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Established in 1909, the primary campus is located in Grantham, Pa., near the state capital of Harrisburg. A satellite campus affiliated with Temple University is located in Philadelphia.
