John Browder receives Alumni Award for Excellence in International Research

John O. Browder, professor and associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech, recently received the university's 2008 Alumni Award for Excellence in International Research.

Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in International Research is presented annually to a faculty or staff member who has had a significant impact on international outreach and research at Virginia Tech. Selection is based on contributions to the internationalization of Virginia Tech, global impact, significance of the project, and sustainability of the project. Recipients are awarded a $2,000 cash prize.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1988, Browder has established himself as one of the premier international researchers on campus. He is an international authority on land use change, urbanization, and regional development in the Brazilian Amazon, where he has personally directed more than 20 research projects since his dissertation.

He has been principal investigator on 10 externally funded research projects totaling $870,000, including four National Science Foundation grants and projects supported by U.S. AID, NASA, the Center for Latin American Studies, the International Foundation, and the John and Teresa Heinz Charitable Foundation.

His published work included three books, 26 peer-reviewed articles, eight, book chapters, and numerous technical reports. Browder was selected to be among six scholars worldwide to serve on the Academic Review Committee of the Inter-American Foundations — a testimony to his international reputation and stature as a Latin American scholar.

Browder received his bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster, a master’s degree from The American University, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.