ASA Service Award

Re-established in 2013, the ASA Service Award has been designed to recognize individuals or organizations that have distinguished themselves through outstanding dedication to the ASA’s mission of encouraging production and dissemination of knowledge about Africa.

Candidates for the ASA Service Award must have made outstanding contributions to the ASA’s mission and/or the ASA such as:

• Showed a strong commitment to the ASA’s mission through public service and service to the Association;
• Encourage the study and teaching of Africa;
• Promoted creative exchanges and interactions of North America-based individuals or groups with Africa;
• Increased public understanding of Africa through the media, movies, music, books, and other cultural fora;
• Forges strategic partnerships with the ASA to further the organization’s mission;
• Promoted policies supportive of the interests of Africans and Africa;
• Volunteered time and actively contributed to ASA activities;
• Advanced humanitarian and philanthropic work in Africa.

Current ASA members may submit letters of nomination to the Executive Director of the ASA by September 1 of the year preceding the Annual Meeting in which the award would be given. Nominations for individuals must state how the nominee meets the stated criteria and elaborate on the contributions of the individual. The nomination must include the nominator’s name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address, as well as the name, title, and contact information of the nominee. Nominations for organizations must summarize the organization’s activities as they relate to the selection criteria mentioned above. They must also include the nominator’s name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. The name, address, and telephone number of a contact person with the nominated organization must also be provided.

The ASA Awards Committee may also nominate individuals or organizations for consideration by the entire board.

ASA Service Award Winners (2013-Present)

2018 Sandra Barnes, University of Pennsylvania, and Andrzej Tymowski, American Council of Learned Societies

2017 Elliot Fratkin, Smith College and Sean Redding, Amherst College, African Studies Review

2016 Brenda Randolph, Africa Access

2015 Gillian Berchowitz, Ohio University Press

2015 Barbara Brown, Boston University

2015 Ali Ali-Dinar

2015 Kenneth W. Harrow, Michigan State University

2014 Indiana University Press

2014 Association of Concerned African Scholars

2014 Bill Minter, Africa Focus

2014 Aili Tripp, University of Wisconsin

2013 Lynne Rienner, Lynne Rienner Publishers

2013 Kassahun Checole, Africa World Press