Dr. Fayyaz Hussain receives Aida Tomeh Distinguished Service Award from North Central Sociological Association

April 15, 2025 - Emily Jodway

Dr. Fayyaz Hussain, a Professor in the department of Sociology and the Center for Integrative Studies, was recently awarded the Aida Tomeh Distinguished Service Award by the North Central Sociological Association (NCSA). 

The NCSA is a regional sociology association serving the areas of Eastern Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario, Canada. Hussain has been a member of the organization for over 35 years and has served in a variety of leadership positions in addition to presenting research papers, organizing meetings and roundtable discussions, and creating the Fayyaz Hussain Travel Grant for the winners of the John F. Schnabel Distinguished Contribution to Teaching Award. He is a previous winner of the aforementioned award and is the NCSA President Elect for 2025-26.  

The Aida Tomeh Distinguished Service Award is an annual award recognizing a member of the NCSA who has given outstanding service to the NCSA, either through a single exceptional activity, or through different activities over an extended period of time, or throughout his/her professional career. The award is named after Aida Tomeh who was a member of the faculty at Bowling Green State University. 

“It was 1987 when former NCSA President Marv Olson first brought me to an annual meeting of the NCSA,” said Hussain. “Since then, I have attended almost every meeting. In all these years at NCSA meetings, I have met with many famous, dedicated, and well-known teachers, researchers, and scholars. They have been very inclusive and helped me at every step to become a good teacher and researcher. I never in my life thought that I would become the President of NCSA and receive the Aida Tomeh Distinguished Service Award. It is such an honor, it makes me speechless.” 

Hussain's teaching career in Sociology began in Pakistan in 1975, after he completed his M.A. in Sociology. He has taught in Nigeria, Canada, and America, starting at Michigan State University in 1986. He has visited more than 45 different countries, and uses his unique cross-cultural experiences and observations to educate his students on a variety of global issues. According to his calculations, he has taught nearly 50,000 students throughout his career.