Impact

Penn State recognized at NAFSA conference

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State made a big splash at the the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers (NAFSA) conference this year, with the Sponsored Student Office and the Directorate of International Students and Scholars — both part of the Office of Global Programs — garnering awards. NAFSA holds an annual conference in which global representatives from hundreds of universities meet to discuss and learn from each other. This year’s conference took place from May 27 to June 2.

At the conference, Global Programs’ Sponsored Relations manager, Bill Shuey, was named as co-chair to the Sponsored Programs Administration Members’ Interest group. Sponsored student programs refer to those students and scholars who are sponsored by a home government or organization to pursue specific studies in the United States. This group serves as a platform for professionals in Sponsored Relations to share, seek professional advice, and present to sponsors.

“Being named co-chair — this is a great honor,” said Shuey. “My peers recognized that what we’ve built at Penn State is innovative. My appointment is just a reflection of the great work our office is doing.”

Shuey will serve a two-year term as co-chair with Amy Fisher Bruey, a senior program specialist at World Learning for International Development in Washington, D.C. They will lead efforts to survey peer institutions and provide research and other information to members. They also plan to make a presentation with some leaders of the field in Philadelphia about sponsored relations support infrastructure.

“There’s no question this will increase Penn State’s visibility among our peers and sponsors,” Shuey said. “I intend to lend our voice to those in the field — to guide the conversation and hopefully share some of the innovations we’ve made over the past few years.”

“I’m very excited for the opportunity,” he said.

Also at NAFSA, Penn State was awarded the 2017 Laspau University Award. Laspau, an affiliate of Harvard University, seeks to “connect individuals and institutions with opportunities to enhance the quality and impact of higher education in the Americas.” The two universities work with scholars who study throughout the Americas, some of whom study here at Penn State.

The Director of International Student and Scholar Services, Masume Assaf, was specifically recognized for her incredible support for the program. Penn State was one of three universities to receive the award, along with the University of Texas-Austin and the University of Arizona.

The next NAFSA conference will be held in Philadelphia in the last week of May 2018.

Last Updated July 25, 2017