By Allison Skeete
NOTED Guyana-born scholar, Dr Ivelaw Griffith is set to receive the 2015 William J. Perry Award for Excellence in Security and Defense Education from the Center of Hemispheric and Defense Studies.Dr Griffith, a specialist on Caribbean security, drugs and crime most recently held the office of the ninth president at Fort Valley State University of Georgia.
Dr Griffith is being honoured for his years of service as a scholar, author and educational leader; his teaching and innovative research which has informed a generation of policy makers and practitioners and for advancing a cooperative international security environment among the nations of the Caribbean Basin. These contributions reflect the highest ideals of the centre embodying the values set forth by the Perry Award. Dr Griffith previously served as professor of political science and provost and senior vice president at York College of The City University of New York. Before becoming York’s provost in 2007, Griffith was professor of political science and budget dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida International University (FIU), dean of the Honors College at FIU, and provost at Radford University in Virginia.
Professor Griffith holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Guyana, a Master of Arts in Political Science and Public Administration from Long Island University, New York, and both a Master of Philosophy and a doctorate in political science from The City University of New York Graduate School. He also graduated from Harvard Graduate School of Education’s programmes in educational leadership and has published seven books and more than 50 scholarly articles.
Named after the Ccntre’s founder and former U.S. Secretary of Defense Dr. William J. Perry, the award is presented to individuals and organisations in recognition of their significant contributions in the fields of security and defense education. Awardees are selected for their achievements and promoting education, research, and sharing knowledge in defense and security issues in the Western Hemisphere. The centre, now in its 18th year of existence, is located on Ft. McNair and is academically affiliated with National Defense University. Recipients are chosen for having contributed in tangible ways to enhancing capacity in security and defense, building mutually beneficial relationships, and increasing democratic security in the Americas. The William J. Perry Award was first presented in 2007 as part of the centre’s 10th anniversary celebration.
Also being honored alongside Dr. Griffith is Mexico’s Admiral Vidal Francisco Soberon for his extensive experience in coastal counter narcotics operations. Previous winners include Former Paraguayan Minister of Defense Maria Liz Garcia de Arnold (individual) and the Colombian National War College (ESDEGUE) (institutional) and Dr. Richard Millett (individual) and the Inter American Defense College (IADC) and Center of Advanced Studies of National Defense (CESEDEN). News Americas