Georgia State University is proud of its global champions: the faculty, staff, students, and alumni who embody what it means to be a global citizen and who work to advance international understanding across campus and around the globe.
In 2012, Georgia State University began recognizing exemplary faculty, staff, international students, and study abroad students for their commitment to international education. In 2018, the Sheth Awards were established to recognize one distinguished faculty member and one exceptional international alumnus or alumnae for their achievements.
2023
Dr. Paul A. Lombardo
Regents’ Professor and Bobby Lee Cook Professor of Law
Center for Law, Health & Society
Paul A. Lombardo is a lawyer and historian who served from 2011-2016 as a senior advisor to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. Lombardo has published extensively on topics in health law, medico-legal history, and bioethics and is best known for his work on the legal history of the American eugenics movement. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and has taught, lectured and done research at dozens of universities in the United States and in Italy, Russia, Pakistan, India, Austria, the Netherlands, England, and Canada.
In 2023, Lombardo was named Distinguished Professor of Bioethics and Law, by the Sindh Institute of Medical Sciences in Karachi, Pakistan, for his contribution to teaching there over the past two decades and recognized as a Hastings Center Fellow, “a group of more than 200 individuals of outstanding accomplishment whose work has informed scholarship and public understanding of complex ethical issues in health, health care, science, and technology.”
In 2021 he received the Jay Healey Health Law Professor of the Year, from the American Society of Law, Medicine, & Ethics, and in 2019 he was named a Fulbright Specialist.
Lombardo joined the Georgia State Law faculty in 2006. As a member of the Center for Law, Health & Society, he teaches courses in Genetics and the Law, the History of Bioethics, Mental Health Law and the History of Public Health Law.
Learn more about Paul Lombardo.
Learn more about the Sheth Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
Dr. Nara Monkam
Associate Professor, Public Economics – University of Pretoria
Fiscal Policy Specialist
Dr. Nara Monkam, an Associate Professor of Public Economics, stands at the forefront of transformative initiatives at the University of Pretoria (UP). Joining UP’s Department of Economics in August 2022, her visionary leadership led to the establishment of the Public Policy Hub (PPH) in April 2023. This groundbreaking initiative positions UP as a knowledge platform in Africa, bridging academic research with government policy to foster sustainable, evidence-based public policymaking. The PPH champions the co-creation of transdisciplinary and policy-relevant research, aiming for better development outcomes across Africa. Through this seminal initiative, UP aspires to ensure its cutting-edge research translates into progressive policies, solutions, and innovations, driving societal advancement.
Before joining UP, Dr. Monkam held pivotal roles, including the Director of Research at the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) from February 2014 to April 2022 where she fostered strong relationships with member countries and steered ATAF’s research agenda to inform tax reforms and policy formulation in Africa. Notably, she was appointed to the Davis Tax Committee by the then Minister of Finance, Mr. Pravin Gordhan, from 2013 to 2018, playing a pivotal role in reassessing the South African tax system.
With over 17 years of experience, Dr. Monkam’s expertise includes public economics, domestic resource mobilization, tax policy and administration, intergovernmental fiscal relations, and property tax reforms. Her collaborations extend to international institutions and diverse countries, and she has offered her expertise to organizations like the UNDP, EU, GIZ, T20, IMF and the World Bank.
Dr. Monkam’s commitment to nurturing the next generation is evident in her role as a Postgraduate Mentor at UP and a mentor at Georgia State University (GSU), guiding students towards academic and professional excellence. Furthermore, her dedication to inclusivity shines through her appointment to the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of UP’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.
Holding a PhD from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University and both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Namur in Belgium, Dr. Monkam has established herself as a leading expert in her field. With French as her mother tongue and certification as an IMF’s Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool (TADAT) Assessor, her contributions to academia and society have been impactful and widely acknowledged.
Learn more about the Sheth International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
Lucy Popova
Associate Professor
Health Policy & Behavioral Sciences
Learn more about Lucy Popova.
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Research & Scholarship
Salli Vargis
Professor of History and Associate Chair, Business and Cultural and Behavioral Sciences
Perimeter College (Newton Campus)
Dr. Salli Vargis, Professor of History and Associate Chair of Business and Cultural & Behavioral Sciences at Newton Campus, Georgia State University Perimeter College has a PhD in American History (Women’s History with a minor in Asian History) from Mississippi State University, MS. In addition, she has an M Phil in History with a specialization in Art History of India from Madras Christian College, University of Madras, India. Her areas of research include women in America and India, Indian church history, politics, art and the economy of India. She has published articles in the Encyclopedia of the Ancient World and in Education About Asia. She has also presented at various national and international conferences on different themes. She has taught in Virtual Exchange Modality and negotiated a Memorandum of Cooperation between GSU PC and Stella Maris College, Chennai, India for five years of collaborative international exchange in research, study abroad, etc. Dr. Vargis has directed 2 Faculty Development Seminars to India and 3 Study Abroad Programs for University System of Georgia. Teaching Asia Workshop Series is her contribution to infuse Asian content into the curriculum which she started under the aegis of the Asia Council of the System Council on International Education of the USG. This series, started in 2011 is an annual event for the past 11 years. She has many awards to her credit, they include but not limited to the NISOD national award for teaching, NACADA regional award for advising, and the Cole Fellow Award. She is past president of the Southwestern Social Science Association (SSSA).
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Teaching, Service, & Outreach
Diana Wrenn Rapp
Assistant Director
Atlanta Global Studies Center
Diana Wrenn Rapp served as the Associate Director of the Atlanta Global Studies Center, a Title VI National Resource Center, from 2019 until 2023. In this role, Ms. Wrenn Rapp coordinated and communicated with a dynamic network of university and community partners who work together on projects and programs that expand language learning and international cooperation in the Atlanta region. In addition, she managed the prestigious FLAS Fellowship Program for graduate and undergraduate students at GSU interested in advanced language learning and global area studies. Before joining the Atlanta Global Studies Center in 2019, Diana taught English as a Second Language to international college students in GSU’s Intensive English Program for over 10 years, mentored and trained new teachers, directed special programs, and organized events. Diana is currently pursuing her PhD from the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. In her free time, Diana likes to explore Georgia’s many natural parks and trails.
Learn more about the Staff Award for Global Engagement
Niki Nourollahi
School: School of Law
Niki Nourollahi is a recent graduate of Georgia State University’s College of Law Class of 2023. During her second year of law school, Niki spent her spring semester studying international law at Aarhus University. Niki also previously studied abroad during her undergraduate education at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business with Toulouse Business School in Toulouse, France for six months. Upon returning to GSU Law from Denmark, Niki has maintained relationships with her friends abroad and assisted new international exchange students in Atlanta as they arrived. She is passionate about her study-abroad experience and loves to share with others how the experience has enriched her life. Niki has recently accepted an associate position with Burr & Forman LLP in Atlanta as part of their corporate and tax practice group, with a concentration in securities transactional work. She hopes to continue traveling, connecting with others, and incorporating international law into her career as it moves forward.
Learn more about the Study Abroad Student of the Year Award
Felipe Benitez Ulloa
Major: Ph.D. in Mathematics
School: College of Arts and Science, Mathematics and Statistics Department
Home Country: Chile
Felipe Benitez, Mathematical Engineer from the Universidad de Concepcion, Chile, came to Atlanta in 2018 to pursue a Master’s in Mathematics at Georgia State University. His performance as a GLA and his high grades caught the attention of his professor who offered him the opportunity to transfer to the Ph.D. program and as a GTA and GRA . He also worked many times as a Volunteer International Student Assistant (V.I.S.A.) Leader for International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) at GSU. He welcomed numerous international students and helped them on their transition to a new life in Atlanta. At the same time, he has been involved with the Georgia State and Atlanta community sharing his Latin culture through dance.
