Perimeter College Part of International Group Chosen for Nobel Peace Center Program

DECATUR, Ga. — Perimeter College at Georgia State University (GSU) is one of 16 schools selected internationally to receive the elite Partners in Peace (PiP) designation, a new recognition offered by a collaboration between the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) and the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway.

The PiP initiative recognizes NCHC member institutions, like GSU, for the achievements of honors students and faculty in creating, implementing and assessing curricular and co-curricular offerings that illuminate the works of esteemed Nobel Peace Prize recipients and Alfred Nobel, for whom the award is named.

Perimeter received its PiP designation in the curricular track, with three professors set to teach a course in fall of 2025, which will be designed around the history of Alfred Nobel, previous Nobel laureates and global conflict resolution.

Professor of English Deborah Manson, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Tami Thomas and Associate Professor of History Joe Bagley are Perimeter’s inaugural PiP faculty who, next year, will begin teaching a special topics honors section of Perspectives on Comparative Culture.

“We are honored to be selected for the inaugural Partners in Peace cohort,” said Barbara Johnson, dean of Perimeter College. “Our selection underscores the importance that Perimeter and Georgia State places on providing signature experiences for honors students, especially those that expose them to the world outside the classroom and beyond our campus.”

Lauri Goodling is Perimeter’s associate dean of the Honors College and associate dean of international initiatives at Georgia State. She said PiP will provide expanded experiences for faculty and students.

“Being a part of this elite cohort of institutions where we have access to the Nobel Peace Committee, students across the globe who are also engaging in this work as fellow Partners in Peace, as well as scholarship opportunities for study abroad in Sweden is an amazing opportunity for our students,” Goodling said.

“It will expose them to many high-impact teaching practices, meaningful learning and global competencies.”

PiP program administrators call the initiative transformational and one that inspires meaningful conversations about peace while fostering a spirit of dialogue, collaboration and learning. Honors College Dean Sarah Cook agrees.

“We are honored to receive the Partners in Peace recognition from the National Collegiate Honors Council and the Nobel Peace Center,” Cook said. “Our faculty at Perimeter College put forth an excellent proposal that will advance our students' understanding of the Nobel laureates and their impact on scholarship and peace. The Partners in Peace award aligns with existing programs in the Honors College and we are eager to see the fruits of this partnership.”