Jacqueline McLaughlin, associate professor of biology at Penn State Lehigh Valley, has been selected by the Pennsylvania Council of International Education (PaCIE) to receive the 2010 David A. Portlock Outstanding International Educator Award. McLaughlin will be presented with the award on Oct. 1 during PaCIE's annual conference luncheon at the Hilton Scranton.
The award is presented to international educators in mid-career who have exhibited evidence of on-going mentoring of colleagues in the field, exemplary leadership in international education on their campuses, and consistent contribution to the field as seen in presentations, papers, publications, or other academic enterprises.
At Penn State Lehigh Valley, McLaughlin developed and directs the CHANCE program (Connecting Humans and Nature Through Conservation Experiences). The program is a coordinated partnership between Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of Education that aims to enhance the training of high school science teachers in environmental science and conservation biology. She has recently expanded the CHANCE program to embed international/experiential learning into the undergraduate curriculum through an international field course model. Using this model, McLaughlin has lead students to study and research the biodiversity and conservation realities of Alaska, Australia, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Peru, Panama, and Tanzania. For more information, log on to http://www.chance.psu.edu/ online.
David A. Portlock served as associate dean at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., for 15 years. He actively participated in PaCIE, the Mid-Atlantic Study Abroad Advisors Association and NAFSA: Association of International Educators. He was an involved professional in international education, a tireless researcher into pivotal issues of the field, and a generous mentor for newcomers to study abroad.