BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Cameron Lippard ’98, chair of Appalachian State University's Department of Sociology, is the recipient of the 2023 Appalachian Global Leadership Award from the Office of International Education and Development (OIED). Dr. Lippard was presented with the award during the eleventh annual Appalachian Global Symposium on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
The Appalachian Global Leadership Awards recognize students, faculty, and staff who have initiated, developed, and/or supported opportunities for global learning at Appalachian State. Criteria for the faculty and staff awards include demonstrated efforts to globalize the campus and community environment, expand global learning opportunities for students, build or sustain global partnerships, and conduct research and scholarship with a global emphasis.
A native of Boone, Lippard graduated from Appalachian State in 1998 with bachelor's degrees in psychology and sociology. He completed his doctorate in sociology at Georgia State University in 2006 and returned to Appalachian the following year as an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology. In 2013, Lippard was promoted to associate professor. After serving as interim chair for one year, Lippard was appointed chair of the Department of Sociology in 2019.
Nominators emphasized how Lippard merges scholarship and action to foster a comprehensive understanding of global issues through his roles as an educator, researcher, and community advocate. Lippard's research explores issues relating to immigration, war, and racism, complex topics that he doesn't shy away from in the classroom. In his 16 years as a professor at App State, Lippard has taught a variety of courses that bring his students a local-to-global perspective, including The Sociological Perspective, Social Diversity and Inequalities, Constructions of Gender, Sociology of Immigration, Sociology of Appalachian Communities, Sociology of War, and Race and Ethnicity.
In 2010, Lippard received the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award in recognition of his competence and command of subject matter, concern for student wellbeing, and enthusiasm for the subject matter and for teaching it. In 2020, Lippard was selected to receive the University of North Carolina Board of Governors Appalachian State University Excellence in Teaching Award.
Lippard has led or co-led 12 short-term study abroad programs to examine cultural and global issues across the world, often in collaboration with colleagues from other disciplines. Since 2009, these programs have allowed over 250 undergraduate students to experience countries and cultures outside of the United States, including Costa Rica, Mexico, Germany, France, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Italy.
As chair of the Department of Sociology, Lippard encourages faculty members to conduct international research and lead study abroad programs. He supports programs to bring international guests to campus to present on global topics. Additionally, Lippard has advocated for more global student learning outcomes in both the department and university curriculums, including the creation of new local-to-global general education themes.
Nominators particularly emphasized Lippard's service to the community at large, especially local migrants and immigrants. From 2009 to 2011, he assisted local health agencies in collecting data and providing best practice recommendations for addressing immigrant health care in the High Country, which led to the creation of the High Country Clinic. Lippard has also worked with local community action groups such as High Country Amigos and the Immigrant Mountaineer Movement to create spaces for local migrants and immigrants to develop trusting relationships with local churches, police departments, and community service organizations to gain more access to assistance programs. Since 2010, he helped organize a holiday gift-giving program to provide presents and needed winter clothing to Latino immigrant families struggling in the area to make ends meet. Lippard has also several local and state committees such as the Boone Planning Commission, Wilkes Recovery Revolution, and the Mediation and Restorative Justice Center to assist with giving international and immigrant populations a voice in public affairs and to expand service to their communities that have often been left out of the conversations.
“His commitment reaches far beyond the classroom, as he has made significant scholarly contributions to the study of immigration's sociological effects and the changing dynamics of racism, underscored by his influential publications that serve as a resource for both students and colleagues,” said Dr. Lillian Nave, who presented the award on behalf of the Appalachian Global Leadership Awards Committee.
The College of Arts and Sciences congratulates Dr. Lippard on this honor and thanks him for his service to the college, university, and community.
Appalachian Global Leadership Award recipients are presented with a plaque and a travel grant, enabling them to continue their global work. To learn more about the OIED's Appalachian Global Leadership Awards, visit international.appstate.edu/get-involved/global-leadership-awards.
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About the Department of Sociology
The Department of Sociology offers a Bachelor of Arts and seven Bachelor of Science concentrations (applied research methods; criminology; families and intimate relationships; health and aging; power and social change; social inequalities; and individually designed, which requires departmental approval). The department also offers minors in sociology and health and aging, plus two online graduate certificates: aging, health and society, and sociology. Learn more at https://soc.appstate.edu.
About the Office of International Education and Development
The OIED is responsible for spearheading the internationalization efforts at Appalachian. The internationalization mission of Appalachian is to develop awareness, knowledge, appreciation and respect of cultural differences in both domestic and international contexts in its students, faculty, staff and the surrounding communities. The university is also dedicated to creating a campus environment that builds the theoretical and practical skills needed to interact effectively in a global society. Learn more at https://international.appstate.edu.
By Lauren Andersen
December 20, 2023
BOONE, N.C.
Dr. Cameron Lippard ’98, chair of Appalachian State University's Department of Sociology
Dr. Cameron Lippard ’98, chair of Appalachian State University's Department of Sociology