Next week will mark the celebration of International Education Week on UF campus, and the UF International Center is pleased to announce and recognize the invaluable contributions of our 2025 international education leaders, supporters, and mentors.
Access full details about awardees.
Congratulations to all 2025-2026 Global Awardees!
International Educator of the Year Awards 2025
The International Educator of the Year Awards honors the outstanding contributions of faculty and staff to the internationalization of the University of Florida and the impact of those contributions on students, international partners, and university stakeholders.
The University of Florida International Center presents the 2025 International Educator of the Year Awards to:
International Educators Campus Winners 2025
Rick Stepp, PhD - Senior Faculty Category
Professor, Cultural Anthropology and Latin American Studies;
Interim Director of UF Quest.
CLAS/Anthropology
Ana Maria Porras, PhD - Junior Faculty Category
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Cloe Zeidan, PhD - Staff Category
International Initiatives Coordinator,
College of Journalism and Communications
We also congratulate our staff and faculty nominees who are recognized this year as winners in their respective UF colleges and departments:
International Educators College Winners – Senior Faculty
Krishnaswami Alladi - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Randell Dory - College of Pharmacy
Cheryl B. McNeil - College of Medicine
Sonia Deshmukh Mehta - College of Medicine
Larisa Olesova - College of Education
Rick Stepp - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Madan K. Oli - College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Steven Thomas - College of the Arts
Albertus S. Wang - College of Design, Construction and Planning
Kirk J. Ziegler - Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
International Educators College Winners – Junior Faculty
Christopher Anthony - College of Education
Riley G. Jones - College of Medicine
Jessica Kahler - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Andrei P. Kirilenko - College of Health and Human Performance
Ana Martin-Ryals - College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Alberto Perez - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Ana Maria Porras - Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Peter Sprowls - College of Design, Construction and Planning
Michael von Fricken - College of Public Health and Health Professions
Mingyi Xie - College of Medicine
International Educator College Winners – Staff
Mark Wesley Gomillion - College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Franca Stocco - College of Design, Construction and Planning
Michael S. Todd - Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Cloe Zeidan - College of Journalism and Communications
For information on the International Educator Awards please visit UFIC's website.
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Global Learning Excellence Award Winners Fall 2025
The Global Learning Excellence Awards are intended to recognize UF faculty who have gone above and beyond in their curriculum internationalization efforts. Provided by the UFIC Office of Global Learning (OGL), these awards celebrate excellence in global learning opportunities that support OGL’s mission of ensuring all UF students have opportunities to gain global perspectives and engage in international interactions, without the need to travel abroad.
Dr. Matthew Traum - Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.
Global Learning Excellence Award for Impact
Dr. Sharon Austin - Political Science, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Global Learning Excellence Award for Synergy
Dr. Tara Mathien - College of Education.
Global Learning Excellence Award for Scholarship & Dissemination
Dr. Soohyoun Ahn - College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
Global Learning Excellence Award for Innovation
For additional information about this program, visit here.
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Global Fellows Program Awards
The Global Fellows Program provides an opportunity for early-career UF faculty to kick-start an international research program. A series of workshops and training sessions, along with a seed grant of $5,000, provides fellows an opportunity to lay the groundwork for an international research project.
The 2026 Global Fellows are:
Julie Brown - College of Education, Research in Italy. Mentor: Muthusami Kumaran
Mysha Clarke * * - College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS)/IFAS, Research in Jamaica. Mentor: Karen Kainer
Sugandh Gupta - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Research in India. Mentor: Adrienne Strong
Eugyoung Han - College of Journalism and Communications (CJC), Research in Singapore. Mentor: Kun Xu
Yohan Kim - College of Design, Construction and Planning (DCP), Research in South Korea and Japan. Mentor: Jason Alread
Robert Lamb *- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS)/IFAS, Research in Ecuador. Mentor: Donald Behringer
Emma MacKie - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Research in Germany. Mentor: Brent Christner
Won-Ki Moon - College of Journalism and Communications (CJC), Research in South Korea. Mentor: Benjamin Johnson
Patrick Musgrave - Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering (HWCOE), Research in Poland. Mentor: Jonathan Scheffe
Lindsey Rodriguez - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Research in Australia and Canada. Mentor: Sara Jo Nixon
Jose Rolando * - College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS)/IFAS, Research in Peru. Mentor: Jose Dubeux
Francisca Javiera Rudolph - UF George A. Smathers Libraries, Research in Ecuador and Chile. Mentor: Amanda Subalusky
Vaughn Shirey - Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH), Research in Portugal, UK, France, and Italy. Mentor: Megan Ennes
Carlos Alberto Silva * - College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS)/IFAS, Research in Portugal. Mentor: Jason Vogel
Augusto Soledade - College of the Arts (COTA), Research in Nigeria. Mentor: Onye Ozuzu
Ho Yi Wan * - College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS)/IFAS, Research in Japan. Mentor: Vanessa Hull
Di Yang * * * - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Research in Ecuador and Guatemala. Mentor: Lindsey Campbell
Edwin Marte Zorrilla - Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering (HWCOE), Research in Mexico. Mentor: Gloria J. Kim
* Supported by UF/IFAS Global Food Systems Institute (GFSI)
* * Supported by Florida Climate Institute (FCI)
* * * Supported by UF/IFAS Center for Remote Sensing (CRS)
For information on the Global Fellows Program please visit UFIC's website.
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Research Abroad for Doctoral Students (RAD) Awards 2025-2026
The RAD program provides funding for travel and travel-related expenses for doctoral students to go abroad to collect data or to access resources not available on campus at partner institutions.
Ifeoma Aneke - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Research in Nigeria. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Nancy Hunt.
Wania Cardoso - Agricultural and Life Sciences, Research in Brazil. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Cynthia Simmons
Anne Gachunga - Engineering, Research in South Africa. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ivana Parker
Angelica Gouveia Nunes - Agricultural and Life Sciences, Research in Brazil. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Taylor Stein
Rajani Maharjan - Agricultural and Life Sciences, Research in Nepal. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Bron Taylor
Fevi Paro - Public Health and Health Professions, Research in Rwanda. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sarah McKune
Paul Pluta - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Research in Peru. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Susan de France
Ayu Rahmawati - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Research in Indonesia and Philippines. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Michael Bernhard
Juan Restrepo - Agricultural and Life Sciences, Research in Ecuador. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Vanessa Hull
Francis Semwaza - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Research in Tanzania. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Adrienne Strong
Yukti Taneja - Agricultural and Life Sciences, Research in Galápagos Islands. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Luke Flory
Hannah Treadway - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Research in Spain. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jorge Valdés Kroc
For additional information on the RADs program please visit UFIC's website.
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Research Abroad for Master’s Students (RAM) Awards 2025/2026
The RAMS program aims to prepare Master’s students to compete and become leaders in an increasingly global research environment and build relationships with UF and foreign institutions. It provides funding for travel and travel related expenses for Master’s students to travel abroad to collect data or to access resources not available on campus at partner institutions.
Samagya Kharel - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Research in Uganda. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Nargiza Ludgate
Lisseth Roja Pelayo - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Research in Peru. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Daniel Contreras
Victoria Simoni Assuncao - Public Health and Health Professions, Research in Burkina Faso. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Heather Stark
For additional information on the RAMs program please visit UFIC's website.