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International awards honor work in anthropology, ethnomusicology, diabetes research

Emory’s Office of Global Strategy and Initiatives is honoring anthropologist David Nugent, South African ethnomusicologist Brett Pyper and global diabetes research administrator Mark Hutcheson.

Anthropologist David Nugent, South African ethnomusicologist Brett Pyper and global diabetes research administrator Mark Hutcheson have been named the 2016 recipients of the prestigious awards presented each year by Emory’s Office of Global Strategy and Initiatives.

 “This year’s award winners have not only demonstrated outstanding commitment to global understanding in their own careers, they’ve also empowered many others to pursue meaningful work across the globe,” says Philip Wainwright, vice provost for global strategy and initiatives at Emory.                               

“It’s gratifying to see how they have amplified that commitment beyond their individual spheres, whether it be enabling researchers to improve health outcomes in South Asia or training students to become international development leaders in Latin America," he says.

Nugent, Pyper and Hutcheson will be recognized at International Awards Night on Nov. 17 at the Emory Conference Center Hotel. The invitation-only event is part of International Education Week, which features a variety of events Nov. 14-18.

Creekmore Award for Internationalization

Nugent, an anthropology professor, will receive the Marion V. Creekmore Award, which is given to an Emory faculty member who advances the university's commitment to internationalization.

He is the founding director Emory’s Master’s in Development Practice (MDP) program, which combines cross-disciplinary academic study with field experience in global settings. In this role, he has expanded Emory’s network of strategic partnerships with leading international development organizations, including CARE, Oxfam and Heifer International, as well as federal agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development. Last summer the program sent students abroad for 10-week field practicums with 21 organizations in 25 countries.

“Mentored and trained by Professor Nugent, MDP graduates constitute a cohort of emerging leaders who are at the forefront of the struggle to eliminate structural inequalities, promote global cooperation and foster respect for human dignity among diverse peoples of the world,” said Carla Roncoli, associate director of the program.

Nugent is also co-principal investigator of the Communities of Practice initiative at Emory’s Laney Graduate School, which began this fall. Funded by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, the pilot program aims to better incorporate global skills into doctoral education.

Nugent began his research career in the northern Peruvian Andes, where he studied regional patterns of economic growth and stagnation. Over the course of three decades, he has also conducted field research on the impact of land privatization on farming communities in Kenya, the environmental management practices of Inuit people in the Canadian arctic, and indigenous land and water rights in the western United States.

Sheth Distinguished International Alumnus

Pyper will receive the Sheth Distinguished International Alumni Award, which recognizes international alumni who have distinguished themselves through service to universities, governments or the private sector. He earned a master of arts from Laney Graduate School in 2000, having arrived from South Africa as a Fulbright Scholar.

He is now head of the Wits School of the Arts at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. An ethnomusicologist by training, Pyper was previously CEO of the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival and founding chair of the South African Society for Research in Music.

“Brett’s interdisciplinary efforts have engaged people from all areas of society — scholars, artists, activists and government officials — to advance South African public discourse, particularly around complex issues of culture, history and memory,” says Lisa Tedesco, dean of Laney Graduate School. “He is a stellar example of the benefits of international engagement and the caliber of Emory graduates who work to change our world."

International Outreach Award

Hutcheson will receive the International Outreach Award, which recognizes Emory staff who have made significant contributions to the internationalization of the university, as well as international professional networks in their fields.

He is managing director of the Emory Global Diabetes Research Center (EGDRC), where he oversees all research and training activities. He has played a key role in developing partnerships with leading health research institutions in India and Pakistan, the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia and collaborators in Malawi and Denmark.

“Mark embodies Emory's spirit of ethical engagement, interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching, and improving the lives of people globally,” said K.M. Venkat Narayan, Ruth and O.C. Hubert Chair of Global Health and director of EGDRC.

During his nine years at Emory, Hutcheson has helped grow strategic programs such as the Fogarty Global Health Fellowship Program, the Center for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia and the Public Health and Leadership Implementation Academy. Together the programs have trained more than 200 investigators from around the world and led to $25 million in research funding.


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