Each year, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies recognizes organizations and individuals who have made notable contributions to promote mutually supportive approaches to common security issues in the Western Hemisphere. On Wednesday, September 25, 2019 the Perry Center held an award ceremony recognizing the individual and institutional recipients of the 2019 William J. Perry Award for Excellence in Defense Education.

Dr. Linda Castro Gainza, Undersecretary of Logistics at the State of Veracruz Secretariat for Public Security and the first woman to ever receive a PhD in Defense and National Security from the Centro de Estudios Superiores Navales (Center for Higher Naval Studies – CESNAV) won the individual category; the institutional recipient of the award was Peru’s Centro de Altos Estudios Nacionales – Escuela de Posgrado (Center for Higher National Studies – Postgraduate School – CAEN-EPG). The 2019 awardees have consistently demonstrated their commitment to fostering transparent and capable defense and security governance institutions, and to strengthening institutional capacity in the Americas.