Learn more about the International Graduate Student of the Year Award
Abdul Samad Yousuf
My name is Abdul Samad Yousuf, and I’m on an exciting academic journey pursuing a bachelor’s degree in finance. My passion for finance and dedication to excellence have shaped my educational path.
I kickstarted my academic voyage by graduating with the highest honors from Perimeter College, where I proudly earned an Associate of Science in the Summer 2022. My hard work and determination led me to receive esteemed scholarships like Georgia State University’s 100% Campus Atlanta Transfer Scholarship, the Alumni Association Transfer Scholarship, and the State Farm Transition Scholarship.
I’ve also been recognized for my performance in Quantitative Reasoning Math, earning the coveted title of Student of the Semester. My commitment to excellence consistently places me on the President’s List and Dean’s List, showcasing my dedication to maintaining top-tier academic standards.
Beyond the classroom, my passion for Business Administration has earned me the STAR Award, a recognition of my contributions and commitment to the field.
Looking ahead, my aspirations go beyond finance. I’m driven by the goal of attending law school and becoming a lawyer. I’m excited to combine my financial acumen with legal expertise, and I’m determined to make a lasting impact in the world of law.
As I continue to pave my way through academia, fueled by my passion for both finance and law, I’m excited to see where my dedication and determination take me next.
Learn more about the International Undergraduate Student of the Year Award
2022
Dr. Louis A. Ruprecht Jr.
Professor in the Department of Anthropology & Hellenic Studies
William M. Suttles Chair in Religious Studies
Director of the Center for Hellenic Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
Professor Ruprecht is the inaugural holder of the William M. Suttles Chair in Religious Studies, as well as the Director of the Center for Hellenic Studies, here at Georgia State University. He was born and raised in New Jersey, but came south for his education, where he attended Duke University and majored in Physics for three years, intending to be an oceanographer, before shifting to Comparative Religion in his Senior year. The concentration for his doctoral studies was in the area of religion, ethics and politics, with special emphasis on classical literature and philosophy.
He first worked on an excavation of Herod’s Winter Palace outside of Jericho, Israel as an undergraduate, and have extensive archaeological experience in Greece, mostly on the island of Crete.
Learn more about Louis Ruprecht.
Learn more about the Sheth Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
Dr. Juan Luis Gómez Reino
Ph.D. in Public Policy
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Dr. Gómez Reino is a graduate of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, where he received his doctorate in public policy. He is a leading international Fiscal Economist with over 20 years of experience in the design and implementation of fiscal policy, municipal finance, decentralization and public-private partnership reforms. Since 2016 he has served as Principal Fiscal Specialist for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador and Bolivia at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). In developing IDB´s fiscal policy portfolio, he has led the design of fiscal policy reform programs for over $2 billion dollars. Prior to this, he served as Principal Public Management Specialist for Southeast Asia for the ADB where he was responsible for the development of a loan portfolio of over $1.5 billion dollars for the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR. More recently, he had led the Intermérican Development Bank’s countercyclical fiscal policy support to Chile, Uruguay and Argentina in response to the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Gómez Reino has authored numerous reports and articles and has trained hundreds in key topics related to fiscal policy.
His record of achievement in the policy world is significant and well recognized among his peers and aspiring students that study at GSU and other universities.
Learn more about the Sheth International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
Dr. Chenyi Zhang
Associate Professor
Program Coordinator of ECEE Doctoral Program
College of Education & Human Development
Chenyi Zhang’s research projects examine contextual, cognitive and emotional factors that contribute to children’s early literacy development and early childhood educators’ professional development. He is also an early interventionist designing and evaluating classroom-based literacy intervention programs for young children’s literacy development and professional learning program for educators’ effective teaching practices.
He maintains international collaborations with scholars from Asian countries (e.g., China and Japan) investigating cross-cultural differences in early literacy development and literacy teaching. Currently, Zhang is examining the development of young children’s interest in enacting writing behaviors and cultural differences in teachers’ writing instruction (China vs. the US.). He is also leading a research team investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young children’s and parents’ stress.
He is a board member of the Association for Reading and Writing in Asia. He was a National Academy of Education/Spencer Research Foundation Post-doctoral Fellow from 2016 to 2018. Zhang has received a variety of research funding support for his early literacy and intervention research projects, including Spencer Research Foundation, Rollins Center for Language and Literacy and National Hazard Center.
Zhang received a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in developmental studies in 2013 from Purdue University and an M.S degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2008.
Learn more about Chenyi Zhang.
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Research & Scholarship
Leila Lawlor
Director of the Academic Success & LL.M. Programs
College of Law
Leila Lawlor received her B.B.A., cum laude, from the University of Georgia and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgia State Law, where she served as associate editor for the Georgia State University Law Review. During law school, Lawlor served as a women and children’s advocate, a tax clinic legal volunteer, and student editor for a book written by L. Lynn Hogue, professor emeritus. She received two American Jurisprudence Awards, one for excellence in Constitutional Law and the other for excellence in Research, Writing and Advocacy. She also received the Outer Barrister Guild Award and the Best Brief Award in a competition among Georgia law schools.
Lawlor clerked for Judge Orinda Evans of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. She practiced real estate law in metro Atlanta and began teaching business law part-time while clerking for Judge Wayne Purdom of the State Court of DeKalb County. While teaching, she returned to graduate studies, earning an M.B.A and an M.S. in criminal justice. Lawlor is also a certified TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) instructor. She is three credit hours away from earning a third master’s, this time in Applied Linguistics, in order to enrich her teaching of international students.
Lawlor was the 2021 recipient of the College of Law’s annual Steven J. Kaminshine Award for Excellence in Service. She is a member of the Association of Academic Support Educators, the American Academy of Legal Studies in Business, the Southeastern Academy of Legal Studies in Business, and the Western Academy of Legal Studies in Business, for which she has served as an officer for a decade. She is also an active member of several philanthropic educational societies and has received a teaching award for incorporating technology in her classroom. Lawlor has served as a member of the Georgia State Faculty Senate.
Learn more about Leila Lawlor.
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Teaching, Service, & Outreach
Tacoma Robinson
International Student Advisor
International Student and Scholar Services
Perimeter College
Tacoma has worked at Perimeter College for 15 years. She is a seasoned international educator with over twenty years of immigration advisement experience. Tacoma is currently the International Student Advisor in International Student and Scholar Services and the supervising advisor of the International Peer Assistants at the Dunwoody campus. Tacoma has held leadership positions in the Georgia Association of International Educators and has served as a mentor to international advisors new to the field for 14 years. Tacoma voiced the power to international education, what it means to the global community and the impact in the state of Georgia and district with members of Congress and their staffs at NAFSA: Association of International Educators Advocacy day in Washington, D.C. She loves working with International Students and assisting them to achieve their educational dreams in the United States. Tacoma is a Floridian but has lived in Georgia for thirty-six years. She enjoys domestic and international travel, photography, gardening and spending quality time with her family.
Learn more about the Staff Award for Global Engagement
Ashley Aguilar
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in International Economics and Modern Languages
School: Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Ashley Aguilar is a recent college graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Economics and Modern Languages from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Ashley’s studies concentrated on Chinese culture and society in addition to focusing on East Asian economies, and urban and environmental economic policies in the U.S. Ashley seeks to pursue a federal career as a Foreign Service Officer with her foreign languages skills and knowledge in economics to support and improve U.S.-foreign relations in Asia.
Ashley graduated summa cum laude and with a Global Scholars Distinction for her academic achievements, ability to analyze and synthesize comparative and cross-cultural information, and appreciation of and respect for difference and diversity. Ashley is a five-time critical language scholarship recipient of the Boren Awards, Gilman Scholarship, Freeman-Asia Scholarship, National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y), and International Access Scholarship.
Ashley’s hometown is Atlanta, Georgia. Due to her long-term experiences abroad she also considers Chengdu and Shanghai in China as part of her hometown. Alongside Seoul, South Korea where she completed an academic year through GSU’s study abroad programs. In her free time, Ashley likes to travel, visit history and art museums, and catch up on the latest Korean drama.
