Award ceremony recognizes internationalization at ECU
East Carolina University’s Global Affairs Office celebrated several milestones during International Education Week. The week was celebrated Nov. 18-22 and campus events included the Parade of Flags through campus, an international potluck and informational sessions.
One highlight of the week was the International Awards Ceremony. The event recognized faculty, staff and students for outstanding work in pursuing international opportunities.
“International education does so many things – it helps individuals develop life skills that are vital to today’s global economy, including adaptability and resilience. We all know that employers value international experiences. It signals to them an individual’s ability to work effectively across a wide range of environments. These experiences give our students a competitive advantage,” ECU Chancellor Philip Rogers said during his opening remarks.
At ECU, 1,100 students went abroad during the last academic year. The university’s virtual programs, including the Global Virtual Exchange, provided the opportunity for more than 500 students to engage with students at universities throughout the world.
Award recipient Dr. Tom Raedeke and presenter Dr. Anthony Kulas stand with Buddo and Rogers.
ECU’s Office of Global Affairs awards scholarships each year to assist students with the financial responsibilities of traveling abroad. The 15 recipients of the most prestigious global studies scholarship, the Rivers Foreign Exchange Scholarship, were recognized at the ceremony. Some of the recipients will use their scholarships to help fund a semester at the ECU Tuscany campus, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary. More than 1,500 students have taken advantage of ECU’s campus in Italy during its existence.
Bonnie Glass shakes Buddo’s hand as she accepts the award for Achievement in International Teaching with her colleague, Dr. Tammy Lee.
The faculty and staff International Award recipients were recognized for their efforts in research, use of virtual opportunities to engage students with experiences outside their own cultures, and work to ensure international students have a positive experience while at ECU.
Dr. Kim Larson, Dr. Tammy Lee and Bonnie Glass received the Award for Achievement in International Teaching. Larson, a College of Nursing faculty member, was recognized for creating ECU’s first study abroad program in Guatemala, which has impacted more than 150 students since it began 15 years ago. Larson received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award in 2023 to teach and conduct research on refugee health in Poland.
Lee and Glass, from the College of Education, developed eight unique study abroad programs focusing on the global environment that integrated field research, data collection, and conservation projects like coral reef restoration in the Dominican Republic and whale observation in Mexico.
The Award for Achievement in International Service and Engagement was presented to Dr. Loni Crumb, also from the College of Education. She has focused on improving access to mental health care and education in underserved and rural communities in Nigeria, Belize and Turkey.
Dr. Tom Raedeke and Dr. Xi Lin received the Award for Achievement in International Research. Raedeke is a faculty member in the College of Health and Human Performance and has received global recognition for research on athlete burnout assessment and its consequences. Lin has published 46 peer-reviewed articles and three books since 2018 on global higher education, international faculty, and students and online learning. She collaborates with colleagues worldwide emphasizing support of international women faculty. Lin is a College of Education faculty member.
Three international students were recognized for their service to the community and academic achievement. Kyra Hagge, an Integrated Coastal Studies doctoral student from Germany, and tennis teammates Martina Muzzolon, a College of Business undergraduate student from Italy, and College of Fine Arts and Communication graduate student Alisha Hussain from Denmark, were recognized with International Student Awards.
“We have more international students at ECU than any other time in university history,” said Dr. John Rezek, assistant vice chancellor for global affairs. “We had a 24% increase in undergraduate international student enrollment.”
Alisha Hussain accepts the Overall Outstanding International Student Award from Chancellor Rogers.
According to Rezek, the increases occurred due to strategic planning and outreach by the global affairs staff and the welcoming environment students discover at ECU.
Rogers also mentioned that Fulbright Scholars are well-represented throughout ECU’s faculty and staff this year. Mi-Sook Hur in the School of Art and Design and Dr. Marame Gueye, a professor in the Department of English, received Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program awards that provide resources needed to teach and conduct research abroad. Dr. Maciej Majka of Poland is ECU’s first Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence and is teaching a graduate-level physics course. Dr. Sarah Maness from the College of Health and Human Performance received the Fulbright Specialist Program award and will travel to Ecuador in January.
Other awards presented during the ceremony included:
Campus Internationalization Champion Awards
- Marion Eppler
- Greg Howard
- Annika Philippe-Auguste
- Mercedes Falquez
- Jonathan Lee
- Chase Wheaton
Study Abroad Photo Contest
- Makenna Allatt
- Rosemary Kopelwitz
- Gianna Provenzano
- Samuel Sewall