Parfait Eloundou-Enyegue, chair and professor in the Department of Development Sociology, received the Outstanding Accomplishments in Science and Public Policy Award in a ceremony Nov. 5 celebrating research, extension and staff excellence at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Eloundou-Enyegue's scientific work addresses the implications of demographic change for socioeconomic development and inequality, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. A Cornell faculty member for the past 15 years, he is at the forefront of promoting science to influence global development policy, consulting with and advising international organizations. His emphasis on the importance of scientific evidence in shaping development policy exemplifies the qualifications for this award, said Kathryn J. Boor '80, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS.
"Parfait’s expertise at the nexus of science and policy is critically important as we try to understand the economic and equality implications of a global population expected to exceed 9 billion by the middle of this century," said Boor.
Much of Eloundou-Enyegue's research is policy-relevant, but it is his ability to translate scientific findings into action items that has led to numerous senior-level consultancies for a range of institutions, including the United States Agency for International Development and the World Bank, among others.
In 2017, at the United Nation’s General Assembly meeting, he was the only academic invited to speak on a high-level panel alongside several African presidents. Currently, he is part of a 15-member panel of scientists drafting the upcoming United Nations Sustainable Development report.
As part of this effort, he helped organize a May 11 held by the Polson Institute for Global Development. The event brought scholars and policy experts from across the globe to Cornell.
"Parfait is also dedicated to training the next generation of population scientists — both here at Cornell and around the world — to affect policy," said Boor.
She noted his work teaching large undergraduate courses, advising students, conducting his own research and serving as department chair. He also mentors graduate students from around the world through the Population Reference Bureau’s policy fellows program.
► Meet all of our 2018 Research, Extension and Staff Award winners