Learn more about the Study Abroad Student of the Year Award
Jihee Hong
Major: PhD in Counseling Psychology
College of Education and Human Development
Home Country: South Korea
Jihee Hong received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Biology, then earned her master’s degree in Counseling and Clinical Psychology from Sogang University in Seoul, Korea, prior to attending Georgia State University. While pursuing her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, she served as a graduate teaching assistant, research assistant, and mentor focusing on empowering students of color and international students. She also served as an intern and practicum counselor at Emory University, Georgia Tech, Grady Hospital, and private practices in Atlanta.
Learn more about the International Graduate Student of the Year Award
Chanwoo Park
Major: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
College of Arts & Sciences
Home Country: Republic Of Korea
Chanwoo Park is a Junior pursuing a B.S in Computer Science from the College of Arts & Sciences at Georgia State University. He graduated from GSU Perimeter College and earned an Associate in Computer Science in the Summer of 2022. He was awarded the 2022 Sophomore STEM Student Scholar Award, an award given to a sophomore dedicated to high academic performance in a STEM discipline.
He received Dean’s List for Spring 2021, Spring 2022, and President’s List for Summer 2021, Fall 2021, and Summer 2022.
Chanwoo is a member of Phi Theta Kappa’s Alpha Zeta Mu Chapter. As a treasurer of the Dunwoody Korean Student Association, he has shared and informed Korean culture. He taught Koran to American and international students as a Koran Drill Instructor and served as an International Peer Assistant Student Leader for the International Student and Scholar Services department at Perimeter College (ISSSPC). Chanwoo assisted with International Student Orientation, led various events, and helped new international students with initial questions. With a high GPA and academic standing, Chanwoo will transition to the Atlanta campus in Fall 2022 with Georgia State University’s 100% Campus Atlanta Transfer Scholarship.
Learn more about the International Undergraduate Student of the Year Award
2021
Dr. Jelena Subotić
Professor in the Department of Political Science
College of Arts and Sciences
Professor Subotić is a full professor in the Department of Political Science. She writes broadly about international relations theory, memory politics, human rights, transitional justice, international ethics, state identity, and the politics of the Western Balkans. Her most recent book, Yellow Star, Red Star: Holocaust Remembrance after Communism, explores practices of Holocaust remembrance, especially increasing Holocaust revisionism across Eastern Europe. The book has received wide acclaim and three prestigious awards. She is a recipient of numerous grants, including from the National Science Foundation and USAID and is also a frequent commentator on war crimes and the politics of the Balkans for CNN, BBC, and other international outlets. In 2020, she was selected to be the founding Co-Editor-in-Chief of a newly created journal for the International Studies Association (ISA), Global Studies Quarterly.
Learn more about the Sheth Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
Nuru Mugambi
Professional MBA in Strategy (’08)
Robinson College of Business
Home Country: Kenya
Ms. Mugambi graduated from the Professional MBA program at Georgia State in 2008, and she joined the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) in 2012 as its first female director. Ms. Mugambi developed the country’s Sustainable Finance Principles and capacity building program which has trained more than 33,000 bankers. She is a champion for enterprise development, and she designed the industry’s Inuka SME Capacity Building Program which has supported more than 40 thousand entrepreneurs to better run their businesses. Nuru developed the first digital accessibility for persons with disabilities framework for the banking industry, which is a first for the continent and will see more than 2 million Kenyans living with a disability to gain better access to mobile banking products. In 2015, Nuru became the youngest female to earn the Fellow of the Kenya Institute of Bankers designation for industry excellence and leadership. Also, in 2016 she was recognized by the Eisenhower Fellowships program and U.S. President Barack Obama as an emerging African leader.
Learn more about the Sheth International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
Dr. Sue Kasun
Associate Professor of Language Education
Director of the Center for Transnational & Multilingual Education
College of Education & Human Development
Dr. Kasun is an Associate Professor language education and the director of the Center for Transnational & Multilingual Education at Georgia State University. She has extensively researched with Mexican-origin populations for over two decades. Her work is multi-sited, situated in sending and receiving communities spanning the U.S.-Mexican border, highlighting the trans-nationalism of many immigrant communities. She has focused on Mexican-origin populations’ ways of knowing and intersections with language education as well as how Mexican origin youth have performed in schools, most recently on a Fulbright Award to Mexico during the 2017-2018 school year.
Dr. Kasun’s CV tells the story of the creative productivity stemming from her international work. Her study abroad work is published in the leading international language journal, TESOL Quarterly (Kasun and Saavedra 2016) and in other highly ranked journals, The Journal of Multicultural Affairs (Kasun, Santos, Jang, & Espinosa, 2020) and Teacher Education and Practice (Kasun & Lee 2017), to name a few. Dr. Kasun’s work with colleagues from the University of Hidalgo can be found is in Educational Studies (Hidalgo & Kasun, 2019); and in some of her of her numerous book chapters. Dr. Kasun has 14 peer-reviewed journal articles on work stemming from her study abroad and related program. In addition, Dr. Kasun is a highly sought-after speaker in international spaces, and she has given numerous peer-reviewed conference presentations.
Dr. Kasun’s teaching, her study abroad class and doctoral courses such as Ways of Knowing, and Postcoloniality and her work at the Center, disrupts and dislodges the artificial boundaries that we have created between ourselves as humans. This is what it means to eradicate borders and learn about others by experiencing for oneself. This is the heart of Dr. Kasun’s teaching, research and scholarship.
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Research & Scholarship
Eric Kendrick
Associate Professor of English, ESL and Applied Linguistics
Perimeter College
Eric Kendrick has a 20-year record of accomplishments and contributions in global engagement at Perimeter College and Georgia State University that encompass all areas of teaching and
curriculum, scholarly and creative activities, service and outreach.
Among his many accomplishments, he formally established the formal Asian Studies Program at Perimeter College in spring 2021, and he also developed the Asian Studies Certificate with the USG Asia Council for use by all state institutions. He annually coordinates faculty Development Workshops on various global education topics, such as Teaching Korea, Teaching Japan, and Gender Issues in Asia.
His contributions to the global curriculum include developing three Area B Perspectives courses with global themes: Culture & Arts of Japan, Modern Japanese Society, and Introduction to Language, and he is working on three new Area B Perspectives courses with global themes.
He has served on GSU’s International Education Week planning team since consolidation in 2016. The virtual IEW Exploring Languages event he organized in fall 2020 had just short of 500 participants! Every spring, he co-coordinates a Dunwoody Culture Fest in conjunction with other offices on campus. He initiated an annual Japan Festival at Lawrenceville in 2005, which morphed into a large-scale Japan Festival at Dunwoody after 2008, and he has also organized numerous other cultural and international events intersecting with all regions of the world.
He is particularly known for his 15-year leadership role in the Atlanta Asian Film Festival. Due to Eric’s participation, Perimeter is now the primary venue, and GSU students and employees can attend all GSU screenings free.
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Teaching, Service, & Outreach
Jessie Hayden
Assistant Professor of English, ESL and Applied Linguistics
Perimeter College
Jessie Hayden is an Assistant Professor of English and English as a Second Language at Perimeter College. She has set the gold standard for global engagement through virtual exchange at
GSU. Her inspiring achievements in virtual exchange include: (1) a cross-cultural children’s story writing project in partnership with
Ege University in Izmir, Turkey, that involved a combined 66 students (2)an art appreciation virtual exchange project in which Jessie’s
HUMN1000 students collaborated with students from Ege University to analyze and
discuss iconic works of art from the irrespective cultures (Spring 2018); (3) are current virtual exchange project with Hong Kong Baptist
University (HKBU) in which Jessie’s PERS2003 students engage in cross-cultural dialog with HKBU students enrolled in a Creative Studies course.
