PBW honors retired faculty member

Members of Positive Black Women honored a retired faculty member at their annual Valentine's Luncheon February 11 in the Kirkhof Center.

Doris Rucks received the first PBW Trailblazer Award. Rucks, who served as an associate professor of sociology, worked at Grand Valley from 1987-1999. She was also the first coordinator of Grand Valley's women's studies program.

Now age 92 and living in Muskegon, Rucks' poor health kept her from attending the luncheon. 

Shawn Jenkins, director of the Muskegon Regional Center, said Rucks was active in that lakeshore community, including a successful community drive to keep a neighborhood grocery store in Muskegon Heights.

The Trailblazer Award will subsequently be presented to a woman of color who has had tremendous impact on campus or community life.

Since PBW was established in 1994, it has endowed a scholarship fund and presented more than $25,000 in scholarship aid to more than 70 students. More information about the faculty/staff organization is online, click here.