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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Lyla Houglum, the dean and director of the Oregon State University Extension Service, has received a national professional organization's most prestigious award.

On Wednesday (Sept. 24), Epsilon Sigma Phi presented Houglum with its 2003 National Distinguished Service Ruby Award at the extension professional organization's Galaxy II Conference in Salt Lake City.

As the 2003 winner, Houglum delivered the annual Ruby Lecture at a conference luncheon.

Epsilon Sigma Phi officials said the award is designed to recognize "truly outstanding thinking, performance and leadership within the Cooperative Extension system."

Houglum, they noted, "helped design and implement a new organizational model at OSU that allows Extension to work university-wide and integrates Extension programs and faculty into most academic colleges and departments."

"Several other Land Grant universities have emulated or studied this model for implementation," they added. "Dr. Houglum also played a key role in developing and promoting a new definition for scholarship adopted by OSU. This approach rewards faculty for creativity and innovation in their jobs. Her work in organizational models and scholarship is nationally and internationally recognized."

Houglum has worked as an Extension educator and administrator for 26 years in Montana and Oregon. She was named dean and director of the OSU Extension Service in 1995.

She has served on numerous national committee and boards, including chairing the national Extension Committee on Policy (ECOP) and serving on the ECOP Vision for the 21st Century Committee.