This project engages students in a 4-week long round of discussions on topics relating to creativity, social justice
issues, human expression, and social media (2019–present).
In addition to infusing virtual exchange into her courses, Jessie also served
as GSU’s virtual exchange coordinator from 2018-2019. In this position, she recruited and mentored faculty interested in using Virtual Exchange, and then supported and assisted faculty in implementing the exchange into their courses. She has not only presented on her work with virtual exchange at Faculty Development sessions at Perimeter College, but she has also presented her work at both National and Regional conferences throughout these past four years.
She is currently creating a “Virtual Exchange Depot” with 15 master virtual
exchange project templates that will be shared with GSU faculty for their
adaptation and use.
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Virtual Exchange
Avinash Sukhu
Lab Technician
Perimeter College
After graduating from Perimeter College and later from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Avinash now serves as a Laboratory Technician in the Science Department at Clarkston. He advises the Japan Society club, where he regularly takes students into the community for experiential opportunities such as Japanese restaurant outings and to festivals in Macon. The Japan Society Club won Perimeter College’s Club of the Year two years ago, and this year he has been nominated as Perimeter’s Outstanding Club Adviser.
He also assists with the Vietnamese Club of Clarkston, supporting events related to International Education Week at the Clarkston campus, and Clarkston’s International Festival. Avi has displayed his love of all things International by coordinating, hosting, and helping make sure international events can take place, even in a COVID environment. Through his leadership, he has mobilized faculty and staff in order to provide outstanding globally and culturally focused co-curricular opportunities for students.
Learn more about the Staff Award for Global Engagement
Athertina Steinau
Associate Professor
The Department of Life and Earth Sciences
Perimeter College
Due to the suspension of approved study abroad programs within the past year as a result of the pandemic, this year the award considered program directors affected by this change who pivoted to provide opportunities for global engagement for students in Atlanta. The winner of the Program Director of the Year Award is Dr. Atherina Steinau for her program, “The Scholarship of Teaching: Bahamas Environmental Science 1401, without Borders”.
Mrs. Steinau prepared meaningful global learning activities for her students, while she had also independently executed Georgia State University Perimeter College (GSU-PC), Decatur’s first study abroad lecture and lab for Environmental Science to Nassau, Bahamas during summer of 2019. Mrs. Steinau’s global educational interest and desire was heightened as she developed student opportunities again in 2020, which were cancelled due to COVID-19. Keeping her interest focused, she also designed and recruited students for her spring 2021 class, this time for “two” islands of the Bahamas: New Providence and Grand Bahama. Faced yet with course cancellations for 2021, Mrs. Steinau’s determination to foster the internationalization of academia, quickly led her to develop a dynamic and engaging virtual study abroad for May-mester 2021. Students will experience a global immersion on now “four” islands of the Bahamas – Nassau, Grand Bahama, Andros and Eleuthera.
To prepare for these exciting endeavors, she consistently kept the goals of GSU Study Abroad as a forefront in her mind. This showed in her creating long-term collaborations within the Bahamas higher education system, and various private and governmental organizations. Also, she has been exceptional in showcasing the importance and reputation of GSU’s Study Abroad and has created internal affiliations with numerous GSU-PC organizations including: Life and Earth Science Departments, Student Life and Louise Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program.
While keeping the common course outline and expected educational results in mind, Mrs. Steinau strategically designed ‘out of the box’ international experiences. For example, during an excursion called “Swimming with the Pigs”, students scientifically tested the ocean for chemicals and fecal coliforms, which are important indicators of water pollution and probable communicable diseases. Despite our present times, Mrs. Steinau sees no limits. Her virtual study abroad continues to foster the scholarship of global teaching and learning, which ensures an international awareness of environmental science and an appreciation of the Bahamian culture. For example, students will study and test the water resources impacted by Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and compare results to water samples in their own homes. They will also experience live cooking demonstrations and an eco-cultural exchange with the University of the Bahamas Ecology students.
Once an international student herself, Mrs. Steinau strives to foster relevant global practices for students and create lasting transnational relationships for Georgia State University, Perimeter College.
Learn more about the Study Abroad Program Director of the Year Award
Marquis Daly
Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor of Art in Psychology, Minor in Japanese
Current Major: Master of Art in Sociology
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Marquis has completed three study abroad programs to immerse himself in studying Korean and Japanese history & language while completing a Bachelor of Art in Psychology, minor in Japanese, before returning last Fall to pursue a Master of Art in Sociology.
Marquis has shared his enthusiasm for gaining global experiences no matter what your academic discipline across several campus audiences. As a guest speaker he has spoken to students considering seeking their own global experiences, how they can seek out opportunities, resources. Sharing with students how one opportunity has driven him to ask what other opportunities are available.
Even more importantly he has been an advocate for students of color by speaking about identity and diversity in international education. Marquis has spoken about seeking out authentic experiences, while building relationships with locals abroad by recommending students expand their comfort zones past their host campus, or tourist areas by engaging with people in their community.
Learn more about the Study Abroad Alumni of the Year Award
Heena Sadhwani
Major: PhD Candidate in Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
Home Country: India
Heena Sadhwani received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biotechnology from the University of Mumbai prior to attending Georgia State University in 2015 to earn her second Master’s degree in Biology. While pursuing her PhD in Biology, she also serves as a graduate research assistant, carrying out techniques and research work including western blotting, recombinant DNA cloning, cell cultures, RT-PCR, and RNA extraction.
She is also the current Vice-Chair of Membership for the Atlanta Chapter of Women in Bio, and has also held executive positions in the Biology Graduate Student Association and Indian Student Association.
Learn more about the International Graduate Student of the Year Award
Kudzanai Maveneke
Major: Bachelor of Business Administration in Actuarial Science
Robinson College of Business
Home Country: Zimbabwe
Kudzanai is a Senior pursuing a B.B.A in Actuarial Science from J.Mack Robison College of Business at Georgia State University. He is passionate to use his skills and experience to help improve the world’s financial and risk management sector. He was awarded the 2020 Eli, A. Zubay-Actuarial Science Award, an award given to Actuarial Science undergraduate with the highest GPA, and has also been on the President’s list for five consecutive semesters.
Kudzanai also serves as the Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Gamma Iota Sigma’s Gamma Zeta Chapter, and holds an Actuary Internship with AIG, while also being a Co-Leader for Georgia State’s Actuarial Ambassador program. He has also served as an Orientation Leader for the International Student and Scholar Services department and earned a State Farm Scholarship in 2020.
Learn more about the International Undergraduate Student of the Year Award
2020
Dr. Jorge Martinez-Vazquez
Regents Professor of Economics & Director, Public Finance Research Cluster
Dr. Jorge Martinez-Vazquez is a Regents Professor of Economics at Georgia State University and Director of the Public Finance Research Cluster at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. He has published over 25 books and numerous articles in academic journals. He has advised federal and state agencies in fiscal policy in the US and over 90 countries including China, Russia, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Mexico, and directed numerous fiscal reform projects, including the GSU $20 million USAID Fiscal Reform Project in Russia (1997-2000). He is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, and he has directed or participated in more than 100 doctoral dissertations.
Learn more about Dr. Jorge Martinez-Vazquez
Learn more about the Sheth Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
Dr. Eunice Heredia-Ortiz
Economics (Ph.D. ’06)
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Home Country: Bolivia
Dr. Eunice Heredia-Ortiz is a fiscal advisor and public finance economist with 20+ years of experience advising ministries of finance, tax administrations and international development agencies on fiscal (tax and expenditure) policy, tax administration, macro-fiscal analysis and planning, budgeting and public financial management (PFM), fiscal decentralization, public procurement modernization, transparency and anti-corruption, and gender mainstreaming in PFM, with a special focus on the health and education sectors. Her experience spans across continents including countries in Latin America, South Asia, and the Middle East, providing technical thought leadership in program design and implementation, program evaluation, capacity building, and information technology (IT) transformations for PFM. Dr. Heredia-Ortiz has been recognized for her ability to think and work politically, fostering reform commitment and institutionalizing change, identifying innovative approaches, promoting adaptive management, developing tools and technologies to provide effective assistance while inculcating a performance driven culture in government planning and program implementation. Recently, she served as Chief of Party for the USAID-funded Guatemala Fiscal and Procurement Reform Project (FPRP) supporting Guatemala’s Ministry of Finance and Tax Administration to achieve more efficient tax revenue collection and improve public procurement processes by eliminating duplication, increasing automation, integrating risk management approaches, and promoting taxation and gender equality.
