The 2020-21 recipient of the Ranck Prize for Research Excellence is Jeffery Long, Professor of Religious Studies and Asian Studies. The Professional Development Committee chose Long from nominations submitted by faculty peers. In addition to receiving a monetary award and a supplement to his professional development fund to support ongoing scholarly activity, Long will deliver remarks during the 14th annual Scholarship and Creative Arts Day on Tuesday, April 20, 2021.
“I am deeply grateful to receive this recognition from Elizabethtown College,” said Long. “Dr. John Ranck, for whom the award is named, is a good friend of mine and a colleague for whom I have always had the deepest respect. Receiving an award named after him is one of the best recognitions I could hope to receive.”
Congratulatory Statement from the 2020-2021 Ranck Prize Selection Committee:
Dr. Long is commended for his outstanding scholarship record, including the authorship of three books, two of which were published in 2020, Hinduism in America: A Convergence of Worlds and the second edition of Historical Dictionary of Hinduism. He also has written an astonishing number of scholarly articles, editorials, and blogs and edited or coedited several volumes on Hinduism. Not only is his high productivity impressive, but so too is the attention that his scholarship is garnering nationally and internationally. He has been invited to speak at a number of prestigious venues, including the University of Chicago, Yale University, Princeton University, and an interfaith conference in New Delhi. Of particular note, Dr. Long was invited three times to speak at the United Nations on Yogic Values, Reincarnation, and Ahimsa. Another highlight for Dr. Long was receiving the Hindu American Foundation’s Dharma Seva Award for promoting accurate and culturally sensitive portrayals of Hindu traditions in education and media.
About the Ranck Prize for Research Excellence:
Robert O. Kerr ’64 and Mary Ann Kerr ’64 established the Ranck Prize for Research Excellence as a permanent endowment to award a full-time faculty member of Elizabethtown College and to commend and celebrate excellence in research and commitment to his or her field of study. The prize honors John P. Ranck ’58, faculty member emeritus and former chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, for “his inspirational service to countless students at Elizabethtown College.”