Congratulations, Dr. Perkins!
We are so proud to share that our board member, Dr. Elizabeth Perkins, is the 2022 recipient of the prestigious George S. Jesien Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)!
This award recognizes someone who has demonstrated a distinguished career of excellence and leadership in support of AUCD's mission to advance policy and practice for and with people living with developmental and other disabilities, their families and communities. Previous recipients include leaders in the disability field such as Gunnar Dybwad, the Kennedy family, and Justin Dart (who is considered the “Father of the Americans with Disabilities Act”).
Dr. Perkins shares, "I am honored and humbled to receive this award, especially when previous recipients are my personal heroes in the disability field. And how lovely that it bears George’s name, who retired the same year I was promoted to Associate Director at Florida Center for Inclusive Communities. I will be retiring next February after 36 years of a transatlantic multi-disciplinary clinical and academic career. My developmental disability and geriatric nursing experience in the UK grounded my academic career in psychology and gerontology in the USA. It’s one that I never imagined when I emigrated to the USA in 1998. You all embraced and elevated this disability professional with a disability, to have a platform, to have credibility, to have a voice that you listened to, to become a leader. And Effective leadership requires us to learn, listen, share, educate, mentor, and advocate – to break down barriers, to make progress, to make a difference."