International Educator Award
University Award for Advancing the International Mission of Kansas State University
Purpose: This award was established by the Provost to recognize an individual who has contributed to advancing international education at Kansas State University.
Award: One person is announced each fall during International Education Week and recognized at the all University awards the following spring. The recipient receives a plaque and a $1,000 honorarium.
Criteria: Faculty, staff, administrators, or other members of the K-State community may be honored for major contributions and sustained commitment to advancing international education at K-State. Major contributions may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following criteria:
- Developing innovative programs to advance international education within a unit or the university;
- Recruiting students, faculty, and staff from outside the United States;
- Mentoring international students, faculty, and staff;
- Developing and implementing learning activities that prepare U.S. students for a diverse and global society;
- Integrating international education into the curriculum;
- Providing opportunities for professional development and international experiences for faculty and staff;
- Developing activities that support partnerships with international institutions, visiting scholars, and guest lecturers from universities abroad;
- Contributing to scholarship in an international context
Nomination / Application Process: Anyone may nominate a person to be recognized. Nominations are accepted from August 1st through September 30th each year and must be submitted electronically to the Office of International Programs oip@ksu.edu. Nominations will remain active for a total period of two consecutive years. At the time of the nomination, the nominator may update the application, ask for the nomination to remain active with no update, or withdraw the application. The updated nomination may include a new letter of nomination to replace the old one or a new/updated curriculum vitae.
Requirements of Nomination:
- Cover letter describing in detail why the nominee is deserving of the award (no more than three pages maximum for cover letter)
- Curriculum vitae of the nominee
- Two additional letters of support from individuals connected to the university who can attest to the nominee's contributions (no more than three pages maximum for each letter of support)
Selection Committee: The selection committee will consist of past International Educator awardees, and staffed by Office of International Programs personnel.
For more information: Contact Marcellus Caldas at the Office of International Programs by e-mail caldasma@k-state.edu.
The recipient of the award will be announced in November and recognized at the all University Awards Ceremony the following spring.
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Awardees
| Mona Menking |
Director Office of Global Education Outreach, College of Education |
2023 Awardee |
| Anna Marie Wytko |
Professor - Saxophone, Chamber Music School of Theatre, Music and Dance, College of Arts and Sciences |
2022 Winner |
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"Receiving the International Educator of the Year Award is a true honor," Wytko said. "It is a privilege to work with students from different parts of the world and to share the gift of teaching music in a variety of performance settings. I always find myself inspired by the students who I have the pleasure of teaching. Mentoring a wide range of students from unique cultural backgrounds with the development of their own diagnostic skills often challenges me to refine my own thinking about pedagogical performance approaches. A studio music setting is not limited to the learning that takes place for the student; rather, this setting, at least in the manner that I perceive it, provides learning opportunities for me as the professor. The development of effective strategies for music problem solving and performance interpretation is exciting, joyful, and highly contagious. My international teaching and performing experiences have exposed me to new, diverse music and methodologies which I then get to share with all of my students at Kansas State University. Teaching music has the ability to enrich one's soul, which is something for which I am most grateful to experience on international, national, and local levels with all of my students." One international student nominator said, "As a graduate teaching assistant, Dr. Wytko's mentorship has provided me with meaningful opportunities for professional and personal growth. The outstanding professionalism and engagement with which Dr. Wytko conducts her teaching and other professional work have taught me so much about what it means to be a professional educator and person." Internationally, Wytko has performed and taught extensively throughout North, Central and South Americas and Europe. She regularly travels outside the United States for international teaching, recording and performing residencies. Another nominator said, "She is very highly sought after nationally and internationally as a solo and guest clinician in this extraordinarily competitive specialty of saxophone." "Dr. Wytko has many examples of contributions to international education at Kansas State University," said Marcellus Caldas, assistant provost of international collaboration and educational programs in the Office of International Programs. "She is a rising star in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and an example of dedication to our students." |
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| James (Jim) Drouillard |
Professor, Department Animal Science and Industry, College of Agriculture |
2021 Winner |
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"I am truly honored to receive the International Educator award," Drouillard said. " Working with international students has been one of my great pleasures over the past 26 years as a professor at K-State. These students have been among the best and brightest in our program, and I am inspired by their work ethic, perseverance, adaptability, and willingness to uproot themselves from the comfort of family and friends to experience new challenges and different cultures. Importantly, these students also can have a palpable impact on our domestic student population, disarming cultural barriers and cultivating tolerance, admiration, and mutual respect. In so doing they forge friendships that last a lifetime. Simply stated, they make Kansas State University a better place." |
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