October 24, 2023
As part of IIE’s celebration of Global Diversity Awareness Month, we are proud to announce the recipients of the inaugural IIE Empower Awards for Team Members. With the launch of the IIE Center for Access and Equity in 2023, we created the Empower Awards to honor outstanding members of the global IIE team who practice and engender the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) in international education. These individuals have gone above and beyond to lead by example, making significant strides in making international education more equitable and accessible to all.
The Advocate award recognizes an IIE team member for their active support and participation in DEIA initiatives within or outside of IIE. The Luminary award recognizes an IIE team member that has demonstrated outstanding efforts to advance DEIA values or practices at IIE. The Champion award recognizes an IIE team member that has taken on a leadership role that advances DEIA values or practices that benefit any aspect of IIE’s organization, business, and/or team members. Finally, the Change Makers award recognizes an IIE team that has worked together to make a significant change in support of DEIA strategic goals, with demonstrated success and impact.
Congratulations to our winners:
- Advocate: Kathleen Mallari, IIE New York
- Advocate Honorable Mention: Janice D’Souza, IIE New York
- Luminary: Candice Homan Arnone, IIE New York
- Champion: Lee Rivers, IIE Houston
- Champion Honorable Mention: Rogelio Cerezo, IIE Washington, D.C.
- Change Makers: The Gilman Scholarship Program Team, comprised of Shereen Ali, Jennifer Bhiro, Stephanie Deremer, Michelle Fleuriot, Alyssa Hazen, Steven Dale, James Hoyt, Shawna Hurley, Alex Iadanza, Catalina Loredo, Sarah Murray, Samantha Peralta, Caroline Pette, Michelle Pickard, Abigail Reilly, Ace Relingado, Susan ‘Susy’ Saravia, Heather Theisen-Gandara, Megan Wilmot, Javier Zarazua, Drew Crawford throughout IIE offices in Chicago, Houston, D.C., and New York.
In July, we presented an external version of the IIE Empower Award to NAFSA in recognition of their exceptional commitment to DEIA in their organizational strategies and programming such as the RISE Fellowship and Tamara H. Bryant Memorial Scholarship. This annual award marks a significant milestone in advancing global education opportunities that are accessible and equitable for all individuals. We remain committed to fostering collaborations and opportunities that contribute to greater access, and a more inclusive and diverse international higher education community.