Elizabethtown College celebrated the 2024-25 Educate For Service – Service To Humanity Award recipient Jane L. (Thomas) Riese ’81 at the institution’s annual Ware Lecture on April 10.
Riese was presented with the award, which is among the most distinguished given to alumni of the College who demonstrate a commitment to the institution’s motto, Educate for Service, to open the Ware Lecture in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center. A Social Work major while at Etown, Riese was also recognized at the event with a celebratory video.
“Jane’s lifelong commitment to creating safer, more compassionate communities through her work is a powerful reflection of our College’s Educate for Service mission,” Elizabethtown College President Betty Rider said. “Her global impact on individuals and communities is profound, and we are honored to recognize her service, leadership, and dedication to making the world a better place.”
Riese is the Associate Director of Safe and Humane Schools at Clemson University’s Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life (IFNL), which houses the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) – the world’s first and most researched initiative of its kind.
A licensed social worker, Riese has been involved with OBPP since 1999, playing a key role in developing and delivering Trainer Certification courses. She has co-authored key resource materials and published articles on bullying prevention best practices. She’s also represented OBPP at the United Nations and shared expertise on bullying prevention across the world.
“When I think about Etown’s Educate for Service mission, I think it ties so beautifully into what inspires social workers on their path when they’re students,” Riese said. “Our passions and interests turn into knowledge, our knowledge turns into skills, and these skills that we share with people within the context of relationships that we form are the service that Etown embodies in its mission.”
After graduating from Etown, Riese went on to earn a Master of Social Work from Temple University, and in 2018, she received Elizabethtown College’s Department of Social Work Alumni Award.
Presented annually since 1966, the Educate for Service Awards recognize alumni who exemplify the foundation of the Elizabethtown College spirit and legacy of education. The awards are categorized into three unique areas: Service Through Professional Achievement, Service to Humanity, and Service to the College. Learn more about Elizabethtown College’s Educate For Service Awards.