Missouri State University has chosen Sara Lampe as the recipient of its 21^st honorary doctorate: the Doctor of Public Affairs in recognition of her outstanding achievements in public affairs. She will receive the award at the May commencement ceremonies.

A respected leader in the community, Lampe has dedicated her life to education and advocating for children and families.

She currently serves as deputy director of Care to Learn, a local nonprofit that provides for the basic needs of students and their families. She co-created the WINGS program for gifted students in Springfield Public Schools, and has consulted nationally with school districts interested in creating responsive and thinking classrooms.

Lampe served in the Missouri General Assembly from 2005 to 2013, where she held leadership positions as ranking member on budget, education, special committee on the arts and downsizing state government.

In 2013, former Governor Jay Nixon appointed her to the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, which she currently chairs. Her commitment to causes of freedom and justice for minorities and oppressed people earned her the 2010 Evelyn Wasserstrom Award.