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Book Penned by Rensselaer Professor Kim Fortun Wins Anthropology Prize
 The American Ethnological Society (AES) has awarded Kim Fortun, associate professor of science and technology studies and associate dean of research and graduate programs in Rensselaer’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the organization’s Sharon Stephens Prize for her book titled Advocacy After Bhopal: Environmentalism, Disaster, New Global Orders (University of Chicago Press, 2001). The Sharon Stephens Prize recognizes a junior scholar’s first book “that speaks to contemporary social issues with relevance beyond the discipline and beyond the academy.”
“We are thrilled that the AES has recognized Dr. Fortun with such a notable award,” said John Harrington, dean of humanities and social sciences. “Not only does the Sharon Stephens Prize bring great prestige to Dr. Fortun and Rensselaer’s science and technology studies (STS) programs, it also highlights the growing recognition that STS-related research is receiving in anthropological circles.”
Advocacy After Bhopal investigates the infamous 1984 explosion of the Union Carbide chemical plant in Bhopal, India, and the resulting litigation. In the book, Fortun examines the effects of the disaster on subsequent legislation, environmental advocacy, and how people think about social responsibility in both India and the United States. She also explores the experiences and diverse perspectives of victims, health-care providers, lawyers, corporate executives, and environmental justice activists.
“I am very honored to be awarded this prize for Advocacy After Bhopal,” Fortun said. “Anthropologists continue to produce exemplary analyses of cultural diversity, social stratification, and globalization, so recognition from them for my book is a special honor. I am also pleased that anthropologists are recognizing the importance of studying the cultural dimensions of science and technology.”
The AES identifies itself as the oldest professional anthropological organization in the United States and an offshoot of the American Anthropological Association (AAA). Founded in 1842 to encourage research in the emerging field of ethnology, its goal has been to foster “inquiries generally connected with the human race.”
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