Senior Fellow Awards

In 2006, HIA Board Chair Emeritus Neil Karbank and his family established the Barney A. Karbank Memorial Award and the Dr. Louis Rabineau Award to recognize outstanding leadership by HIA Fellows and Senior Fellows. Each of the $1,000 awards is given to one American Senior Fellow and one European Senior Fellow.

Barney A. Karbank Award Recipients

Hiske Aarts (HIA 2001)
Anna-Delia Papenberg (HIA 2007)
Jesper Packert Pedersen (HIA 2002)
Marietje Schaake (HIA 2003)

Dr. Louis Rabineau Award Recipients

Owusu Akoto (HIA 2003)
Zachary Kaufman (HIA 1999)
Michael Kunichika (HIA 1999)
Emmanuelle Lawrence (HIA 2006)

 
About Barney A. Karbank and Dr. Louis Rabineau

Barney A. Karbank (1924-2005) embodied the qualities of personal dignity, self-reliance and hard work. He was a self-taught and self-made professional real estate investor, yet he generally attributed his success to luck and to the kindness and assistance of others. He was an uncanny judge of character and he assessed people’s worth on the basis of their acts and deeds, regardless of their background, race, gender or religion. Mr. Karbank was an early sponsor of Humanity In Action, and he supported HIA’s mission of protecting those who are the most vulnerable to persecution; while he suggested that this was largely government’s role, he also believed that protecting the vulnerable largely depended on the independent judgment and selfless acts of courageous individuals. He was enormously devoted to his family, and he believed that the primary function of any family, and any well-functioning group, is aiding and protecting every member of the group. Mr. Karbank was known to be exceedingly cautious, reflective and methodical in his work and yet within the last weeks of his life he asserted, as a fundamental principle, “Don’t be afraid to take risks.”

Dr. Louis Rabineau holds a commitment to the defense of human rights that was profoundly influenced by his army service in World War II, when he visited Buchenwald concentration camp shortly after its liberation. He brings this commitment to his life-long efforts to improve education for all. As the Chancellor of Higher Education for the State of Connecticut, Dr. Rabineau established the first statewide talent search in higher education for minorities; a higher education plan addressing the needs of the physically handicapped; and a statewide program to train teachers of teachers. As President of the College of the Atlantic, he promoted social and environmental responsibility, adding programs in international affairs, environmental studies, and public service.