The Feinstein International Center is proud to announce the establishment of an annual award to honor the memory and legacy of Sabina Carlson Robillard. We are grateful for the alumni, faculty, staff, and friends who generously endowed this fund honoring Sabina in perpetuity.

Sabina passed away on November 16, 2022, after a long battle with cancer. Her passion for humanitarian work and advocacy for disaster-affected communities deeply touched and inspired the Friedman School and Tufts community.

The Sabina Robillard Student Prize will be awarded annually to a student in either the Masters of Science in Food and Nutrition Policy (with a concentration in humanitarian assistance) or the Masters of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance (MAHA) program. Recipients will embody Sabina’s drive and commitment for advocating for people in humanitarian crisis.

The impact of Sabina’s work resonated throughout her academic and professional journey. Sabina’s advocacy for localization, ensuring the involvement of local actors in disaster response, was central to her research at the Feinstein International Center and beyond.

In October 2022, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance drew upon Sabina’s research to issue a new policy committing to localization. Sabina also co-founded the Humanitarian Women’s Network and played a pivotal role in numerous community-driven initiatives in Haiti.

The Sabina Robillard Student Prize, to be presented at Commencement, honors Sabina’s life, research, work, and commitment to putting disaster-affected communities at the center of disaster response. We are deeply grateful for her contributions to the humanitarian field and honored to extend her legacy through this award.