Charles and Nora L. Wiley Award for Meritorious Research and Creativity
Elizabeth Rink
Elizabeth Rink, professor in the Department of Human Development and Community Health in the College of Education, Health and Human Development, is the recipient of this year’s Charles and Nora L. Wiley Award for Meritorious Research and Creativity in Health, Education and Business. The award, which recognizes significant achievements and activity in research, is sponsored by the Wiley family and Office of Research and Economic Development and comes with a $2,000 honorarium.
Since coming to MSU in 2006, Rink has focused her research on the individual, psychological, social, cultural and environmental determinants of sexual and reproductive health among Indigenous populations in Montana and the Arctic. During that time, her research has been funded by the U.S. Office of Population Affairs, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, among others. From 2020-2023 and 2024-2026, she was a co-lead scholar for two groups of the Fulbright Arctic Initiative, a flagship science diplomacy and cross-cultural exchange program between the Arctic Nations that brings together scholars in multiple disciplines to address research and policy issues related to Arctic security, climate change and health.
Rink’s research has been recognized not only for its outstanding scholarly merit but also for having significant and long-lasting benefits for partner communities. She is also recognized for having developed transformative approaches to community-based participatory research methods and practices for establishing equitable partnerships and conducting ethical research.
“Dr. Rink is a phenomenal scholar whose work is critically acclaimed both for scholarly achievement and for tremendous impact within her research communities,” wrote Mary Miles, associate dean of research in the College of Education, Health and Human Development, in a letter nominating Rink for the award. “She has garnered respect and appreciation from her community partners, validation from the scientific community in the form of awards, honors, and external funding, and the impact of her work is having a lasting, positive impact on the lives of people within communities.”