Dr. Kathie Stromile-Golden, Provost/Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Mississippi Valley State University, was recently honored for her immense contribution to the field of International Education for over 40 years.
Golden, who is also the Executive Director for the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, was awarded the National Association for Foreign Student Affairs (NAFSA) Region VII 2020 International Excellence Award at a Virtual Program on Friday, November 13th.
The award recognizes an international education professional in the region who has best exemplified international education's true spirit throughout their career. The region includes institutions in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
Being the most prominent International Education Association in World, NAFSA (www.nafsa.org) has more than 8000 members.
Golden said she was both honored and humbled to be selected to receive the award.
"To have been selected for the award was unexpected. I view this as a nod to MVSU and its commitment to international education," Golden said.
She was nominated by colleagues Dr. Pamela Moore from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and Dr. Lokesh Shivakumaraiah, Executive Director of International Relations at MVSU.
"I am thankful that the Dr. Shivakumaraiah and Dr. Moore thought me worthy of the nomination and that the NAFSA selection committee agreed is quite remarkable, given that Region VII has no shortage of individuals who are deserving of such recognition," Golden added.
"Dr. Golden's contribution for strengthening international education for over two decades in Mississippi, Historically Black College and Universities and the local community are unparalleled," said Shivakumaraiah. She is very persistent and creative to meet international education's challenging needs. I have never seen someone concerned and committed to global education and the betterment of students and team members. The NAFSA Region VII International Excellence Award is a well-deserved accolade for Dr. Golden," he added.
NAFSA is the largest and most comprehensive association of professionals committed to advancing international higher education. Based in the United States, NAFSA provides programs, products, services, and physical and virtual meeting spaces for the worldwide community of international educators.
The association provides leadership to its varied constituencies by establishing good practice principles and providing professional development opportunities. NAFSA encourages networking among professionals, convenes conferences and collaborative dialogues, and promotes research and knowledge creation to strengthen and serve the field.