International Education
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The International Education Knowledge Community is a place for higher education professionals and students who are interested in or engaged in providing support for students studying outside of their home countries and/or building intercultural or global competence among student populations.
Welcome to the International Education KC, from your Co-Chairs!
Our names are Russell Martin (he/his) and Dr. Kerrie Montgomery Orozco (she/her), and we are excited to serve as Co-Chairs for the IEKC for 2026-2028. We are looking forward to engaging with all IEKC members to learn more about how we can support your professional development needs.
Russell currently works as Senior Associate Dean in the Office of Student Life at Franklin Switzerland, located in Lugano, Switzerland. He is from the U.S., and has previously worked in Qatar and studied in Turkey. Kerrie studied in Italy and currently works as an adjunct faculty member for the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and has a consulting business focused on supporting individuals and institutions in the international education community. Both of us are avid travelers and have a passion for supporting not only students, but also the student affairs professionals who serve them around the globe.
One of our primary initiatives during our tenure as Co-Chairs is creating a clearinghouse for resources (e.g., professional associations, conferences, virtual learning opportunities, etc.) and research (e.g., scholarly journals, research collaboration opportunities, etc.) to allow practitioners around the world to find the support and educational materials they need to enhance their practice and grow professionally. We also hope to create a space where global scholars and practitioners (from those in Master's preparation programs and pursuing doctoral studies, to student affairs faculty and seasoned professionals) can expand their networks and connect with colleagues on programs and research initiatives that respond to current trends affecting our work. We will also continue to collaborate with the NASPA Global Division to bring greater awareness to the general NASPA membership regarding the impact of global issues on higher education.
We are always eager to hear from you with any questions, comments, or suggestions you may have about the work of the International Education Knowledge Community. Feel free to email us at [email protected] and be sure to connect with us on LinkedIn.
Russell Martin & Kerrie Montgomery Orozco, PhD
About
The International Education Knowledge Community is a place for higher education professionals and students who are interested in or engaged in providing support for students studying outside of their home countries and/or building intercultural or global competence among student populations.
Some of the key work our Knowledge Community undertakes includes:
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Stimulating increased awareness of global perspectives in higher education.
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Providing a platform through which to disseminate relevant research and best practices recommendations with regard to international and intercultural education.
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Working collaboratively with the Global Division to amplify voices from student affairs around the world.
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IEKC Best Practices Awards that honor outstanding work in the field, including research contributions, international partnerships, and study abroad programing.
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Best Practices in International Education Award
The Application for the 2027 Best Practices Awards is open!
Nominations due by October 1, 2026
The NASPA International Education Knowledge Community recognizes student affairs involvement and collaboration in international education related programs and services around the world through the annual awarding of our Best Practices awards.
The goals of these awards are as follows:
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To encourage recognition of innovative ideas and practices that will help create and sustain new opportunities for international and domestic students.
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To generate conversation among student affairs professionals regarding internationalization and intercultural initiatives.
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To inspire awareness and appreciation related to the benefits of international education in the higher education field.
* Award winning programs relate to one of the four below categories.
* Recipients are honored each spring during the Global Initiatives Reception on the Monday evening of the NASPA Annual Conference.
* Winners are also highlighted during the NASPA International Symposium, taking place the weekend prior to the Annual Conference, and are encouraged to attend the International Symposium or create a short presentation on their winning project that will be shared during that event.
* If you have any questions about your nomination please reach out to one of our co-chairs today!
| Intercultural Awareness and Programming | Programs that encourage the development of intercultural competence and globalized/globalizing perspectives through exposure to various cultures and perspectives, and engagement in active self-reflection to develop awareness and understanding of the diverse experiences of others. |
| Student Mobility Programing | Recognizes strengths and/or achievements of non-degree seeking short or long-term credit-bearing programs that promote and facilitate understanding in an international context, including semester break, semester abroad, exchange, service-learning programs, and more. |
| Global Partnership | Recognizes educational programs that encourage international engagement, cooperation, and collaboration with and between professionals/partners in two or more countries. |
| International Research and Scholarship | Recognizes new and innovative research in international education, research projects contextualized in international settings, and/or international research collaborations. |
Our Best Practices Awards committee meets each year to review our nominees and assess them using this rubric: https://tinyurl.com/IEKCrubric. We have opted to share it here in the hopes it will enable our constituents to build the strongest possible nomination packets.
