Dr. Hui Liu Wins GenCen 2021 Inspiration Award

January 21, 2021

MSU Sociology Professor Dr. Hui Liu was been awarded the 2021 Inspiration Award in the category of Professional Achievement, administered by MSU's Center for Gender in Global Context and Women's Student Services.

Dr. Liu was nominated for the award by University Distinguished Professor Dr. Tom Dietz. 

The Inspiration Awards were created in 2014 to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of women-identified faculty and staff at Michigan State University. It was developed by Lydia Weiss in response to the low numbers of women being nominated for and receiving university-wide awards. 

Since 2014, three awards have been given to woman-identified individuals who demonstrate integrity, leadership, quality performance, integrative and inclusive action, and influence on campus and in the community. The award categories are: Professional Achievement, Community Engagement, and Culture of Empowerment. The Inspirational Woman chosen for Professional Achievement demonstrates a unique drive and passion for her career and contributes positively to MSU’s culture of excellence. The woman selected for the Community Engagement award demonstrates a commitment to engaging and advancing communities and organizations at MSU and in the greater Lansing community through service/volunteerism, leadership and/or other involvement. Lastly, the woman who best demonstrates dedication to the advancement and empowerment of women on campus and in the community through mentoring, programs, and other leadership opportunities, is awarded the Culture of Empowerment award.

Recipients are chosen by a Selection Committee which consists of a diverse group of MSU staff and faculty, and a member of the GenCen Community Board (which consists of local community organizations that work collaboratively with the GenCen).

In addition to her role as professor of Sociology, Dr. Liu is Director of the Family and Population Health (FPH) Laboratory. Before joining MSU in 2008, she received her B.A. and M.A. in economics from Nankai University, China, her M.S. in Statistics, and Ph.D. in Sociology and Demography from the University of Texas at Austin. Her research is broadly guided by the aging and life course perspective to study social determinants of population health. Specifically, Dr. Liu has focused on using innovative quantitative methods to develop, test, and promote scientific understanding of marriage and family processes related to population health and well-being over the life course. Her interests in marriage also extend to other “marriage-like” intimate relationships such as LGBTQ relationships and partnered sexuality, and how they are linked to population health and well-being.