Sara Axtell receives Outstanding Community Service Award

Sara Axtell, a lecturer in the Department of Family Social Science, is a recipient of a 2023 University of Minnesota Outstanding Community Service Award. The award recognizes faculty, staff, students, and University-affiliated community partners who, by devoting their time, talents, and expertise to serve the public good, have made significant, demonstrable, and direct contributions to society’s well-being.

Axtell holds a BS in special education from Illinois State University and a PhD in the psychology of learning from the U of M. Her areas of focus include community engagement, community health, and the interfacing of different cultural knowledge systems.

Much of her work focuses on developing mutually beneficial, authentic collaborations between the University and communities. In her teaching, she seeks to create spaces where students can bring their whole, authentic selves, and the knowledge that has grown out of their experiences.