Deborah Pierce
A reception recognizing the Outstanding International Educator for 2007 and an appreciation luncheon for faculty members who lead study abroad trips are among the events that will highlight NIU’s celebration of International Education Week.
A joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, International Education Week will be celebrated on campuses nationwide from Nov. 12-16.
The annual International Recognition Reception will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center. The event is open to the public.
The Outstanding International Educator Award will be presented to an NIU faculty member who has contributed significantly to international education through his or her teaching, research, public service and student service. International Programs also will honor the department that has made the most significant contribution to the internationalization effort across campus.
Harold Kafer, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and Robert Self, acting associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will speak at the reception. Self, a Fulbright senior scholar who regularly leads study abroad programs to Ireland, was one of two recipients of the 2006 Outstanding International Educator Award.
New this year to International Education Week is an invitation-only luncheon to honor more than 30 faculty members who served as study abroad program directors last year and/or will be leading study abroad programs in the current academic year.
“These faculty members provide NIU students and the institution with a very valuable service by making experiences abroad available in a very user friendly environment,” said Deborah Pierce, executive director of International Programs. “For some students, studying abroad with a trusted NIU professor is the only way they would consider an international experience.”
Other highlights of International Education Week will include a panel discussion titled, “Beyond Hotel Rwanda: Peace Initiatives—Stories from the Field.” The discussion will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12, in the Fireside Room of Neptune Hall.
Panel members will include Professor Maylan Dunn-Kenney (Teaching and Learning), who will discuss peace-building in Nicaragua; Professor Andrea Molnar (Anthropology), who will talk about grassroots peace initiatives in East Timor and Southern Thailand; and graduate student Michael Tusime (Curriculum and Instruction), who will discuss peace efforts in Rwanda.
The week also will include an installment of the John A. Niemi International Lecture Series. Laurel Jeris, associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education, will present the lecture, titled “Two Eyes, Two Ears, and One Mouth: A Cultural-Outsider Reports on Women's Ways of Leading in Sri Lanka.” It will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, in Gabel Hall 126.
A full schedule of events for International Education Week is available online at http://www3.niu.edu/intl_prgms/intweek.htm.