This year, the Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies (MACLAS) awarded Jeffrey Pugh, Assistant Professor of Conflict Resolution at the McCormack Graduate School, with the Harold Eugene Davis Prize, which is awarded to a MACLAS member in good standing for a book chapter or article published in the past two years.

Pugh received his award at the annual meeting in March for his article entitled, “Universal Citizenship through the Discourse and Policy of Rafael Correa,” published in Latin American Politics and Society in 2017. The chair of the Davis Prize committee, Dr. Michael Schroeder, commended Pugh for his “nuanced, multilayered, exceptionally well-written, and meticulously researched and argued” analysis on the discourse of universal citizenship in Ecuador. At the 2018 MACLAS conference in Pennsylvania, he explained the selection committee’s decision-making process:

“[Pugh offers] a compelling framework for addressing one of the most important issues of the 21st century, and one that only promises to become more salient with the social and political dynamics set in motion by global climate change. On what basis do ordinary people make claims for rights? The emerging concept of universal citizenship is fascinating, provocative, and holds many comparative implications. The article’s analysis of Ecuador and President Rafael Correa’s use of universal citizenship discourse to advance his political goals while constraining boundaries of membership in the nation and claims making offers a compelling strategy for analysis. The article… offers a powerful framework for addressing one of the most important issues of the contemporary era, a framework that can be applied far beyond Pugh’s case study of Ecuador. [It] is attentive to a host of countervailing and contradictory pressures and forces, and helps to place Latin America in the center of contemporary debates that have far-reaching global implications.”

Each year, MACLAS offers several awards, grants, and prizes for excellence in scholarship and service. Founded in 1979, MACLAS is an organization that brings together scholars, researchers, students, and professionals in the Mid-Atlantic who have interests in disciplines and pursuits related to Latin America. Pugh served as MACLAS President during the 2013-2014 academic school year.