1. Kansas State University
  2. »Division of Communications and Marketing
  3. »K-State Today
  4. »Celebrate 2016 International Education Week

K-State Today

November 16, 2016

Celebrate 2016 International Education Week

Submitted by Mary K. Pyle

Celebrate 2016 International Education Week at the International Education of the Year Awards Ceremony from 4–5:30 Thursday, Nov. 17, in the Hemisphere Room of Hale Library.

International Education Week, Nov. 14-18, is an opportunity to honor and recognize K-State campus leaders who work hard to provide international opportunities for our faculty, staff and students. The highlight of the week is the International Education of the Year Awards Ceremony where April Mason, K-State provost and senior vice president, and Marcelo Sabates, associate provost of international programs, will recognize and present the awards to deserving winners and honorees.

"International students on our campus increase diversity and enrich our classrooms with multiple perspectives,"  Sabates said.

The 2016 International Educator of the Year award will be presented to Terrie R. McCants. This award recognizes one faculty, staff, administrator or other member of the K-State community for major contributions and sustained commitment to advancing international education at K-State.

"McCants' international passion is evident in her unique study abroad initiatives: A Peace and Conflict in Northern Ireland, and a Sustainable Peace in Post-Apartheid South Africa," said Briana S. Nelson Goff, professor in the School of Family Studies and Human Services, who nominated her. "McCants is a truly engaged international scholar. She not only actively pursues her own international program interests, but facilitates the engagement of her students in ways that enhance their critical thinking skills, professional knowledge, and diverse global experiences."

The 2016 Outstanding Support for International Initiatives will be presented to the K-State College of Human Ecology because of its efforts in maximizing international engagement as a cornerstone of experiential learning offered to its students. The award, given by the Office of International Programs leadership team, was created in 2013 to recognize a K-State department that goes above and beyond in promoting international initiatives that serve the K-State global student body. Shawna Jordan, assistant dean, will accept the award.

"Dean of the College of Human Ecology John Buckwalter and his staff have established institutions around the globe to elevate partnerships and create study abroad opportunities in addition to have partnered with OIP on multiple initiatives," said Grant Chapman, Office of International Programs assistant provost for international administration. 

The 2016 Innovative Education Program of the Year to The Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) for its dedication in promoting Chinese language and culture in the United States and abroad with the worldwide establishment of Confucius Institutes. In 2012, Office of International Programs determined there were significant outside institutes/organizations that were adding value to efforts to globalize the K-State student body. 

K-State launched its Confucius Institute in April 2015 in partnership with China's Jilin University, which just celebrated its 70th anniversary. Max Lu, director of the KSU Confucius Institute and professor of geography, and Shijun Yan, associate director of Confucius Institute, will accept the award on behalf of the Hanban.

Marcellus Caldas, assistant provost for international faculty collaborations and education programs, will honor new 2016 International Collaboration awardees recognizing those K-State faculty, instructors and researchers who have collaborated in the form of co-publication or joint scholarly activity with an international partner for the first time during the 2015 calendar year.

"Additional award categories have been added each year as our internationalization efforts have expanded to reflect our university's elevated dedication to global initiatives," Caldas said.

Faculty recognized in this category include:

  • Bradley Behnke, College of Human Ecology's kinesiology department, for publication in collaboration with the Institute for Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
  • Zhoumeng Lin, Institute of Computational Comparative Medicine and College of Veterinary Medicine's anatomy and physiology department, for publication in collaboration with the Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, People's Republic of China.
  • Jon Mahoney, College of Arts & Sciences' philosophy department, for a publication in collaboration with the Department of Political Science at Kyrgyz National University, Kyrgyzstan.
  • David Poole, College of Human Ecology's kinesiology department, for a publication in collaboration with Department of Engineering Science, Bioscience and Technology Program, University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan.