Emory University’s global engagement is a natural extension of its longstanding motto — “The wise heart seeks knowledge” — wherever it may be found. This spirit of collaboration is a through line in the international work that happens across the university community by its faculty, alumni and staff.
“Emory University is both a destination and a launching pad for the faculty, alumni, staff and students who broaden and strengthen our global network,” says Ravi V. Bellamkonda, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “This year’s International Award winners foster robust professional, research and institutional ties that create enduring connections among the global Emory community on campus and all over the world.”
On March 23, the Office of Global Strategy and Initiatives will host the 2021-22 International Awards ceremony, recognizing three members of the Emory community whose work has expanded the university’s global engagement. The annual International Awards celebrate the extraordinary work of a faculty member, an international alumnus and a staff member.
“Global engagement remained resilient throughout the pandemic,” says Philip Wainwright, vice provost for global strategies and initiatives. “We observed members of our community adapt and innovate to maintain and grow international projects and partnerships. We share their enthusiasm for a return to onsite research and work.”
Through extraordinary work on campus and abroad, the honorees have exemplified Emory’s commitment to global impact. This year’s winners have the added distinction of being part of the first all-female cohort of International Award recipients. They are:
- Kathryn M. Yount, Marion V. Creekmore Award for Internationalization (Rollins School of Public Health and Emory College of Arts and Sciences)
- Lilly D’Angelo 89G, Sheth Distinguished International Alumni Award (Laney Graduate School)
- Elizabeth Hornor, International Outreach Award (Michael C. Carlos Museum)
Creekmore Award for Internationalization
Kathryn M. Yount is Asa Griggs Candler Chair of Global Health and professor of global health and sociology at Emory. Her research centers on the social determinants of women’s health and on health inequities around the world. She has been commended for her commitment to the career development of trainees in women’s global health research and to gender equity in global health leadership.
Yount joined Emory as assistant professor in 2000 and has developed a highly productive interdisciplinary career and global research portfolio. Her work has included a focus on underserved communities in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the United States, and has nurtured partnerships with nongovernmental organizations, research institutes and universities worldwide.
Yount is founding director of GROW (Global Research for Women), a global network of scholars, practitioners, donors and government leaders who are committed to women’s empowerment, the prevention of gender-based violence and women’s health in underserved communities globally.
As expressed by those who nominated Yount, “Her impactful scholarship, devoted mentorship and institutional citizenship embody a career-long commitment to women’s global health and to global gender equity.”
Sheth Distinguished International Alumni Award
Lilly D'Angelo 89G is a global executive with more than 30 years of experience in the consumer products industry, focusing on innovation and technology. She is president of Global Food and Beverage Technology Associates, a consulting firm she founded in 2018 in Chicago to help companies with expansion into new geographies and with new products. Before 2018, she was senior vice president of global research and development (R&D) for a British ingredient company, Tate & Lyle, based in Chicago. Prior to that, she held R&D-focused positions with some of the world’s largest corporations, including The Coca-Cola Company and the Campbell Soup Company.
She has worked and lived in the U.S., Asia, Middle East and Africa. She also is the inventor or co-inventor of 15 patents.
D’Angelo came to Emory as an international student from China and earned a PhD in organic chemistry from Laney Graduate School. As noted by those who nominated her, D’Angelo still fondly remembers a dinner she attended at the Emory president's home to welcome incoming international students.
Despite a demanding career, she has been an exceptionally engaged alumna. She currently serves on Emory University's 2O36 Campaign Council representing Laney Graduate School and is a past recipient of the Turman Alumni Service Award in recognition of her extraordinary leadership.
International Outreach Award
Elizabeth Hornor is the Ingram Senior Director of Education at the Michael C. Carlos Museum. In her more than 30 years at the museum, Hornor has helped build the reputations of the Carlos Museum and Emory with world-class programs that inspire the Emory and Atlanta communities to learn more about the fascinating cultures of the world, past and present. Through programming that has included courses, exhibitions, tours for K-12 students, symposiums and more, her passion for her work has demonstrated a commitment to promoting a greater understanding of the past and contemporary world.
Hornor’s many contributions include working with Emory faculty to help facilitate the use of the museum, from developing specialized tours to semester-long courses and medical school electives. She also serves as onsite curator for traveling exhibitions of Asian and Islamic art and recently worked with faculty to renovate the museum's gallery of South Asian art. She has developed numerous technology projects, including the award-winning website Odyssey Online South Asia and the Carlos Conversations podcasts.
An alumna of Emory College and Laney Graduate School, Hornor has received multiple honors, including National Art Education Association Museum Educator of the Year/ Southeast, Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries Museum Professional of the Year and Emory’s Award of Distinction.
As those who nominated her expressed, “Few at Emory University can claim to have reached broader audiences with educational initiatives that have promoted international understanding than Elizabeth Hornor.”