Learn more about Dr. Eunice Heredia-Ortiz
Learn more about the Sheth International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
Dr. Şeyda Özçalışkan
Associate Professor of Psychology
College of Arts & Sciences
Dr. Şeyda Özçalışkan received her Ph.D. from the University of California-Berkeley and worked first as a postdoctoral fellow and then as a research associate at the University of Chicago before joining the faculty at Georgia State University. Her work focuses on the process of developmental change and how gesture serves as part of the mechanism of change in this process across different learners and different learning environments. As part of her research program on different learning environments, Dr. Özçalışkan has been actively involved in cross-cultural/cross-linguistic research for more than 20 years, with multiple collaborations both within and outside the US, across a variety of languages, such as Chinese, Polish, Spanish, Turkish, etc. Her global projects have received both intramural and extramural support. The findings that stemmed from these projects were published in in top-tier journals in the field of psychology, with considerable international media attention. Dr. Özçalışkan also made significant contributions to Georgia State’s global engagement activities. She mentored the work of several international postdoctoral scholars and visiting scholars, all funded with awards from prestigious international organizations, including Marie Curie Awards, Swiss National Science Foundation, Turkish National Science Foundation. She has given given keynote talks at international conferences, workshops and meetings across the globe (e.g., Spain, Norway, Germany). She has served as an invited member on international dissertation and master’s thesis committees and scientific advisory boards for international conferences.
Learn more about Dr. Şeyda Özçalışkan
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Research & Scholarship
Dr. Douglas S. Gardenhire
Chair and Clinical Professor of Respiratory Therapy
Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions
Dr. Douglas S. Gardenhire is chair of the Department of Respiratory Therapy and currently serves the Lewis College as the liaison to the Office of International Initiatives. Previously, he served as the director of clinical education. In the last 20 years, he has developed courses to meet the needs of healthcare practitioners, creating the first fully online course for all university majors in 2002. He created the first study abroad course for respiratory therapy and has several educational grant programs with Taipei Medical University, Manipal Academy of Higher Education and Dar Al ULoom University. Dr. Gardenhire teaches and writes about respiratory health and education. An expert in pulmonary pharmacology and aerosolized medicine, he frequently is invited to speak on these topics around the world. He is the author of Rau’s Respiratory Care Pharmacology, chapter author on Airway Pharmacology for Egan’s Fundamentals of Respiratory Care, as well as chapter author on Airway Pharmacology and Delivery of Aerosol Drug Therapy in Respiratory Care Clinical Lab Competency Manual. Dr. Gardenhire has practiced respiratory therapy since 1991. He has cared for many patients around the world, from newborns weighing less than a pound to adults suffering from emphysema as an International/Domestic Flight Therapist for the University of Alabama Hospitals and Critical Care Respiratory Therapist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Learn more about Dr. Douglas Gardenhire
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Teaching, Service, & Outreach
Dr. Theo ten Brummelaar
Director of Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy
College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Theo ten Brummelaar was born and bred in Sydney, Australia and completed his Ph.D. at the University of Sydney working on the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer (SUSI). Once he completed his Ph.D., he came to Georgia State University in early 1993 as a post-doctoral fellow working with the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) then led by Dr. Harold McAlister. The work was on the design of a new interferometer being built by Georgia State called the CHARA Array, a new interferometer with more and larger telescopes than SUSI. The CHARA Array has the most telescopes and largest baseline of any device of its kind in the world . In 1996 the CHARA Array was funded by Georgia State and the National Science Foundation and Dr. Theo ten Brummelaar has been working on the Array since that time under various job titles. He is now the Director of the CHARA Array, and while he still gets to do some astronomy every now and then, most of his time these days is spent running the observatory and helping to raise the funds necessary to keep it operational and to expand its capabilities. The CHARA Array at Georgia State is a world leader in imaging stars and other high angular resolution astronomy and has active collaborations with many groups including the Universities of Paris and Nice in France, Sydney University and the Australian National University in Australia, The University of Exeter in the UK, Kyoto University in Japan, and the University of Michigan here in the US. The Array is open to anyone who wishes to apply for time to observe. It has always been a major strength of the CHARA team to encourage these national and international collaborations and many students from Georgia State and the other institutions have worked at the array and on science and engineering projects located on all campuses. It’s been nearly thirty years since Dr. Theo ten Brummelaar started this project at Georgia State and he is very proud of what the project has achieved over the years.
Learn more about the Staff Award for Global Engagement
Issiah Terry
Major : Film
School: College of the Arts
Issiah Terry is an undergraduate film student at Georgia State University. Terry has always had an interest in the arts, and discovered his passion for videography and photography while in school. His participation in the study abroad program “Filmmaking in the Steps of Beckett: Dublin, Ireland” sparked his interest in photography. He was assigned the job of director of photography during the program, and took ownership of the position while being open to learning from his more experienced peers. Terry hopes to travel the world taking pictures and filming different people and places.
Learn more about the Study Abroad Student of the Year Award
Udagamage Kushan Chathuranga Wijewardena
Major: Physics
College of Arts & Sciences
Home Country: Sri Lanka
Udagamage Kushan Wijewardena is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Georgia State University. He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, and MS in computational physics from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. He received MS in condensed matter physics from Georgia State University in Spring 2019 and currently continuing his work as a graduate research assistant with Dr. Ramesh Mani. His research focused on fabricating graphene-based nanodevices and studying magnetotransport in 2D electron systems such as GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures at cryogenic temperatures and high magnetic fields.As the president of the Sri Lankan Student Association(SLaSA) at Georgia State University, Mr. Wijewardena was able to bring the Sri Lankan cultural values to the spotlight with the support of fellow members. SLaSA won the ISAC organization of the year award for the fabulous work performed as an international student organization, and Mr. Wijewardena received the ISAC leader of the year award in spring 2020. He has also served in the Physics Graduate Student Association committee in several positions throughout the years and continuing his work to support the Georgia State student community.
Learn more about the International Graduate Student of the Year Award
2019
Dr. Monica Swahn
Distinguished University Professor
School of Public Health
Dr. Monica Swahn is a Distinguished University Professor in the department of Population Health Sciences in the School of Public Health and a core faculty in the Partnership for Urban Health Research. Her main research areas pertain to health risk behaviors among adolescents and young adults, primarily focusing on the structural drivers of alcohol, violence and HIV/AIDS in the United States and globally.
She is a Fulbright Scholar for the sub-Saharan HIV program and assigned to the School of Public Health at Makerere University, Uganda (2016-2018), to develop and implement an alcohol research center to serve Eastern Africa. She is the Associate Director for Research for the Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory, a regional consortium of researchers and practitioners in injury prevention.
Current research activities include examining the role of alcohol policies in homicide and suicide in the U.S., the structural drivers of sexual violence perpetration among freshmen in the state of Georgia, and the development of a social norms campaign to reduce and delay underage drinking and alcohol-related HIV transmissions among vulnerable youth in Uganda. She has presented her research on the integration of Alcohol Use, Gender-Based Violence and HIV to the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations (2014 & 2015). She is a consultant to the United Nations Development Program/World Health Organization on the integration of Alcohol, Violence and Infectious Diseases in policy development in sub-Saharan Africa.
