ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- A Calvin University senior student is one of three nationally to be awarded The Hatfield Prize by the Center for Public Justice.
The CPJ says Emily Steen has won the honor. She is advised by sociology professor Mark Mulder.
The Hatfield Prize is named after the late Oregon Sen. Mark O. Hatfield, who was known for integrating his Christian faith and his public policy commitments.
"With new opportunities this year to fund higher education for incarcerated individuals through Pell grants, Emily Steen's research is very timely," Emily Fromke said in a news release. She is program director of shared justice at CPJ.
Steen is pursuing a degree in sociology with minors in urban studies and criminology. She is the founder and president of Calvin Peacemakers, a restorative justice club that has worked with state legislation and the Michigan Department of Corrections in partnership with the Calvin Prison Initiative.
Steen will research policies and programs to help formerly incarcerated individuals access higher education opportunities while exploring what could help them reintegrate better into communities.
"Calvin University's Prison Initiative provides a good case study for this research at a crucial moment when other higher education institutions are asking similar questions about how to best support incarcerated students and returning citizens as they reintegrate into our communities," Fromke said.
### [Photo of Emily Steen provided by CPJ]