ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Mohan Dutta receives NCA Presidential Citation
The honor recognizes his leadership in advancing academic freedom.
-
Bhavana P - Tue, 14, Jul 2026
- 14:04 EDT
- 56
Mohan Dutta / Massey University
The National Communication Association (NCA), a US nonprofit association of academics in the field of communication, has honored Indian-origin academic and researcher Mohan Dutta with the Presidential Citation.
The citation honors Dutta's role as chair of the NCA's Academic Freedom and Tenure Task Force, which examined mounting challenges to academic freedom and developed recommendations to strengthen protections for scholars and academic institutions.
Dutta, a professor at Massey University, said the honor reflected the collective efforts of those committed to safeguarding the conditions necessary for research and knowledge creation.
Also read: Georgia Tech’s Vinayak Agarwal receives early career research award
"Recognition is meaningful only when it reflects service to a community and to values larger than oneself. This citation honours a collective labour of care for the conditions that make knowledge possible in these times of unprecedented attacks on academic freedom and tenure,” he said.
Appointed by then-NCA President Walid Afifi, Dutta led the six-member task force over two years. Its final report examined growing threats to academic freedom, including legislative restrictions affecting critical race theory, whiteness studies and scholarship on Palestine, while recommending stronger legal, institutional, union and disciplinary protections for researchers.
Dutta said one of the task force's greatest achievements was the collective resolve demonstrated throughout its work. "Academic freedom is defended by exercising it," he said.
The report also highlighted the importance of supporting scholars facing the greatest barriers to conducting research and pointed to a U.S. federal appeals court ruling striking down key higher education provisions of Florida's Stop WOKE Act as an example of the impact of coordinated legal advocacy.
Dutta said the work closely aligns with research undertaken at Massey University's Center for Culture-Centered Approach to Research and Evaluation (CARE), which focuses on empowering marginalized communities to shape knowledge and social change.
The Presidential Citation follows Dutta's selection to deliver the prestigious Carroll C. Arnold Distinguished Lecture in 2025, further recognizing his international leadership in communication research and academic freedom.
Founded in 1914, the NCA is the largest scholarly association for communication researchers and educators, representing thousands of members across the United States and internationally. The Presidential Citation recognises exceptional service to the association and the broader communication field.
Discover more stories on NewIndiaAbroad
Leave A Comment
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login