The International Education Awards recognize outstanding faculty, staff and students for their commitment to international education. Awards are given at the annual International Honorary Reception during International Education Week in November.
Selection committees composed of individuals from across the university reviewed the nominations and decided award winners. Each recipient’s record of outstanding international contributions and accomplishments was recognized as worthy of distinction and inspiring to the students, staff and faculty of Georgia State.
Dr. Joyce E. King
Professor – Benjamin E. Mays Endowed Chair and Professor
Educational Policy Studies, College of Education and Human Development
Since 2004, Joyce E. King has been the Benjamin E. Mays Endowed Chair for Urban Teaching, Learning, and Leadership and Professor of Educational Policy Studies at Georgia State University, with affiliations in Africana Studies, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and the Urban Studies Institute. Her previous roles include Provost at Spelman College, associate provost at Medgar Evers College, CUNY, and associate vice chancellor at the University of New Orleans. She has also directed teacher education at Santa Clara University and led the Ethnic Studies Department at Mills College. King is renowned for her research in urban education and the sociology of education, including her influential concept of “dysconscious racism,” and her work has appeared in major publications like the Harvard Educational Review. She has lectured globally and served as a consultant on diversity transformation, while also being president of the board of Food First. And she recently co-edited an award-winning book, “We Be Lovin’ Black Children: Learning to Be Literate About the African Diaspora.” A past president of the American Educational Research Association and a recent National Academy of Education inductee, King’s leadership and scholarship emphasize innovative, culturally connected teaching and transformative leadership.
Learn more about Joyce E. King
Learn more about the Sheth Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
Emmanouil Androulakis
Charge d’affaires
Counsellor Embassy in Kiev
Mr. Androulakis is an accomplished diplomat and scholar with a rich background in international relations and cultural studies. He earned his B.A. in Balkan, Slavic, and Oriental Studies from the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2004, followed by mandatory military service in the Greek Army. Pursuing further academic excellence, he obtained an M.A. in Russian Language and Literature from the Pushkin State Institute of Russian Language in Moscow in 2008, and later graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2009. In 2020, he completed another M.A. in Anthropology at Georgia State University, with a thesis focused on the commemoration of independence wars in Greece and the USA. Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Russian and Ukrainian History at the University of Macedonia. Mr. Androulakis has a distinguished diplomatic career, including roles at the Greek Embassy in Tokyo, various departments within the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and as Deputy Head of Mission in Kazakhstan. He served as Consul in Atlanta and held significant positions in Greece before his current roles as Consul General in Mariupol and Chargé d’affaires in Kyiv. His contributions have been recognized with the Order of St. Nicholas and a Jubilee Medal. Fluent in Greek, English, Russian, Ukrainian, and French, he is married with two children and enjoys reading, music, and classical guitar.
Learn more about the Sheth International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
Ryan E. Carlin
Professor of Political Science
Director, Center for Human Rights and Democracy
Ryan E. Carlin is a Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Human Rights and Democracy at Georgia State University. He studies public opinion and political behavior from a cross-national perspective. As the co-founder of the Executive Approval Project, he seeks to understand what drives support for presidents and prime ministers worldwide. He is also a founding member of Team Populism, an international research group investigating the causes and consequences of populism. As a co-PI, he has won grants from USAID and NSF to investigate public attitudes toward transitional justice in the Colombian peace process as well as an NSF grant to examine how democratic publics hold leaders accountable in economic, public health, natural disaster, and security crises. Committed to teaching and mentorship, he leads “Pollitik,” an EPIC project lab that engages students in policy-relevant public opinion research. In Spring 2025, he will conduct a Virtual Exchange between Pollitik and a student lab in Chile. His international teaching experience includes stints in Hungary, Mexico, Spain, and Uruguay. He serves on the Directors’ Board of the Latin American chapter of the World Association for Public Opinion Research and co-edits its journal, Revista Latinoamericana de Opinion Publica. His consulting work includes the Latin American Public Opinion Project at Vanderbilt University, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Opinion Research. and the World Bank.
