Outstanding International Educator

The purpose of this non-monetary award is to recognize an NIU faculty member or a supportive professional staff (SPS) member who, over time, has significantly contributed to international education at NIU. The announcement of the awardee will be made at the International Recognition Presentation on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Holmes Student Center Sky Room.

If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Lindell at 815-753-9526 or slindell@niu.edu.

Eligibility and Criteria

Staff members of the Division of International Affairs are not eligible for this award.

The award recipient will have made sustained contributions over time to the enhancement of international education at NIU through teaching, research, artistry, public service, and/or student service efforts. Not every nominee will have done something in every category.  Recipients will have made a lasting contribution by a combination of efforts such as:

  • Influencing the internationalization of the curriculum
  • Teaching courses with significant international content to large numbers of students
  • Offering active and sustained involvement with NIU Study Abroad Programs: teaching courses abroad, advising students about study abroad, engaging returned student abroad participants in their classes
  • Offering active and sustained involvement with international students and scholars at NIU: advising, mentoring, or hosting international students, working with international student organizations, assisting the International Student & Scholar Services Office in their work with international students
  • Demonstrating significant involvement with international exchange or training programs, including hosting international visitors and scholars
  • Evidencing active and sustained international activity in research or artistry
  • Providing continued contributions toward multicultural understanding

Nomination Process

  • Outstanding International Educator Nomination Form (nominees can self-nominate)
  • Abbreviated CV (up to five pages, may be in NIH, NSF, or other bio sketch format; emphasize signature international teaching, research, artistry, and service, such as courses, study abroad, advising, hosting, and volunteering; publications, patents, performances, exhibits, and similar professional activities (e.g., books, book chapters, proceedings, refereed articles, monographs, presentations, exhibits, performances, inventions); and internal and external funding during the last three to five years
  • Up to four attachments that describe the nominee’s contribution to international education

The nomination deadline is 4:30 p.m. Friday, October 31, 2025.

Nomination Form

Selection Procedure

A Selection Committee established by the Division of International Affairs will review the nominations and select award recipients. The selection committee will notify nominators of the selection outcome before the beginning of International Week, November 17, 2025. All nominees for the award will be invited to the International Recognition Reception during International Education Week, when the award will be announced.

Past Award Recipients

Year Recipient
2024 E. Taylor Atkins, Department of History
2023 Jeanette Rossetti, School of Nursing
2022 Rhodalyne Gallo-Crail, World Languages and Cultures and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies
2021 James Cohen, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
2020 Purushothaman Damodaran, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
2019 Kheang Un, Ph.D., Department of Political Science
2018 Jui-Ching Wang, Ph.D., School of Music
2017 Eric Jones, Ph.D., Department of History and Center for Southeast Asian Studies
2016 Ismael Montana, Ph.D., Department of History
2015 Abu Bah, Ph.D., Department of Sociology
2014 Trude Jacobsen, Ph.D., Department of History and Center for Southeast Asian Studies
2013 Catherine Raymond, Ph.D., Center for Burma Studies and Department of Art History
2012 Jeffrey Chown, Ph.D., Department of Communication
2011 Christopher M. Jones, Ph.D., Department of Political Science, University Honors
2011 Prof. Jon Ashmann, School of Art
2010 J. D. Bowers, Ph.D., Department of History
2009 Gabriel Holbrook, Ph.D., Department of Biological Sciences
2008 Daniel Kempton, Ph.D., Department of Political Science
2007 Dan Weilbaker, Ph.D., Department of Marketing
2006 Robert Self, Ph.D., Department of English
2006 Jorge Jeria, Ph.D., Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education
2005 Dwight King, Ph.D., Department of Political Science
2005 Madan Annavarjula, Ph.D., Department of Management
2004 Gene Roth, Ph.D., Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education
2003 Susan Russell, Ph.D., Department of Anthropology
2002 Tanuja Singh, Ph.D., Department of Marketing
2001 Ladd Thomas, Ph.D., Department of Political Science
2001 Kuo-Huang Han, Ph.D., School of Music

Contact Us

Division of International Affairs
Williston Hall 406
815-753-9526
slindell@niu.edu