NAFSA Announces 2015 Simon Awards

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NAFSA's 2015 Senator Paul Simon Awards for Campus Internationalization will be presented to eight U.S. universities and colleges for their innovative international programs. Mount Holyoke College, North Central College, University of Delaware, University of San Diego, and the University of Virginia will receive the 2015 "Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization" for excellence in integrating international education across all aspects of college and university campuses. Rice University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Wake Forest University will receive the 2015 "Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award" for a specific international program or initiative that contributes to comprehensive internationalization.

"We are proud to present NAFSA's 2015 Simon Awards to these colleges and universities that have excelled in expanding global learning for students and scholars," said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene M. Johnson. "This year's Simon Award winners are outstanding models for how higher education across the country can and must innovate to prepare our graduates for success in today's increasingly complex and interdependent world."

Named for the late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, NAFSA's Simon Awards recognize outstanding and innovative achievements in campus internationalization. From the innovative use of technology to expanded English language and support systems, the 2015 Simon Award winners reflect a broad diversity of approaches to campus internationalization, both in terms of models and implementation.

Senator Simon was a strong supporter of international education and foreign language learning. His leadership in these areas was especially evident in his robust support for the creation of the National Security Education Program, which addresses critical national security deficiencies in language and cultural expertise, and for his vision of a national program to greatly expand U.S. citizens' knowledge of the world, which was the inspiration behind the proposed Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act.

Institutions selected for the Simon Awards will be featured in NAFSA's report, Internationalizing the Campus: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities, to be published this fall, and honored at an event in Washington, D.C. during International Education Week in November. To learn more about NAFSA's Senator Paul Simon Awards, visit www.nafsa.org/SimonAward.

Sample Tweet: .@NAFSA #SimonAward to @mtholyoke @northcentralcol @UDelaware @uofsandiego @UVA @RiceUniversity @VCU @WakeForest1834 http://j.mp/simad

With more than 10,000 members, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education. Visit us at www.nafsa.org. To learn more about our advocacy efforts on behalf of international education, visit www.ConnectingOurWorld.org and @ConnectOurWorld on Twitter.

SOURCE NAFSA: Association of International Educators

Related Links

http://www.nafsa.org

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