Indianapolis — Accompanied by Imam Ismail Abdul-Aleem, Islamic Society of North America Secretary General Habibe Ali, Imam Michael Saahir, and Marion County Judge David Shaheed, Edward Curtis was awarded IUPUI’s Joseph T. Taylor Award for Excellence in Diversity at the February symposium dedicated to the memory of the School of Liberal Arts’ first dean.

Curtis was nominated for the award by Associate Dean of Engineering and Technology Prof. Razi Nalim–who is also the chair of the Muslim Alliance of Indiana–with support from Religious Studies Chair David Craig, Anthropology Chair Susan Hyatt, and Africana Studies Director Ronda Henry-Anthony.

The award citation was as follows: “Dr. Edward Curtis’ research and teaching focus on the cultural reach and complexity of Islam in international and American contexts. The diversity, broad program-development, and prolific scholarship demonstrate Dr. Curtis’ commitment to shattering stereotypes of Muslim communities and Islamic faith. Dr. Curtis’ leadership in Africana religions and African-American history has motivated a wide array of speaking invitations and opinion pieces, and inspired innovative programs promoting cross-cultural understanding of local religious immigrant communities. Dr. Curtis’ work helps provide a basis of intelllectual engagement essential to building a genuinely inclusive, respectful, multi-cultural community.”