Social Work Prof Sandra McGee awarded FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award

McGee is Assistant Clinical Professor and Field Administrator of the Des Moines BA in Social Work program
Thursday, February 1, 2018

Sandra McGeeOn January, 26th 2018, FBI Omaha Field Office Special Agent in Charge, Randall Thysse, selected Dr. Sandra McGee of Des Moines as the Omaha Field Office's recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for 2017.

Dr. Sandra McGee has been working towards building positive community relationships throughout her life. She is a dedicated, hardworking woman who, throughout her personal and professional life, has made an extremely positive impact on her family, colleagues and community.

Dr. McGee is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Des Moines program of the UI School of Social Work and a committed member of the FBI CA Alumni Association. Her impact in the community is her lifelong devotion to the betterment of society, advancement of youth, and commitment to the respect of diversity through inclusion, education, and participation in the world in which she lives and works.

One of Dr. McGee’s many strengths is her ability to seek out positive and productive initiatives that bridge the gaps she identifies within her community, church, and educational settings. She is a bold thinking, highly educated individual whose commitment to advocacy, minority issues, mentoring, and diversity allow her to increase community interactions, bring groups together, and provide many positive changes to the community of Des Moines and the University of Iowa.

“Dr. McGee is an ideal candidate for this award through the tremendous contributions she has made to her community,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Randall Thysse stated. “Her dedication and service to her community is unparalleled and we want to show her how much we appreciate all she does for her community.”

Dr. McGee will travel to Washington, D.C., in April 2018 to receive this prestigious award along with awardees from around the United States. Since 1990, the Director’s Community Leadership Award has been the principal means for the FBI to publicly recognize achievements of individuals and organizations that make extraordinary contributions to education and the prevention of crime and violence in their communities. Each field office nominates an individual or organization for the award, and, once selected, the recipients are invited to a ceremony and reception at FBI Headquarters.

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.