AIEA recognizes contributions to the field of international education leadership through awards presented at the Annual Conference each year: the  Charles Klasek Award, the Harold Josephson Award for Professional Promise in International Education, the Timothy J. Rutenber Award, the Innovative Excellence in Internationalization Award and the Award for Presidential Leadership in Internationalization. ​

CHARLES KLASEK AWARD​

2025 Recipient: Hillary Landorf
2025 Klasek Award Press Release (.pdf) 
Picture
Each year AIEA presents the Charles Klasek Award at the Annual Conference. "Chuck" Klasek was a founding member of AIEA from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and served as its third president. In addition to being a real leader in the founding of AIEA, Chuck was an excellent example of an effective international education administrator. He took on many tasks within AIEA including, in 1992, the editing and publication of Bridges to the Future: Strategies for Internationalizing Higher Education.

When Chuck died, the Executive Committee felt that a fitting tribute to his outstanding service to AIEA and to the field of International Education Administration would be to present an annual award in his name. The single criterion for the award is that the recipient should have given long-term and outstanding service to the field of International Education.
​
Pictured (L-R): AIEA President-Elect, Jane Gatewood and 2025 Charles Klasek Award Recipient Hillary Landorf.
​Learn more...

THE HAROLD JOSEPHSON AWARD FOR PROFESSIONAL PROMISE IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

Picture
Each year, AIEA presents Harold Josephson Awards to deserving graduate students who are making a significant contribution to the field of international education. The awardee may be at the masters or doctoral level, in any disciplinary area. The award recognizes emerging leadership in international education, as evidenced by the students' graduate study, involvement in international education initiatives, research related to international education, and/or other relevant contributions. 

This award was established to honor the memory of Dr. Josephson, a long-time leader in AIEA and Assoc. Vice Chancellor of International Programs at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, who died in 1998. The award includes a $1,000 travel grant to attend the annual conference of AIEA, complimentary conference registration, and an opportunity for the winner to report on her/his contribution to international education to the conference attendees. The recipients of the Harold Josephson Award will also be included in the conference program and recognized during the annual conference. 

​Pictured (L-R): (top) AIEA Board member, Kalpen Trivedi and 2025 Harold Josephson Professional Award Recipient Krishna Chaitanya Rao Kathala; (bottom) 2025 Harold Josephson Student Award Recipient, Anas Nazmi Almassri and 2025 AIEA President, Paulo Zagalo-Melo
Learn more...

TIMOTHY J. RUTENBER AWARD

Picture
The Timothy J. Rutenber Award is an award established to honor AIEA members who have rendered long-term and outstanding service to the Association. This occasional award is named for the late Timothy J. Rutenber, who served as Director of the Secretariat and Treasurer of AIEA until his death in 2004.

An associate member of AIEA since 1992, Rutenber was an outstanding manager of the day-to-day affairs of AIEA and a wise steward of the Association's resources. His work on behalf of AIEA epitomizes the ideal of service excellence. In his name, awardees will be recognized at the Annual Conference for truly exceptional service of long duration to AIEA. To be eligible, nominees must be current AIEA members and have been actively involved in AIEA for more than five years.


​Pictured (L-R): 2025 Timothy J. Rutenber Award Recipient Susan Sutton and AIEA Treasurer, David Fleshler.
Learn more...

THE INNOVATIVE EXCELLENCE IN INTERNATIONALIZATION AWARD 

2025 Recipient: University of California, Davis (UC Davis)
2025 Innovative Excellence in Internationalization Award Press Release (.pdf)
Picture
Internationalization leaders work tirelessly, often with limited financial and overall institutional support, but always with passion, vision and commitment to meeting their institution’s mission and goals. Some of this work is more than just effective; it includes initiatives that are outstanding, inspirational, and replicable.  

The Innovative Excellence in Internationalization Award recognizes a specific replicable initiative advancing internationalization. It is an updated iteration of AIEA’s Innovation Award in Internationalization launched in 2015, and is informed by the current complexities and opportunities in internationalization.

The goals of this updated award are intentionally aligned with inspirational and creative leadership in advancing comprehensive internationalization and with the principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI), and the Sustainable Development Goals.​


Pictured (L-R): AIEA Treasurer, Leigh Poole and 2025 Innovative Excellence Award Recipient University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Representatives, Jolynn Shoemaker and Joanna Regulska.
Learn more... ​

AWARD FOR PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP IN INTERNATIONALIZATION

​2025 Recipient: Dr. Adela de la Torre
2025 Presidential Leadership Award Press Release (.pdf)
Picture
The Award for Presidential Leadership in Internationalization serves as an important recognition of the pivotal role college and university presidents (and their equivalent titles in other countries) play in advancing global engagement within higher education across the world. By highlighting exceptional leaders in this field, the award encourages other leaders (and their institutions) to prioritize comprehensive internationalization and invest in its implementation. Additionally, the award fosters a sense of community and collaboration among presidents, enabling the sharing of best practices and the dissemination of innovative strategies for cultivating globally oriented campuses. By acknowledging university presidents who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to this mission, the award aims to inspire and motivate other leaders in the field, ultimately contributing to the development of globally engaged and culturally competent institutions and society.
The Award for Presidential Leadership in Internationalization is a prestigious accolade designed to recognize and honor university presidents who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing internationalization within their respective institutions. The award acknowledges recipients who have exemplified leadership in multiple facets of comprehensive internationalization. Additionally, the award places great emphasis on the demonstration of global mindedness at both the institutional and professional levels, emphasizing the critical role of university leaders as individuals in fostering a globally engaged higher education environment. 

​Pictured (L-R): Presidential Leadership Award Recipient Representative, San Diego State University Provost Bill Tong and Presidential Ambassadors Council Chair, Carolyn Stefanco
Learn more...
CONTACT US
​
PO Box 14844 | Durham, NC 27709​
​[email protected] 
If you have trouble accessing this page because of a disability, please contact the AIEA Secretariat at [email protected].

​AIEA is located on the traditional lands of the Catawba and Shakori peoples.  AIEA honors with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations. This calls us to commit to continuing to learn how to be better stewards of the land we inhabit.
​
​​Privacy Notice & Logo Usage
© Association of International Education Administrators. All Rights Reserved.