Swahn is the former Associate Vice President for Research for Georgia State University (2011-2014) and former Associate Dean for Research for the College of Health and Human Sciences, 2008-2011. Previous consultancies have been to the World Health Organization’s Africa Office on alcohol marketing in sub-Saharan Africa and on gender-based violence to the Pan American Health Organization in Guyana. Prior to joining Georgia State, Swahn worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 10 years.
Learn more about Dr. Monica Swahn
Learn more about the Sheth Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
Dr. Aries Arugay
Political Science (Ph.D. ’14)
College of Arts & Sciences
Home Country: The Philippines
Dr. Aries Arugay completed his Ph.D. in Political Science from the College of Arts and Sciences in 2014. He’s made a significant impact on university education in the Philippines, modernizing the curriculum in his own department, and receiving recognition through several teaching and research awards. These include the Centennial Professorial Chair Award (2015-2018) and the One UP Professorial Chair for Excellence in Teaching and Research in Comparative Democratization (2016-2018 and 2019-2021). He’s currently the only Filipino political scientist that specializes in Latin American politics based in the Philippines. And he’s Co-convener of the Strategic Studies Program of the Center for Integrative and Development Studies at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.
Arugay has taken an active role applying political science to security policy improvements and international relations in the region. He regularly delivers lectures and handles modules on security and politics at the Philippine Public Safety College, National Defense College of the Philippines, Development Academy of the Philippines, and the Foreign Service Institute. In these courses, he trains middle-level officials from the Philippine military, police, and other officials from the security sector and the diplomatic corps.
He is involved in track-two diplomacy as a fellow of several Philippine-based think tanks. He served as Executive Director of the Institute for Strategic and Development Studies, Inc. and is currently a fellow of the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, Inc. He has provided policy advice for different international track-two organizations such as the ASEAN Institutes for Strategic and International Studies and the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific.
Arugay has promoted international research and education networks and exchanges. He was previously a visiting research fellow at the Institute of Security and International Studies (Thailand), Department of Government and International Relations-University of Sydney, Jeju Peace Institute (South Korea), and the National Institute of Defense Studies (Japan). In 2018, he arranged a Cooperation Agreement (MoC) between his university and GSU to foster joint research and faculty/student exchanges.
Learn more about Dr. Aries Arugay
Learn more about the Sheth International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
Dr. Allen Fromherz
Director of Middle East Studies Center
College of Arts & Sciences
Dr. Fromherz has demonstrated a track record of global engagement in research and scholarship in areas such as international research collaborations and research on international topics.And has made exemplary contributions to the global engagement of the university and its faculty, staff, students, and alumni; to the understanding of global and international affairs; and/or to international communities and stakeholders locally or abroad.
Dr. Fromherz is a unique scholar and prolific author dedicated to blending historical research about the Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa with modern applications on a global scale.
He serves as the Senior Editor for the Oxford Research Encyclopedia for Africa and as President of the American Institute for Maghrib Studies.
He has published several books on Islamic and Middle Eastern history.
As the Middle East Studies Center director, he has encouraged collaboration between colleagues of multiple colleges and units on campus by hosting events covering issues ranging from migration to political violence to the role of the US president in Middle East Policy.
Learn more about Dr. Allen Fromherz
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Research & Scholarship
Dr. Marta Szabo White
Clinical Associate Professor of Managerial Sciences
Robinson College of Business
Dr. White has demonstrated a track record of global engagement in areas such as curricular innovations, study abroad, pedagogy, community outreach, committee leadership, and international student engagement, and has made exemplary contributions to the global engagement of the university and its faculty, staff, students, and alumni; to the understanding of global and international affairs; and/or to international communities and stakeholders locally or abroad.
Dr. White has a global reputation as a cross-cultural immersion education leader known for her innovative teaching.
She has participated in more than 40 distinguished teaching invitations from around the world and led students across four continents and seven countries as the program director for 36 study abroad programs.
She is the GSU CIBER Coordinator for Students’ Activities and Competitions, where she collaborates with the Institute of International Business in expanding Robinson’s global footprint.
She was instrumental in launching the core international business course for the Robinson College of Business; and taught the first Experimental section of BUSA 3000, Globalization and Business Practices.
Learn more about Dr. Marta White
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Teaching, Service, & Outreach
Tonya Cook
Program Specialist
Perimeter – Multicultural Center
Tonya Cook has over 25 years of event production and planning experience coordinating a diverse range of programs for the Georgia State community.
144,577 guests have attended the 1,026 cultural and educational programs she has planned during her almost 30-year tenure at the university.
She is an inductee of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority’s Hall of Fame and Women Looking Ahead Magazine 100 List of Georgia’s Powerful & Influential Women (Non-profit and Diversity).
In May 2015, she received the Carl V. Patton President’s Award for Community Service and Social Justice Staff Award
Learn more about the Staff Award for Global Engagement
Dr. Gennady Cymbalyuk
Associate Professor of Neuroscience
College of Arts & Sciences
Dr. Cymbalyuk is a renowned neuroscientist who leads a study abroad program that involves hands-on project-based learning where students use computational and mathematical skills in an unfamiliar environment. The program takes place in Ukraine. Many students have praised the program for delivering a unforgettable cultural and educational experience.
Learn more about Dr. Gennady Cymbalyuk
Learn more about the Study Abroad Program Director of the Year Award
Elizabeth Perry
Major: Public Health
School of Public Health
Elizabeth Perry exemplifies the idea of a global citizen because her contribution to her study abroad program and her continued commitment to Uganda. Perry has a passion for improving the life trajectory of vulnerable young people in Uganda, and an eagerness to welcome Ugandan’s and other Africans studying at Georgia State University.
Learn more about the Study Abroad Student of the Year Award
Amin Bayat Barooni
Major: Physics Education Research
College of Arts & Sciences
Home Country: Iran
Amin Bayat Barooni was the founding president of the Persian Student Association, and is an active member of the International Student Association Council. He is an excellent graduate student showing broad achievement in coursework, teaching, and research.
Learn more about the International Graduate Student of the Year Award
Yuqi Chen
Major: Early Childhood Education
Perimeter College
Home Country: China
Yuqi Chen is an exceptional, dedicated and determined student. Yuqi has continually impressed her professors and peer with her strong work ethic and commitment to being the best.
Learn more about the International Undergraduate Student of the Year Award
2018
MICHAEL P. ERIKSEN
Founding Dean and Regents’ Professor
School of Public Health
Specializations: Tobacco Control, Cancer Prevention, Urban Health, Global Health, Chronic Diseases & Determinants
Award criteria
“Record of achievement and recognition for international work at Georgia State University and contributions to humanity, science, art, or human welfare have made a positive impact internationally”
- Principal Investigator for the China Tobacco Control Partnership, a large-scale international collaboration funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Pfizer, Inc. ($17 Million). The Partnership focuses on changing social norms of tobacco use in China, the epicenter of the global tobacco epidemic. The Partnership funded 22 cities in China to establish comprehensive tobacco control programs and five Chinese universities to create tobacco research Centers of Excellence.
- Principal Investigator for a five-year (2017 – 2022), $1 million award from the National Institute of Health’s Fogarty International Center to advance smoking cessation in Hanoi, Vietnam and Shanghai, China and to build capacity among the researchers at Hanoi University of Public Health and Fudan University School of Public Health
- Secured a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) between the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the Chengdu Health and Family Planning Commission. The MOC focuses on collaborations and cooperation between the Chengdu Centers for Disease Control and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
- Recognized for his international work by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations agency responsible for global health.
- Co-author of five editions of TheTobacco Atlas, a publication that provides the most up-to-date global data on the tobacco epidemic.The Tobacco Atlas has been translated into Mandarin, Spanish, and Arabic.
