Dr. René Harder Horst, the I.G. Greer Distinguished Professor of History in App State’s Department of History, received the 2020 Faculty Global Leadership Award. He has served in the department since 2000.

Horst, whose area of focus is Latin American topics, has directed multiple master’s and undergraduate theses, including two by Honors College students, and has presented numerous papers and public lectures. His many publications include monographs, book chapters and journal articles.

One of Horst’s award nominators and colleagues recognized him for “bringing awareness to — and greater appreciation for and the acceptance of — people of Hispanic/Latino heritage here at Appalachian.”

Horst has served the Appalachian Community through multiple roles, including vice president of App Unidos, the university’s faculty and staff Hispanic/Latinx organization, and co-organizer of multiple on-campus Latin American film festivals.

Additionally, Horst was instrumental in organizing the 4th Annual University of North Carolina Hispanic/Latino Forum at App State in 2015, a conference that, according to one of Horst’s award nominators, essentially put App State on the map for Hispanic/Latinx employees in the UNC System.

The 2020 Staff Global Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Brian MacHarg, director of academic civic engagement at App State. MacHarg has led multiple training sessions in other countries for faculty who are interested in developing service-learning study abroad classes.

According to one of his award nominators, “Brian’s resume is impressive, but his skill, passion and genuine belief in the importance of global citizenship are the true keys to his effectiveness. He approaches international work with grace, knowledge and critical self-reflection.”

MacHarg serves as co-director of App State’s six-week Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute, which has brought 25 emerging civic engagement leaders from Africa to the university’s campus each year for the past four years. While at App State, the fellows develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaboration with U.S. professionals.

Additionally, MacHarg works with App State faculty to support the integration of service-learning and other forms of experiential education into the curriculum. He teaches classes on service-learning and civil discourse and has taught numerous courses abroad.

Senior Alan-Joshua Carrasco, who is double majoring in global studies and political science–international and comparative politics, received one of two 2020 Student Global Leadership Awards. Carrasco, of Durham, is minoring in Arabic, as well as Judaic, Holocaust and peace studies.

Carrasco, who has studied abroad in Morocco, helped found App State’s Multicultural Greek Council and its Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino fraternity. He is a leading member of both the International Relations Association, a student club dedicated to the appreciation and increased understanding of world events and international organizations, and International Appalachian (INTAPP) — a student-led organization committed to globalizing the App State campus and community by creating cross-cultural experiences for everyone.

He also serves as the 2020–21 president of App State’s Peace and Genocide Education Club, which helps expand the reach of and student involvement in the university’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies by organizing events such as panel discussions and film screenings.

“Carrasco has an amazing passion and commitment to global understanding and social justice — he is an extraordinary human being,” said one of Carrasco’s award nominators.

Alexa Dudash, a senior exercise science major from Annville, Pennsylvania, was presented with one of two 2020 Student Global Leadership Awards.

Through her involvement in INTAPP, Dudash has worked to develop a global mindset among App State students, faculty and staff by assisting in the creation of cross-cultural experiences for the entire campus community. Dudash joined the organization in fall 2016 and has been actively involved ever since, serving as INTAPP’s president during the 2019–20 academic year.

Dudash put her INTAPP leadership into action when the COVID-19 pandemic affected campus operations in March, rallying INTAPP members to continue meeting online. Additionally, with only three weeks’ notice, she worked to reconfigure INTAPP’s largest annual event — a 5K race fundraiser for a study abroad scholarship — into a virtual event.

One of her award nominators said, “Working with Alexa is a delight because she works hard, inspires others, brings great ideas to the table, is productive and makes the experience enjoyable for all.”