Anne Cafer, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology at the University of Mississippi, received the Donald W. Littrell New Professional Award from the Community Development Society during its 50th-anniversary conference at the University of Missouri. The award is presented to a CDS member in recognition of his or her superior contributions to the field of community development and the society.
As an emerging leader in the community development field, Dr. Cafer combines research, teaching, and on-the-ground practitioner work in both the Mississippi Delta and several African countries. She is thereby able to build, test, and elaborate theories of social change and development using multiple methods and approaches.
“It is such an honor to receive such an award named after a scholar and practitioner with a legacy like Donald Littrell,” Dr. Cafer said. “It was particularly poignant to receive the award on the 50th anniversary of the organization and at the institution where I earned my Ph.D.”
Dr. Cafer is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and another bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in biochemistry. She holds a master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Ph.D. in rural sociology from the University of Missouri.