Heifer International Receives 2023 Community Partner Award from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock

LITTLE ROCK, AR, May 15, 2023 — Heifer International has been awarded the 2023 Community Partner Award from the Department of Applied Communications at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The award recognizes Heifer International's commitment to partnering with the department’s faculty and students to promote social responsibility through positive communication.

The award comes after two recent collaborations between Heifer International and the university:

• Last month, the American Journal of Qualitative Research published a study on communication competency changes among women in Bihar, India, co-authored by Heifer and university staff.
• In November 2022, a group of university students and alumni underwent Heifer International’s cornerstones training — a values-based development training that forms the foundation of Heifer’s work in farming communities around the globe.

“We are honored to receive this award from the University of Arkansas,” said Mahendra Lohani, senior vice president of Asia programs at Heifer International. “At Heifer, we believe that sustainable development is simply not possible without a foundation of strong partnerships, and we are proud to collaborate with institutions like the University of Arkansas to build a more just and equitable world.”

The Community Partner Award was presented to Heifer International at a special ceremony on the University of Arkansas campus on May 11, 2023. The event included a keynote address attended by faculty, recent graduates and local community members.

“More and more, our work is designed to impact practice and social change,” said Dr. Julien Mirivel, professor of applied communication and chair of the department’s Building Bridges to the Community Committee. “We are inspired by Heifer's mission and appreciate the work being done to make a real difference in the lives of people around the world via education, collaboration and empowerment.”

The award was established by the Department of Applied Communication in 2018, and past winners include UAMS, Bridgeway Hospital, Immerse Arkansas and The CALL.

About Heifer International  

Since 1944, Heifer International has worked with more than 42.9 million people around the world to end hunger and poverty sustainably. Working with rural communities in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the United States, Heifer International supports farmers and local food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide a living income. For information, visit https://www.heifer.org.