School of Business honors Antara Singh with IAPP Westin Scholar Award

ATLANTA — Mercer University graduate Antara Singh has been named the School of Business’ 2024 International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Westin Scholar.

With the growing need for well-qualified privacy and data protection professionals, the annual Westin Scholar Awards were created by the International Association of Privacy Professionals to support students who are identified as future leaders in the field of privacy and data protection.

Singh was selected by Jordan “Jody” Blanke, Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, to receive the award in recognition of her outstanding performance in Blanke’s course “Legal and Ethical Issues Affecting Big Data.” Singh graduated in December 2023 with a Master of Science in Business Analytics.

“Antara’s work was exceptional,” Blanke said. “She is an extremely worthy recipient of the award, and I am hopeful that she will continue with her interest in privacy law and policy.” 

Singh is the third School of Business student to receive this international award in the past four years. Fred Walker, a Master of Accountancy graduate, was Mercer’s first recipient of this award in the inaugural class of 2021. 

“The industry of privacy is fast growing and constantly evolving,” said J. Trevor Hughes, IAPP president and CEO. “We’ve created this award as a way to put the privacy profession at the forefront of students’ minds as they explore potential career opportunities.”

Singh, from Hyderabad, India, earned a Bachelor in Commerce Degree from Osmania University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Accounting from Amity University. She worked for Deloitte for several years and earned her CPA certification. 

“Coming from a family where education has always been paramount, I’ve witnessed firsthand the unwavering dedication of my parents towards providing me with the best opportunities,” said Singh. “My family has instilled in me the importance of being independent and self-reliant, values that have propelled me to where I am today.” Singh added that Mercer University was “key in my education, giving me a supportive place to learn and follow my interests.”

About the Westin Scholar Award

The Westin Scholar Awards pay homage to the late Dr. Alan Westin, a foundational voice in the field of privacy and data protection. Throughout his life, Dr. Westin researched and wrote about privacy, data protection, digital identity and the future of how societies will deal with issues at the intersection of law and technology. He is the namesake for the IAPP Westin Research Center and Fellowship Program, which was founded in 2013 and serves as a pathway for future leaders in the community. For more information on the Westin Scholar Award, please visit: https://iapp.org/westin-research-center/higher-education/.

About the School of Business

Established in 1984, Mercer’s School of Business is named for Eugene W. Stetson, a 1901 Mercer graduate and business pioneer who leveraged the first major buyout in corporate history, and his grandson Robert F. (Bob) Hatcher, a Macon businessman, longtime supporter, trustee and former board chair for the University. Over the past 80 years, Mercer has granted over 12,000 business degrees, and many of its graduates hold senior leadership positions in companies around the world. Mercer’s business school delivers career-focused business education in order to develop innovative leaders who are responsible global citizens. It holds accreditation from the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which places it among the top five percent of all top business schools worldwide. Mercer’s business school has been recognized by The Princeton Review for “Greatest Opportunity for Minority Students” and “Greatest Opportunity for Women” as well as being one of its “Best Business Schools.” In addition, it has been recognized among the “Top 15 Schools in the Nation for Marketing and Accounting.” The School offers the following programs: Atlanta (Evening and Online BBA, Full-Time (Day) MBA, Evening MBA, Online MBA, Master of Accountancy, M.S. in Business Analytics), Macon (Traditional BBA, Evening MBA, Health Care MBA, and Innovation MBA), Henry County (Evening BBA). For more information, visit business.mercer.edu.