Dr. Jane Bertrand Receives The Marjorie C. Horn Award for Excellence in Operations Research

	Dr. Sarah Harbison, Chief of the Research, Technology and Utilization Division (RTU) in USAID’s Office of Population and Reproductive Health, presents the award to Dr. Bertrand. Source: Jeff Spieler/USAID

Dr. Jane Bertrand of Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) was awarded The Marjorie C. Horn Operations Research Award on May 29, 2008, by the Office of Population and Reproductive Health (PRH) at USAID. Given annually, the award honors contributions made by an individual for excellence in the implementation of operations and program research and/or utilization of research results for program improvement.

Dr. Bertrand is recognized for her expertise and leadership in the area of family planning, both in the academic and development spheres, and noted for her deep commitment to using evidence to improve programs delivered by both international and domestic organizations. During her 20-year tenure at Tulane University, Dr. Bertrand served as the Chair of the Department of International Health and Development, teaching and mentoring students in applied research, and monitoring and evaluation techniques, and conducted research in Guatemala and other Latin American countries. In the 1980s, Dr. Bertrand was the resident advisor for the Tulane Family Planning Operations research project in Kinshasa, Zaire. Numerous publications came out of that work, including research on several issues that still have real currency today. In 2001, Dr. Bertrand moved to the JHU Department of Population Dynamics and Health Sciences and in 2002, became the Director of the Center for Communication Programs, where she has continued to conduct crucial research on the impact of communication on programs.

In presenting Dr. Bertrand the award, Dr. Sarah Harbison, PRH's Chief of the Research, Technology and Utilization Division (RTU), said: "The contributions of Dr. Bertrand have provided the important connections between questions on how to improve programs on the ground, and what the best research methods are to answer those questions.”

The Marjorie C. Horn Award celebrates the former RTU Deputy Chief's life and the many contributions to the conduct and utilization of operations research for family planning programs around the world.