The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation has picked its top brains for 2024, bestowing the title of Distinguished Scholar upon Javier Auyero, a sociologist from the University of Texas at Austin. Auyero has made a name for himself by delving into the tricky terrain of police and drug cartel relationships, a study he pursues to unravel the complex web of urban violence. Auyero's pick falls within a league of 14 scholars recognized for their critical insight into violence and its ramifications worldwide, according to The University of Texas at Austin, College of Liberal Arts.
"I am truly honored to be named one of 14 grantees in this year’s cohort of HF Guggenheim Distinguished Scholars. I will be researching the clandestine relationships between police agents, and drug traffickers and their impacts on the dynamics of urban violence," Auyero said in a statement obtained by the College of Liberal Arts at UT Austin.
Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at UT Austin, Ann Huff Stevens, expressed her excitement over Auyero's recognition, pointing out that "His work is an exceptional example of leading-edge thought and writing that uses ethnographic methods to understand and portray lives throughout Latin America along with the histories, cultures, and challenges that shape them." This nod from the Guggenheim Foundation serves as an endorsement of the sociological lens through which Auyero views the veins of violence pulsing in urban settings, as per the College of Liberal Arts at UT Austin.
