Award for Global Engagement

Dr. Joan DeJaeghere has leveraged her role as a leading authority in Comparative and International Development Education to secure millions of dollars in external funding for collaborative international research and development programs, enhancing global engagement for the greater U of M community. Her research into the effects of gender and education on national development is both nationally and internationally recognized.

Over the past 15 years, she has brought in more than $10 million in external funding for international research and development projects. She is well known for her collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts and leverages the external funding to involve graduate students and other members of the community in fieldwork, research, and teaching. Her work has included more than 100 graduate students from a variety of colleges and departments, and led to the development of a graduate seminar to support the research grant work.

The results of her research projects have been used by organizations such as the U.S. Department of Labor, the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development, the Mastercard Foundation, and the Gates Foundation to shape their strategic direction and work. Where she has conducted research, she maintains a network of colleagues working on education issues.

Dr. DeJaeghere’s collaborative research projects aimed at creating new strategies for international development reflect a commitment to international education that has been shaped through her experiences over the past 27 years. Her work has spanned the globe having lived, worked, and studied in Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. Key to her success is her ability to work with people from different backgrounds, maintain networks, and share the results of her research with a variety of constituents.

With a tireless commitment to socially just, collaborative research, Dr. DeJaeghere’s work contributes to the greater good of the communities with which she works and has helped change the way foundations promote international development.