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 during International Education Week.

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

We encourage individuals to nominate deserving colleagues and units for awards. Once a nomination is received, the nominee, whether an individual or unit, will be notified and invited to collaborate with the nominator in preparing and submitting the supporting materials required for committee review and consideration.

• Outstanding International Award Nomination Form (nominees can self-nominate)
• An InfoReady link will be supplied to complete the submission process.
• 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. Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

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 16, 2026. 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
2025	Chih-Chen Lee, Department of Accountancy
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