Creekmore Award for Internationalization

The Marion V. Creekmore Award is given each year to an Emory faculty member who excels in the advancement of the University's commitment to internationalization. The award was established by the generous gift of Claus M. Halle and honors the work of Marion V. Creekmore, who served as Emory University's inaugural vice provost for international affairs and first director of The Claus M. Halle Institute for Global Research and Learning.

2020-21 Recipient: Usha Ramakrishnan

Usha Ramakrishnan, PhD, is the Chair and Distinguished Richard N. Hubert Professor of the Hubert Department of Global Health in The Rollins School of Public Health, and Graduate Faculty member of the Doctoral Programs in Nutrition and Health Sciences (NHS) and Global Health and Development at Emory University’s Laney Graduate School. Known internationally for her expertise in maternal and child nutrition, Dr. Ramakrishnan has held several leadership positions throughout her career at Emory, including serving as the Director of the NHS doctoral program (2008-2019), and she has mentored several pre- and post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty.

Dr. Ramakrishnan has considerable expertise in the conduct of large randomized controlled trials (RCT) that test nutrient interventions during pregnancy and early childhood, and prospective longitudinal studies that examine pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight, preterm birth, and subsequent child growth and development. She is the senior author or co-author of over 170 research articles in national and international peer-reviewed professional journals (h-index: 53 and has delivered over 100 presentations nationally and internationally. Her current research projects include examining the effects of micronutrients and omega-3 fatty acids, during pregnancy on child health, growth, and development.  Most recently, Ramakrishnan completed a large trial   in Vietnam. She was also the PI of a large NIH-funded research project in collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico. In addition to her research, Dr. Ramakrishnan regularly participates in working groups and global consultations for organizations such as the Gates Foundation, UNICEF, WHO, World Food Program, and others. She is currently a member of the editorial board for the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and also serves as a peer reviewer for leading journals in her field as well as research and training grant applications for national and international agencies and foundations. She is an active member of the American Society of Nutrition (ASN) and has served various leadership roles including being elected as Councilor at Large for the ASN Global Nutrition Council Governance Committee. She has also received several awards including the Norman Kretchmer Award given by the American Society of Clinical Nutrition in April 2003. 

Finally, Dr. Ramakrishnan has provided technical support for various projects in her field of expertise over the years and has led and participated in several collaborations with non-governmental organizations and research institutions based in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Europe. Dr. Ramakrishnan is fluent in English, Tamil, and Hindi, and she is excellent in conversational French and Spanish.

 Winners of the Creekmore Award

YEARRECIPIENT
2020Usha Ramakrishnan
2019Dennis Liotta
2018Uriel Kitron
2017K. M. Venkat Narayan
2016David Nugent
2015Jeffrey Koplan
2014Henry Blumberg
2013Peter Brown
2012Jagdish Sheth
2011Lynn Sibley
2010Alfred W. Brann, Jr.
2009Juliette Stapnanian Apkarian
2008Reynaldo Martorell
2007Carlos del Rio
2006Abdullahi An-Na'im
2005Ivan Karp
2004Thomas F. Remington
2003H. Kenneth Walker
2002Kenneth W. Stein
2001Howard A. Rollins
2000Marion V. Creekmore