University of Arkansas Shines at Annual Conference for International Education

Photo Courtesy of LASPAU

Members of the University of Arkansas delegation accept the 2015 LASPAU University Award from LASPAU representative Suzanne Kratzig.

The University of Arkansas was well-represented at the annual NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference held last month in Boston. More than 11,000 international education professionals from more than 100 countries attended. DeDe Long, director of Study Abroad and International Exchange, chaired the conference committee.

Kim Needy, dean of Graduate School and International Education, was impressed to see so many U of A staff members take part in the event.

"I was so proud of our delegation and pleased to see the University of Arkansas recognized for its leadership and active engagement in promoting international education," Needy said. "We really shined at this conference."   

Several U of A representatives presented at the conference. Long spoke at a 100K Strong Initiative workshop hosted by Partners of the Americas. Gloria Flores Passmore, director of Sponsored Student Programs, co-presented an informational session on Latin American student mobility. Jean-Francois Meullenet, head of the Department of Food Science, gave a presentation about how to increase U.S. student mobility to France, while Sarah Malloy, assistant director of faculty-led study abroad programs, co-presented a session on helping U.S. students articulate skills garnered during study abroad experiences.

Additionally, Namiko Bagirimvano, assistant director of retention for the International Students and Scholars office, co-organized the conference's poster fair for Intercultural Initiatives for Campus and Community.

Karl Anderson, assistant director of International Recruitment, is the state liaison for Arkansas to the Association for International Educators. While at the conference, he took part in meetings with members of the regional leadership team. 

The U of A also received generous visibility in the conference program and in video images that ran throughout the conference for its sponsorship of the annual conference pin.

A special highlight was LASPAU's recognition of the University of Arkansas during the conference. LASPAU works to place students from Latin America and the Caribbean at U.S. colleges and universities. The organization also seeks out funding sources to help cover tuition costs for those students.

The 2015 LASPAU University Award was a recognition of the support shown by the university's Sponsored Student Programs office in working with international students who have received LASPAU-administered grants to fund their tuition. This was the inaugural year for the award.

"It is an honor to be recognized by LASPAU," said Flores Passmore. "This would not have been possible without the collaboration and hard work of our colleagues across campus, especially those in International Admissions, International Students and Scholars and the Spring International Language Center."