Learn more about Ryan Carlin
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Research & Scholarship
John Bunting
Principal Lecturer & Director of the Intensive English Program
Department of Applied Linguistics, College of Arts & Sciences
Dr. John Bunting is Principal Senior Lecturer in the Intensive English Program at Georgia State University. He is the director of GSU’s Intensive English Program, which includes academic English instruction for prospective Georgia State students, community English courses for immigrants and refugees in the Atlanta metropolitan area and ESL/EFL teacher training for educators locally and globally. His most recent book is Grammar and Beyond 4 (2021, 2nd ed., Cambridge University Press). John has worked extensively on international teacher training and other projects (funded by the U.S. Department of State and USAID) in Mexico, Russia, Qatar, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. In collaboration with the Office of International Initiatives and the College of Education and Human Development, he coordinates the IEP’s role with the Fulbright TEA (Teaching Excellence and Achievement) program, working with English teachers from around the world. For the past eight years, Dr. Bunting has worked with GSU’s College of Law on its innovative LLM (Master of Law) program for foreign-trained lawyers. He also created GSU’s Community English Program, which serves hundreds of Atlanta-area immigrants and refugees. He is on the boards of the Afghan American Alliance of Georgia (AAAGA) and the University and College Intensive English Programs Consortium (UCIEP).
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Teaching, Service, & Outreach
Erica Bass-Flimmons
Program Director: Propel Project
Dean’s Office: College of Education and Human Development
Dr. Erica Bass-Flimmons is a visionary leader in education, holding a PhD in Instructional Design and Technology. With a career dedicated to global engagement and transformative initiatives, she has significantly advanced educational opportunities and cultural understanding. Dr. Bass-Flimmons has played key roles such as Exchange Program Coordinator at Georgia State University and Project Director at the South African Foundation, where she led the development of a Technology Training Center in Soweto. Her research has made impactful contributions, particularly in maternal health in Ghana, where she studied the effects of mobile messaging on expectant mothers. She was awarded the Emory/GA Tech/Georgia State Healthcare Innovation Seed Grant for her work. In 2018, she founded AE Tours Education, focusing on educational and community development projects in Africa.
As co-founder of Young African Sisters and the SheSteam Summit, Dr. Bass-Flimmons continues to empower young girls and promote STEAM education. Currently, she serves as the Director of the PROPEL project at Georgia State University, where she leads innovative educational initiatives that inspire and uplift communities.
Learn more about the Staff Award for Global Engagement
Asha Freeman
Major: Political Science
School: College of Arts & Sciences
Asha Freeman is a Graduate Student majoring in Political Science. She obtained her Bachelor of Political Science with a minor in Korean Language and Culture at Georgia State University. With her knowledge of the Korean language, she studied abroad for a school year in Seoul, South Korea. She has always been passionate about student engagement, working both as a Resident Assistant and acting as a vocal member of the Study Abroad Alumni Ambassador program. She continues to work with students as a Graduate Advisor for the Fraternity and Sorority Life Office, ensuring that all students have the optimal college experience. In her free time, she likes to knit and bake treats for loved ones. She also loves to listen to all kinds of music.
Learn more about the Study Abroad Student of the Year Award
Roti Chakraborty
Dean’s Research Doctoral Fellow, Chan Zuckerberg Fellow
Major: PhD in Educational Policy Studies (Research, Measurement, & Statistics)
School: College of Education & Human Development
Home Country: Bangladesh
Learn more about the International Graduate Student of the Year Award
Yulduz Muradova
Major: Computer Science
School: College of Arts & Sciences
Country: Turkmenistan
Yulduz Muradova, originally from Turkmenistan, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Georgia State University.
After transferring from Indian Hills Community College, Yulduz has been actively involved with the Office of International Initiatives and has worked as a Resident Assistant, supporting international students, and fostering a welcoming environment at GSU.
Academically, she has consistently excelled, earning the Honor Hudson Scholarship and multiple accolades at hackathons. Her strong performance also led to her role as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant at GSU.
Yulduz is passionate about empowering women in STEM through her involvement with Girls Who Code. Her experience with CodePath has also been highly beneficial, enhancing her skills and knowledge in the field. She recently completed a Software Engineering internship at Microsoft, a significant milestone in her career. Her research project through the CiAre program at GSU won the Best Demo Award, contributing to her acceptance into Cornell University’s SONIC Research Program for summer 2024.
Outside of academics, Yulduz enjoys learning languages. Fluent in Turkmen, Russian, and English, and with spoken proficiency in Turkish, Yulduz is currently learning Spanish.
As she approaches graduation in December, Yulduz is eager to start her career in technology and explore new opportunities. She remains committed to global citizenship and diversity, excited to see where her academic and professional endeavors will lead her next.
Learn more about the International Undergraduate Student of the Year Award
