An international society championing female educators has honored Duke Kunshan University’s Dr. Renee Richer as a Woman of Distinction for her inspiring work as a scientist, researcher, professor and author.
The associate professor of biology was also recognized as a “remarkable, dedicated, caring person who is always willing to help others”.
The 2023 title was awarded by the Beta Sigma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG), an honorary international society promoting the professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education.
“I am so honored to receive this award from my teaching colleagues,” Richer said.
“Being a member of DKG has provided me with an important network of support, especially while teaching during COVID.
“The wisdom, drive and impact of these women are amazing. They are so inspiring in what they do to support education in the community, regionally, nationally and globally.
“At a time when the world is changing so much, in all respects, there are few things more important than education.”
As well as the award, Richer was invited to speak at DKG’s International Conference in Detroit on the internationalization of education, where she explored changing demographics in the United States and its impact on primary and secondary teachers, as well as international partnerships, branch campuses and joint ventures within the education system.
Richer’s scientific work centers around physiological ecology with particular emphasis on the impacts of climate change including its effects on human health.
One of her major research areas has been exploring the links between human exposure to cyanobacterial neurotoxins and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
She studies plants, animals and microbial communities extensively, focusing on semi-arid to hyper-arid environments. Last year, she published “Hidden Beauty”, a book on the flora of Qatar.
Also in 2022, Richer won the Undergraduate Faculty Teaching Award at Duke Kunshan, as voted for by students.
She was chosen to deliver the faculty address for the Duke Kunshan Commencement Ceremony 2023, using her own experience of overcoming her fear of conducting fieldwork in the wild with bears to inspire students to break out their comfort zone.
Richer has a B.A. in biology with honors from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Before joining Duke Kunshan, she taught at Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar and the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay.
