On Wednesday, March 21 the 2012 International Awards Ceremony was held where Naoko Wake won the John K. Hudzik Emerging Leader Award for Advancing International Studies and Programs at MSU.

Naoko Wake is a visiting assistant professor of history, philosophy and sociology of science in Lyman Briggs College. An outstanding scholar and well-respected teacher, Wake is an active contributor to a variety of international programs including Asian Studies and the Center for Gender in a Global Context.

Wake is the rare scholar who is truly able to engage in international, interdisciplinary and cutting-edge research. Her first book, Private Practices, looks at American liberalism and scientific attitudes toward homosexuality in the first half of the 20th century. Working at the intersection of gender, culture, science and sexuality, Wake’s research is so well regarded that she was the runner-up for the Pressman-Burroughs Wellcome Award of the American Association for the History of Medicine.

Wake’s second major research project analyzes the experiences and memories of Japanese, Korean and American survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This work highlights her versatility as a scholar and ability to work on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, drawing upon her linguistic and anthropological skills.

Wake’s teaching also reveals a commitment to international perspectives, social justice, and critical thinking and analysis. Perhaps the best example of this is a lecture series she organized, titled “Health, Sex, and Feminism in the Trans-Pacific World.” This series drew scholars from Northwestern University, the University of California and Indiana University (among others) to MSU. This gave students the opportunity to interact with a unique mix of world-class scholars. The series also helped build bridges across a wide range of disciplines and programs across campus and the U.S.

Naoko collaborates with faculty across the university and has a passion for promoting international studies, comparative analysis and critical thinking. It is these qualities along with a dedication to internationalizing the campus that make Naoko Wake an exceptional choice for the 2012 John K. Hudzik Emerging Leader Award.