(L to R) Boris Saavedra, Celina Realuyo, Howard White

On December 6, 2016, Perry Center Professors Celina Realuyo and Boris Saavedra and their SOCSOUTH colleague Howard White were decorated with the Colombian War College (ESDEGUE) Military Medal in Bogotá, Colombia. The award was conferred in recognition of their teaching and research contributions on transnational threats and support of ESDEGUE’s and the CREES’ (Regional Center for Strategic Security Studies) academic mission. The ceremony reflected the continued close collaboration between the United States and Colombian armed forces in promoting peace and prosperity in the region.