IIE presented awards for outstanding service to campus representatives from the University of Arkansas and St. Mary’s University of San Antonio who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of international education through their work on the Fulbright and Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Programs. The awards were presented at a special reception that IIE held in Houston on May 31.

Gloria Flores Passmore, the Associate Director of Recruitment and Sponsored Student Programs at the University of Arkansas, was recognized for her commitment to the Fulbright Program, and her role in furthering the partnership between IIE and the University of Arkansas in support of the students they host. When these students complete their studies they return to their home countries and serve as important links between the United States, Arkansas, and the university in business, government, education, and industry.

Minita Santizo, Director of International Education Programs at St. Mary's University, was honored by IIE for her contributions to the field of international education for nearly 40 years, most notably for her decade of work with the Gilman International Scholarship Program. Santizo has served as a selection panelist and Gilman campus advisor and recently completed a three-year term on the Gilman National Advisory Panel. She has played an important role in expanding study abroad opportunities at St. Mary's University, which has grown from its roots as the oldest Catholic university in Texas and the Southwest to become a nationally recognized liberal arts institution with a diverse student population of nearly 4,000 of all faiths and backgrounds.

Both programs are funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and administered by IIE.

To read more about these awards, please visit: www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2012/06-07-2012-IIE-Honors-Educators-for-Contributions-to-Fulbright-and-Gilman-Programs.