Susan B. Anthony Awards Ceremony

The Commission for Women (CFW) present Susan B. Anthony Campus and Community Awards annually to recognize a member of our campus family and a member of the local community, whose lives and deeds exemplify the dedication, fortitude, political agitation and involvement of Susan B. Anthony on behalf of women. She inspired a nation to recognize human rights, challenged gross inequities endured by women, and taught us that failure is impossible!

Oh, if I could but live another century and see the fruition of all the work for women! There is so much yet to be done.  

- Susan B. Anthony

47th Susan B. Anthony Award Ceremony 2025

We proudly presented the 47th Susan B. Anthony Campus and Community Awards in a heartfelt ceremony held on Wednesday, September 24 at Byblos Banquet Center in Dearborn. This distinguished event honors individuals who exemplify a deep commitment to advocacy, leadership, and service, both here at our university and within our broader community.

Our celebration this year featured Chancellor Gabriella Scarlatta as our keynote speaker. Chancellor Scarlatta inspired us all with her insightful remarks on the power of collective action and the ongoing importance of women’s leadership in shaping our futures.

We are thrilled to recognize our outstanding award recipients:

• 2025 Campus Award Recipient: Dr. Amy Brainer
  Dr. Brainer’s dedication to fostering inclusive educational environments and amplifying voices within the campus community is unparalleled and her advocacy continues to positively impact students, faculty, and staff alike.
• 2025 Community Award Recipient: Dr. Carmel Price
  Dr. Price’s tireless work in supporting social justice initiatives and empowering individuals throughout our community stands as a testament to the values for which this award was created.

We extend our sincere congratulations to Dr. Brainer and Dr. Price, and we're to deeply grateful to Chancellor Scarlatta for her participation. Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating these remarkable leaders. Together, we honor the legacy of Susan B. Anthony and all those who advance equality and inclusion.

Congratulations to our 2025 Campus Award Recipient, Dr. Amy Brainer

Amy Brainer is an Associate Professor of Women's and Gender Studies and Coordinator of LGBTQ Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She is the faculty advisor to two student organizations, Iris and Pride, and serves as a mentor and queer auntie to LGBTQ students across campus. 

Dr. Brainer has been blessed with what is truly her dream job. Together with her colleagues and students, she has built an LGBTQ Studies program that she believes UM-Dearborn can be proud of – one that reflects who we are as a community. Some of her favorite courses to teach are LGBTQ Religious Experience, Family Diversity and Power, and Hope and Joy in Queer and Trans Lives.

Dr. Brainer’s research centers LGBTQ families through an intersectional and transnational lens. She is the author of an award-winning book, Queer Kinship and Family Change in Taiwan. Her current research is about LGBTQ people and couples who are navigating marriage-based immigration to the United States.

She is also working on an oral history project about Women’s and Gender Studies, Women in Learning and Leadership, and LGBTQ Studies at UM-Dearborn. This project documents the labor and love it takes to build and sustain programs like these, including in periods of intense backlash.

Related to this, she did a Hub affiliate project on how attempts to discredit, censor, and ban the study of race, gender, and sexuality show up in our classrooms and the ways that we teach. She is a member of the University of Michigan tri-campus Queer and Trans Task Force leadership team and Co-Chair of the Association for Queer Anthropology.

Friends know Dr. Brainer by her stiletto nails and heels to match, her love of cats, and her care for and pride in her students.

Congratulations to our 2025 Community Award Recipient, Dr. Carmel Price

Dr. Carmel Price is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan – Dearborn. With a strong commitment to elevating the voices of underserved communities, her research focuses on environmental public health, education, and poverty. Drawing on her early experiences as an elementary school teacher and later as a social worker, Dr. Price has firmly rooted her academic career in the principles of community-based participatory research, establishing herself as a leader in the field of public sociology.

Dr. Price’s dedication to collaborative scholarship is reflected in her extensive publication record, which includes over two dozen peer-reviewed manuscripts. Notably, her work is characterized by inclusive authorship, featuring twenty-one community partners, eighteen undergraduate students, and a high school student as coauthors. Beyond traditional academic channels, Dr. Price’s scholarship has informed white papers, public lectures, community workshops, op-eds, policy advocacy initiatives, and congressional testimony.

A champion of undergraduate education and the translation of academic research into plain language, Dr. Price is also recognized for her local and national service. She is currently an elected council member for the Public Sociology section of the American Sociological Association and she serves locally on countless boards, advisory groups, and steering committees.

In 2015, Dr. Price co-founded the interdisciplinary College and University Pantries (CUP) research team, which aims to support college students’ basic needs across the state of Michigan. Through direct collaboration with over thirty campus pantries, the CUP team addresses student food and housing insecurity and advances holistic support services.

In 2017, Dr. Price helped establish the Environmental Health Research to Action (EHRA) project, a partnership that bridges academic research and community action. EHRA is devoted to fostering intergenerational leadership in environmental health and education, community science, and policy advocacy, with a special focus on challenges faced by residents of Metro Detroit. One of the hallmark initiatives of EHRA is the Summer Youth Academy, an intensive program designed to empower high school students with skills in environmental health, data analysis, policy advocacy, storytelling, and community leadership. The Academy exemplifies the power of youth-centered, community-driven research in advancing environmental justice.

Dr. Price’s commitment to social impact and education has profoundly shaped her career, positioning her as an influential scholar, mentor, and advocate for community engagement in academic research.

Honoring Susan Cushnier’s Legacy at UM-Dearborn

In loving memory of Susan Cushnier and her decades of dedicated service, the Susan Cushnier Endowed Scholarship was established by her family and friends. Susan was an active member of the Commission for Women and cherished the Susan B. Anthony Awards Banquet, reflecting her passion for empowering others on campus.

After retiring in 2017, Susan remained a beloved member of the UM-Dearborn community until her passing in March 2022. In the fall of 2022, an endowed scholarship began in her name, providing ongoing support to UM-Dearborn students—the very individuals she devoted her life to.

Your contributions help us fully endow this scholarship, ensuring Susan’s enduring legacy of support and opportunity for UM-Dearborn students for generations to come.