Walter F. Edwards, director of Wayne State’s Humanities Center and professor of linguistics, was recently honored as a recipient of the 2017 Guyana Cultural Association Exemplary Award in recognition of his “outstanding career in linguistics and the languages of Guyana’s indigenous people.”

Edwards received the honor during the Guyana Folk Festival last month in Brooklyn, New York. The 2017 honorees — representing Paraguay, Canada, Guyana and the United States — were recognized for their initiatives and accomplishments inspired by Guyanese traditions of creativity, distinctiveness and excellence.

Born in the South American country of Guyana, Edwards earned a bachelor’s in English at the University of Guyana; a master’s in linguistics in English language teaching at the University of Lancaster, England; and a Ph.D. in language and linguistics at the University of York, England. His research interests and publication topics include Guyanese Creole studies, African American vernacular English, the sociolinguistics of rap lyrics, and language and culture. 

Photo: Edwards (left) receives an award statuette from Riyard Insanally, Guyana's ambassador to the United States.