When Kim Hackford-Peer was working toward her undergraduate degree in math education, she felt out of place and never in a “safe place” as one of only three women in the program at Colorado State University. Now she tries to give back and help other women.

Her efforts as assistant professor of gender studies and associate director of the gender studies program recently won her the 2016 Linda K. Amos Award for Distinguished Service to Women.

Hackford-Peer will receive the award Thursday, March 24 during the keynote address of women’s week.

Hackford-Peer said this award acts as a validation for the gender studies program and the professional work she has done for it. She stresses the importance of creating a supportive community between students and colleagues.

Since she became assistant professor in 2011, Susie Porter, director of gender studies and associate professor of history, said Hackford-Peer has advised students, worked on curriculum design, supported student groups, written grants and developed university policies for professional development.

Porter nominated Hackford-Peer earlier this year in conjunction with student Lauryn Hansen, because they believed she needed recognition for all she does.

“She is active in so many different areas to support women,” Porter said.

Hackford-Peer also assists in the LGBTQ+ community and the Women’s Resource Center. She helped develop community-engaged learning initiatives and has worked to design more meaningful courses to meet general education requirements. She constantly works to “further opportunities for folks who are underserved” after her own personal experience in undergraduate school.

“To make it through these ugly spaces that I was trying to exist in … that was a space where I learned to look for allies and build a community,” she said.

She has been an advocate to support gender-neutral bathrooms on campus and identify biases on campus in order to improve them.

Hackford-Peer said she didn’t know she was receiving the award until she got a call from the Presidential Committee, a board of people from across campus. Linda K. Amos helped found the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women and also served as Associate Vice President of Health Sciences and Dean of the College of Nursing.

Hackford-Peer said she was ecstatic and smiling from “ear to ear” because of the recognition. She said she sometimes feels a little underwater because of all the tasks she has to do, but if there is a student who needs help, she cannot say no.

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@carolyn_webber