May 6, 2016

Margaret (Peggy) Bentley received the Bernard G. Greenberg Alumni Endowment Award, presented for excellence in teaching, research and service. The award was given by UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Bentley is a Carolina Population Center Faculty Fellow.

Here is an excerpt:

Bentley earned master’s and doctoral degrees in medical anthropology from the University of Connecticut and served on the faculty of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for 11 years, beginning in 1987. She joined the Gillings School faculty in 1998. In addition to serving as a fellow at the Carolina Population Center and as faculty director of the Duke-UNC Rotary Peace Center Fellows Program, she is associate director for the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases.

Her research focuses on nutrition for women and infants, infant and young child feeding, and community-based interventions for nutrition and health. She led a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation study in Africa that examined the nutrition outcomes of HIV-positive mothers and their infants, who were provided antiretroviral (ARV) therapy and a lipid-based nutritional supplement. She has lived and worked extensively in India and is a founding member of the advisory board of the Indo-U.S. Joint Working Group on Maternal and Child Health.

“Peggy is very dedicated to enriching the global experience of Gillings School students, both by increasing the number and diversity of international students coming to UNC-Chapel Hill, and in seeking funds to support experiences for U.S. students abroad,” her nominators wrote.

“She is especially well known and appreciated for bringing cultural perspectives to student’s research and practicum experiences, and in incorporating both qualitative and quantitative research to provide fuller understanding of health issues. She is an innovative and well‐regarded educator who has inspired many students, at all levels, to either pursue careers focused on global health or to incorporate global perspectives in their work. Peggy’s leadership, mentorship and dedication come with a warmth and caring that is a true gift to those who know her.”

The Greenberg Award was established by the School’s Alumni Association to honor Bernard G. Greenberg, PhD, founder and chair of the Department of Biostatistics (1947-1972) and dean of the School (1972-1982). The award is presented annually to an outstanding full-time faculty member for excellence in teaching, research and service.

Read the full story here.

Congratulations, Peggy!