- Consultant for Taiwan’s National Health Research Institute that resulted in seven publications
- Consultant for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish a global tobacco control strategy
- Mentor for numerous international students
- As Dean, hosted 70 Fulbright Scholars from 26 countries in the School of Public Health
- Host of the 2017 and 2018 national Fulbright Global Health Innovations Seminar
Learn more about Dr. Michael P. Eriksen
Learn more about the Sheth Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
View more photos of the 2018 International Education Award Recipients from the Georgia State University International Honorary Reception
BAOYUN QIAO (Ph.D. ’01)
Economics
Andrew Young School for Policy Studies
Specialization: Economics of the public sector
Home country: China
Award criteria
“Contributions to humanity, science, art, or human welfare that have helped the citizens of their country and/or the global population, and life activities that reflect the importance of their education at Georgia State University”
- Completed his Ph.D. in economics from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies in December 2001 with high distinction
- Appointed Dean of the China Academy of Public Finance and Policy at Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE); served as Professor of Economics at Shanghai University from 2004-2007
- Adviser to China’s Ministry of Finance on a variety of policy issues, including the establishment of the framework of China subnational debt management, subnational debt risk monitoring system, and municipal bond markets
- Advised the State Administration of Taxation of China on building the tax revenue forecasting system for the entire country
- Advised governments in over 10 countries including Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea on fiscal decentralization, subnational debt and management, municipal bond market, finance of infrastructure construction, and poverty reduction
- Published over 10 books and 30 articles in the area of public sector economics
- Delivered keynote speeches at the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank
Learn more about the Sheth International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement
Learn more about The Sheth Family Foundation’s endowment at Georgia State University
View more photos of the 2018 International Education Award Recipients from the Georgia State University International Honorary Reception
RITU ANEJA
Professor of Cancer Biology and Distinguished University Professor
College of Arts & Sciences
Specializations: Molecular Biology, Cancer Research, Cell Biology
- Principal Investigator of The Aneja Lab at Georgia State University, a team dedicated to deciphering and tackling the complexities of cancer to more accurately predict patient prognosis and guide selection of most optimal therapies that are directed towards cancer-specific vulnerabilities and the specific biomarker profiles of individual patients
- Founder of the International Consortium for Advancing Research on Triple Negative Breast Cancer (ICART)
- Chair of the 2017 International Conference on Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Illuminating actionable Biology, held at Georgia State in September 2017
- Director of The Molecular Basis of Disease (MBD) Program and Director of Graduate Studies in Biology at Georgia State, where she is responsible for setting vision to enhance graduate education quality and recruit high-caliber graduate students and provide them mentoring
- Visited Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) in Hong Kong as part of the Georgia State team to further the conversations on establishing a dual degree Ph.D. program between the two institutions
- Helmed various research collaborations and student exchanges for research between Georgia State and China Medical University in Taiwan
- Initiated discussions on research exchange with the African Institute of Biomedical Science & Technology, Zimbabwe
- Recipient of the 2018 Faculty International Partnership Engagement (FIPE) grant
- Recipient of the Society of American Asian Scientists in Cancer Research (SAASCR) Award 2015 for Outstanding contributions in Cancer Research
Learn more about Dr. Ritu Aneja
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Research & Scholarship
View more photos of the 2018 International Education Award Recipients from the Georgia State University International Honorary Reception
GABRIEL KUPERMINC
Professor of Psychology and Public Health
College of Arts & Sciences
Secondary Appointment, School of Public Health
Specializations: Community Psychology, Youth Development, Resilience, Cultural Variations and Adaptations, Community Health Interventions
- Developed and leads Maymester study abroad course: Human Rights in Argentina
- Serves on Research Advisory Board of National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities, Casa de Esperanza; national organization working to end domestic violence through research, training/technical assistance, public policy, and community-based programs
- Provided consultation and training on group mentoring for middle school aged youth in the Canadian Women’s Foundation, Girls’ Mentoring Program
- Served on the organizing committee, Friends School of Atlanta Beloved Community Summit 2012, entitled “Immigration Today: A Hometown Human Rights Crisis”
- Provided consultation on evaluation of Healthy Families Program for refugee families in Georgia; Jewish Family and Career Services, Atlanta, GA
- Provided consultation on needs assessment of extracurricular programming needs for students of diverse ethnic/cultural backgrounds; Cross Keys High School, DeKalb County, GA
- Participant on Emotional and Physical Health subcommittee; International Student Task Force; DeKalb County Schools
- Provided consultation on school adaptation of students of diverse ethnic/cultural backgrounds; Sequoyah Middle School,DeKalb County
- Steering committee work group sponsored by Hands On Atlanta, focused on promoting academic achievement of Latino youth; Futuro Latino, Atlanta, GA
- Consultant for Ambassadors for Education, a program involving international community leaders to assist in enhancing school/family, and community relations; DeKalb Co., GA Public Schools
- Research consultant on Mixed Method Study of Impact of Immigration Actions and Policies on Latinx Family Functioning, funded by George Washington University Cross-Disciplinary Research Fund
Learn more about Dr. Gabriel Kuperminc
Learn more about the Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Teaching, Service, & Outreach
View more photos of the 2018 International Education Award Recipients from the Georgia State University International Honorary Reception
FARRAH BERNARDINO
Managing Director
Center for International Business Education & Research (CIBER)
Robinson College of Business
- Serves as the managing director of Georgia State’s Center for International Business Education & Research (CIBER) since 2011, overseeing a 1.6 million Department of Education Title VI grant to provide opportunities for international research, teaching, student learning, and experiences
- Co-led the proposal for the 2018 Georgia State’s CIBER grant and successfully awarded $1.3 million for 2018-2022, the highest funding of 15 national awardees
- Oversees daily operations of Georgia State’s CIBER and leads the planning and execution of Georgia State’s CIBER’s activities
- Leads the national CIBER Minority Serving Institution Consortium, composed of 10 other CIBERs which collaborate to lead international business initiatives for students and faculty with a focus on providing resources to MSI institutions
- Leads the annual International Business Case Competition, International Business Pedagogy Workshops, and Consortium for International Marketing Research conference
- Collaborates with globally focused Atlanta businesses and organizations, such as Diversity Abroad to advance international opportunities for GSU students
- During tenure as the Director of Study Abroad for Georgia State University, increased study abroad scholarships from $110,000 to $608,000 and secured a grant from Higher Administration to implement the StudioAbroad software system to transform and enhance the way Georgia State managed study abroad
- Co-authored a chapter in The Handbook of Practice and Research in Study Abroad called “Towards Global Citizenship: Low Minority Student Participation and Strategies for Success”
- Co-wrote the Coca-Cola Ambassador Study Abroad Scholarship proposal which was successfully awarded
- Worked in NAFSA’s International Education Leadership unit with Senior International Officers across the country to advance campus internationalization strategies
Learn more about Farrah Bernardino
Learn more about the Staff Award for Global Engagement
View more photos of the 2018 International Education Award Recipients from the Georgia State University International Honorary Reception
CARMEN EILERTSON
Principal Sr. Lecturer, Biology & Medical Science Co-director
College of Arts & Sciences
Specializations: Premedical Education
- Study Abroad Program: Clinical Internship in Athens, Greece
- Former Director of Research and Director of Operations for two biotech companies in the Atlanta area
- Built unique partnerships with WellStar and hospitals abroad to provide important clinical internship opportunities for Georgia State students
- Premed Faculty Associate for the Center for Advancement of Students and Alumni at Georgia State
- Developed a premedical courses relevant to first year of medical school
- College of Arts & Sciences Premedical Advisory Committee
- Undergrad Premed Director, Biology
- Co-Director Masters in Biology Medical Sciences concentration
- Board Member of Atlanta Medical Center’s Research Education Foundation
- Recipient of the College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Teacher Award in 2016
Learn more about Dr. Carmen Eilertson
Learn more about the Study Abroad Program Director of the Year Award
View more photos of the 2018 International Education Award Recipients from the Georgia State University International Honorary Reception
JALISSA SPALDING
Graduate Student, Criminal Justice & Criminology
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
- Study Abroad Programs:
- West Indies Study Abroad Program: International Perspectives on Criminal Justice & Criminology (Trinidad & Tobago)
- Cross Cultural Perspectives on Health and Respiratory Therapy Services (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
- Study abroad aspirations:
- Spring 2019: Destination Dubai: Faces, Facets, and Psychology of a Growing Global City (Dubai, UAE)
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- Speak Spanish fluently and plan to go abroad for a longer period of time to be immersed in the culture as well as to have access to the language daily
- Graduate of Eastern Kentucky University; B.A. in Criminal Justice with a minor in African/African American Studies, Cum Laude; 2017
- Work and volunteer experience:
- Graduate Administrative Assistant in Study Abroad Programs within the Office of International Initiatives
- Volunteer at Friendship Baptist Church; member of the Outreach Ministry distributing food and clothes to those in need.
