Vali Nasr (A '81, F '84), a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, has been selected by the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate as this year's recipient of the Light on the Hill Award, presented by the undergraduate student body to an alum who has excelled in his or her professional field.
The TCU Senate in conjunction with the Tufts University Alumni Association selects one recipient every year. The association has not yet notified Nasr of his selection, but plans to do so within the week. The award is contingent on Nasr's acceptance.
"The Light on the Hill award is the highest honor bestowed upon an alumnus by the Tufts student body. Nasr is an excellent choice for this award," Associate Director of Alumni Relations Jonathan Kaplan said in an e-mail.
After receiving two degrees from Tufts, Nasr earned his PhD in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1991.
He currently serves as the senior advisor to Richard Holbrooke, the United States' special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Senate almost unanimously chose Nasr, in part because it wanted to honor an academic this year, according to TCU President Brandon Rattiner and TCU Vice President Antonella Scarano, both seniors.
"Part of the reason we chose Nasr is because he is a big, bright star in the political community, and we haven't chosen a recipient for the Light on the Hill Award in academia in a while," Rattiner said.
Scarano agreed. "We want to recognize all fields, and Nasr's name was really the standout in academia," she said.
Scarano added that the professor's work struck a chord with senators. "Nasr is particularly relevant for today," she said. "When we brought the nominee list to the Senate, Nasr had great reception and a lot of support, especially because Tufts has such an international-educational feel."
Previous recipients of the Light on the Hill Award include actor Peter Gallagher (A '77), JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon (A '78) and former AmeriCorps director Deb Jospin (LA '80).
Nasr has authored various publications focusing on Middle Eastern affairs, including his most recent book, "Focus of Fortune: The Rise of a New Muslim Class and What it Means for Our World," published in September. The book discusses religious fundamentalism in the Middle East.
Nasr has previously worked as an adjunct senior fellow on the Council on Foreign Relations and as a professor and chair of research in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., and at the University of San Diego.
In collaboration with the Tufts University Alumni Association, the TCU Senate compiles and reviews the list of possible candidates for the award. The only official criterion for the award is to be a Tufts graduate who has excelled in a chosen professional field, Scarano and Rattiner said.
The TCU Senate and Alumni Association will continue working together to plan the marketing and logistics of the final award ceremony, which will take place in April, Kaplan said.
Nasr will receive a plaque, and will have his name added to the Light on the Hill plaque in the Mayer Campus Center.
Director of Public Relations at the Fletcher School Nathaniel Eberle lauded Nasr for his achievements.
"Distinguished as both a graduate and professor, Vali is an exemplary representative of The Fletcher School's global community," Eberle said in an e-mail. "He has become one of the leading voices of expertise in the area of Political Islam and his scholarship is helping shape attitudes for positive change."