Past Winners
Year |
Award |
Winner |
| 2025 | Intercultural Awareness and Programming | In Place of War |
| 2025 | Student Mobility Programing | Beth Nardella |
| 2025 | Research and Scholarship | Daksha Khatri |
| 2025 | Global Partnership | WVU Reed School of Media and Communications and Centro Universitario EUSA Global Collaboration |
| 2024 | Research and Scholarship | Renee Bowling |
| 2024 | Student Affairs Professional Global Partnership | Sarita Rai and the Study Abroad Center, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa |
| 2024 | Intercultural Awareness and Programming | Professor Bob Walton, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University |
| 2024 | Study Abroad Programming | Lorenzo de Medici |
| 2024 | International Programming | Project Global, Duke University |
| 2023 | Research and Scholarship | The Global Role of Student Affairs and Services with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals Brett Perozzi, Thierry Luescher, Lisa Bardill Moscaritolo, and Birgit Schreiber |
| 2023 | Student Affairs Professional Global Partnership | Partnering on Ethical Global Learning East Carolina University and Amizade |
| 2023 | Intercultural Awareness and Programming | Global Classrooms Student Development Case Study Western Michigan University and the University of Toronto |
| 2023 | Study Abroad Programming | International College of Seville |
Recommended Partner Events
One of the most valuable aspects of your NASPA membership is the wide range of professional development opportunities NASPA offers. The IEKC supports a number of different initiatives and also encourages you to seek out the quality events offered by some of our partners throughout NASPA as listed below. To see a full listing of NASPA events, please see the Events page.
NASPA INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
For over 25 years, the NASPA International Symposium has been presented as a two-day pre-conference program before the NASPA Annual Conference. This program serves as a key venue for professional networking, collaboration, and exchange in the field of student affairs between international and American colleagues. The dynamic program features prominent speakers, panels of distinguished professionals from around the world, interactive roundtables, and an excellent opportunity to develop global networks and friendships. As we gather to discuss how we can best prepare our students for meaningful and fruitful lives, Symposium participants are invited to consider global perspectives in our field.
The 2027 NASPA International Symposium will take place March 6-7, 2027 in National Harbor, MD. Registration for the Annual Conference is NOT required to attend the Symposium. Please contact Janelle Rahyns ([email protected]) for more information.
MENASA
The Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) area is a vibrant community established in 2015. It continues to be a source of knowledge, development, and opportunities offering growth prospects for numerous practitioners from three main areas: The Middle East (including GCC institutions); North Africa, and South Asia.
MENASA offers a variety of virtual programs open to all NASPA members, including monthly Multaqas and Women's Wednesday sessions where colleagues gather to share promising practices. MENASA also hosts a conference in the region each year. For 2026, the MENASA Conference will be held virtually in December. Check the MENASA website for details.
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS AND SERVICES (ECSAS)
Each fall, NASPA partners with the European university college Association (EucA) to host the three-day European Conference for Student Affairs and Services (ECSAS) at a location in Europe. The in-person event is open to student affairs and services practitioners from around the globe with a goal of providing education, training, resources, and support to professionals working in student affairs and services roles in the European education area and beyond.
The 2026 program will take place November 11-13, 2026 in Seville, Spain, with the following focus:
ECSAS 2026 examines what it means to center student affairs and services within the higher education ecosystem: not as auxiliary support, but as a structural pillar that connects academic success, student well-being, institutional strategy, and societal responsibility.
From rethinking how we prepare globally fluent professionals, to modernizing engagement models on campuses that encourage more participation, to embedding well-being as a shared institutional commitment — this edition asks how we move student affairs from the periphery to the center of higher education decision-making
