NAFSA International Education Award for Leadership and Collaboration

The award is open to international educators worldwide. To be eligible for the Award for Leadership and Collaboration, a nomination must show the following: 

• The nominee has at least 15 years of experience in international education, an appreciable portion of which should be in policymaking positions in organizations or institutions with a recognized role in international educational exchange.  
• The nomination clearly demonstrates the nominee’s documented contributions in at least two of the following areas:  
  • Fostering collaborative relationships among individuals and organizations within or outside the United States, leading to greater opportunities for educational exchange participants or practitioners 
  • Conceptualizing, initiating, and managing international education programs of a significant scale 
  • Helping practitioners with diverse ideas and approaches to reach agreement on new or improved international education programs 
  • Mentoring of younger professionals, helping them advance in their careers in international education 
  • Acknowledgment by peers as an important contributor to transformational program and policy development in the field of international educational exchange 

• Nominees need not be NAFSA members. 

• The primary nominator must be a current NAFSA member.
• Nominations must be supported by two additional letters of support. Letters of support may be from NAFSA members or from non-members.
• Individuals may not self-nominate. 
• The nomination process is confidential. 
• As recommended by the NAFSA Board of Directors, no more than one name shall be put forth each year for the Award for Leadership and Collaboration. 
• If not selected, the nomination will carry over for two years for consideration as long as the nominee remains eligible for the award. 
• Nominations that do not comply with the award criteria or nomination procedures will not be considered.

The awardee will receive:

• Complimentary registration to attend NAFSA Annual Conference to receive their award
• Recognition on stage during a NAFSA Annual Conference plenary, with reserved audience seating for the awardee and two designated guests
• Acknowledgement on Circle of Excellence signage at the NAFSA Annual Conference and on the NAFSA website
• A video interview to be hosted on the NAFSA website
• An invitation to the NAFSA Appreciation Reception for the awardee and two designated guests
• An opportunity to review Shared Interest proposals for a future annual conference
• A framed recognition plaque to display at their home or office
• An invitation to write a NAFSA blog post on their connections to international education, NAFSA leadership, etc.

Listed below are the past recipients of the International Education Award for Leadership and Collaboration with their professional affiliations at the time of the award presentation.

• David Levin, U.S. Deportment of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (2019)
• Shelby Lewis, Clark Atlanta University (2018)
• Ally Calhoun Mack, Jackson State University (2016)
• M. Peter McPherson, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) (2016)
• Scott Stevens, University of Delaware (2015)
• Mary Sue Coleman, University of New Mexico (2014)
• Julia Chang Bloch, U.S.-China Education Trust (USCET) (2001)
• Zuhair A.G. Humadi, Higher Committee for Education Development (HCED), Government of Iraq (2010)
• Caroline Matano Yang, Fulbright Program (2009)
• Ward Chamberlin, American Field Service (2008)
• Christian Bode, German Academic Exchange Service (2007)- Read Bode's acceptance speech
• Humphrey Tonkin, University of Hartford (2006)
• Harriet Fulbright, Fulbright Program (2005)
• Alice Stone Ilchman, Jeannette K. Watson Fellowships (2004)
• Axel Markert, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (2004)