UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mark Mattson, head of global engagement initiatives and international partnerships for the Penn State University Libraries, has received one of two 2021 Michael P. Malone International Leadership Awards from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). The award annually recognizes individuals who advance international education at public universities in the United States.
“Those familiar with Mark’s work are aware of his many efforts to strengthen and raise the visibility of Penn State’s Global Engagement Network,” said Faye A. Chadwell, dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications at Penn State. “This award is a well-earned achievement and wonderful recognition for his role in championing of one of Penn State’s strategic initiatives, and I’m grateful for his leadership and enthusiasm to support and connect both students and academic librarians from around the world.”
In his role at the University Libraries, Mattson has played a vital part in efforts to make its locations at Penn State’s 24 campuses more inclusive for international populations. Toward this end, the University Libraries has conducted international student needs assessments, created multilingual welcome signage, appointed international student liaison librarians and implemented an international student personal librarian program.
Mattson has also organized intercultural training workshops for University Libraries employees, including the use of the Intercultural Development Inventory. Through his outreach work, he promotes the use of the Libraries’ many international resources, including databases of government documents and international literature, films and newspapers. These and other efforts help to create a more welcoming environment for all patrons of the University Libraries.
Mattson has helped advance Penn State’s Global Engagement Network by establishing international sister-library partnerships in support of larger institutional collaborations. Under his leadership, the Libraries has developed intercultural programming events to foster global citizenship, such as international guest speakers, globally focused film screenings, cultural fairs, book clubs and exhibits.
“The Penn State Libraries work across our whole community and we are thankful to Mark and his colleagues for ensuring international students have full access to their world-class academic support,” said Roger Brindley, vice provost for Global Programs. “Mark's commitment to international students, some of whom live in societies where traditional and digital media are centrally controlled, adds to Penn State’s foundational commitment to global engagement. Further, by working with like-minded libraries around the world, Penn State leads a global effort to promote international education. We offer our congratulations to Mark on this well-deserved national recognition and our grateful appreciation to all his colleagues.”
APLU’s Office of International Engagement leads international initiatives to help support campus internationalization, enhance and expand study abroad opportunities, strengthen engagement with the developing world and support efforts to engage with partners worldwide to address global challenges.
The Malone Award honors the legacy of the late Michael P. Malone, a champion of international education and one-time chair of the APLU Commission on International Education. Malone served as president of Montana State University from 1991 until his death in 1999.