- Career aspirations: Civil-rights attorney
Learn more about the Study Abroad Student of the Year Award
View more photos of the 2018 International Education Award Recipients from the Georgia State University International Honorary Reception
EDWIN S. J. MATHIES, JR.
Graduate Student, Public Management & Policy
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Home country: Liberia
- Graduate of the African Methodist Episcopal University (Liberia); B.A. in Public Administration and Sociology, Cum Laude; 2018
- Developed Liberia’s first Vacation Bridge Program in partnership with Tuskegee University (Alabama) to provide qualified incoming high school graduates with a summer experience at the university and give them the opportunity to jump-start their academic goals
- Founded Educating Youth for Empowerment (EYE/Liberia), a non-profit that seeks to educate and empower vulnerable children and youths in Liberia’s slum communities through sustainable community-based programs
- Work experience:
- Project Coordinator; Georgia State University Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) Fellows/Alumni Project
- Student Services Officer and Program Coordinator,African Methodist Episcopal University (Liberia)
- Senior Risk Analyst; Central Bank of Liberia
- Professional training:
- Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders Fellow
- Enterprise Risk Management, Risk Based Internal Audit & Combine Assurance; PwC Business School; Accra, Ghana
- Emerging Leaders Conference; World Youth Alliance; Nairobi, Kenya
- Risk Assessment and Emergency Management Course; Tom Associates; Lagos, Nigera
- Honors:
- Carolyn McClain Young Leadership Award; Georgia State University
- President’s Academic Distinction Award; African Methodist Episcopal University
- West Africa’s 30 Under 30 Most Influential Personality; West African Network
- Youth Leadership Award; Federation of Liberian Youths
- Career aspirations: Public affairs servant leader; executive governor of the Central Bank of Liberia; United Nations Ambassador for Liberia; pro-bono educator for Liberian/African universities
Learn more about the International Graduate Student of the Year Award
View more photos of the 2018 International Education Award Recipients from the Georgia State University International Honorary Reception.
PIA-MILAN GREEN
Undergraduate Student, Interdisciplinary Studies – Law and Society
College of Arts & Sciences/Honors College
Home country: Jamaica
- Strives to provide an international perspective and inspire prospective students to take advantage of the world and venture beyond geographical and educational boundaries
- Participates in student panels in order to share the international student story; travelled to the CIVSA conference in Ohio to represent Georgia State University
- Produces University Housing programs that target diversity and how we should not only tolerate it but embrace it; encourages travelling and study abroad programs and scholarships because she has seen how important it is to learn hands-on about different cultures and societies
- Fluent in Jamaican Patois; intermediate level in Spanish and Latin
- Work experience:
- Ambassador, Welcome Center; Georgia State University
- Intern; Campbell & Campbell Law Firm
- Resident Assistant; Georgia State University
- Project Marketing & Management Intern; Digicel Group Corporate Office: Caribbean, Asia, Pacific & Central America
- Publicity Intern; Columbus Communications
- Leadership experience:
- Member, 1913 Society; Georgia State University
- Student Justice; Student Judicial Board; Georgia State University
- Member and Public Relations Chair; National Society of Collegiate Scholars; Georgia State University
- Member; Homecoming Court; Georgia State University
- Member, Caribbean Student’s Association; Georgia State University
- Chair, Golden Key International Honor Society; Georgia State University
- Chair, University Community Council
- Career aspirations: interested in the judicial system, global law and policy, politics and ways to ensure just and efficient implementation of each item in society; open her own law firm with two major departments devoted to human rights and law within the entertainment industry; champion of rights against discrimination, unequal opportunity and underdeveloped potential, especially of girls from lesser-developed countries; plans to start her own charity that enables children to attend colleges in more-developed countries where they can receive a more rounded education in a safer environment
Learn more about the International Undergraduate Student of the Year Award
View more photos of the 2018 International Education Award Recipients from the Georgia State University International Honorary Reception
GLOBAL ATLANTA
Phil Bolton, Publisher and President of Agio Press Inc.
Trevor Williams, Managing Editor
- Has tracked Atlanta’s connection to the global economy for 25+ years
- Serves as the only news source devoted to tracking Atlanta’s rise as a global city and an international hub in business, culture, and education
- Offers practical global business content, always with a local angle, that prioritizes actionable opportunities and helps readers navigate the complexities of the global economy with better information, relationships and resources.
- Curates and publishes the city’s most comprehensive global calendar of events
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2017 – Winner, Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Global Partner Award at the Global Impact Awards
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2016 – Finalist, Global Impact Awards, Metro Atlanta Chamber
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2015 – International Community Service Award, Technology Association of Georgia, awarded personally to Publisher Phil Bolton
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2014 – Winner of the President’s E Award for Export Service, a distinction given by the U.S. Commerce Department on behalf of the White House to organizations that help promote U.S. exports.
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View more photos of the 2018 International Education Award Recipients from the Georgia State University International Honorary Reception
2017
S. Rashid Naim
Principal Senior Lecturer, Political Science
College of Arts & Sciences
Kimberly Lawrence
Program Manager, International Engagement
Office of the Dean
Robinson College of Business
Glen Ross
Clinical Associate Professor, Economics
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Study Abroad Program: The Economic and Business Environment in South Africa
Mourad Dakhli
Clinical Associate Professor, International Business
Robinson College of Business
Study Abroad Program: The Economic and Business Environment in South Africa
Yale Davis
College of Arts & Sciences
Gabriela Alvarado
College of Arts & Sciences
Home country: Costa Rica
Alex Santos
Perimeter College
Home country: Brazil
2015
Tanya Caldwell
Professor, Associate Graduate Director, English
College of Arts & Sciences
Paula Huntley
Business Manager
Institute of International Business
Robinson College of Business
Jessica Mitchell
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Study Abroad Program: Social and Economic Justice in South Africa
Kerrian Baker
College of Education & Human Development
Home country: Jamaica
2014
Kim Reimann
Associate Professor, Political Science
College of Arts & Sciences
Maggie Tolan
Director
Office of Academic Assistance and Graduate Career Services
School of Public Health
Baotong Gu
Director
The Confucius Institute
Associate Professor, English
College of Arts & Sciences
Gina Granauro
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Study Abroad Program: Florence, Italy (Academics Programs International)
Tianyu (Mark) Ye
College of Arts & Sciences
Home country: China
2013
Iman Chahine
Assistant Professor, Middle and Secondary Education
College of Education
Ashley Mastin
International Specialist
Office of the Dean
College of Arts & Sciences
Sara Schuh
College of Education
Study Abroad Program: Language, Immigration, and Religion: Comparative Cultural Education in the U.S. and France
Sahil Bajaj
College of Arts & Sciences
Home country: India
2012
Dr. Gayle Nelson
Dr. Pedro Carrillo
Robinson College of Business
Management in Differing World Regions – How To Do Business in Transitional Economies
Kelcie Evenson
Aries Arugay
College of Arts & Sciences
Home country: The Philippines