The Honors College at Washington State University is already renowned for its global education emphasis, and now its assistant dean has received an award for her work.
Assistant Dean of the Washington State University Honors College Jessica Cassleman was presented the 2012 Robert C. Bates Award for her dedication to the advancement of international education programs. The award was administered by the WSU Office of International Programs.
The Robert C. Bates Award is presented annually to a member of the WSU or Pullman community who has: enriched the cultural experiences of the WSU international student and scholar population; promoted global networking through classroom and experiential education; or, increased awareness among the WSU student and/or staff population about our global interconnectedness.
Says Libby Walker, dean of the WSU Honors College, “Those of us familiar with Jessica’s activism and involvement in international education are certainly not surprised that she was honored with this award. We are proud of her accomplishments, and appreciative of Jessica’s dedication to the development of global education in the Honors College.”
Dean Cassleman has not only worked to enrich the lives of hundreds of WSU students, but she has also reached beyond the campus to facilitate bilateral agreements with other U.S. universities and to promote honors education in universities abroad.
Out of the classroom, she helped in the development of an Honors program at the Universidad Austral in Valdivia, Chile; the Federal University of Parana in Matinhos, Brazil; the Regional University of Blumenau, Brazil; and the Scientific University of the South in Lima, Peru. She has also served as key player in the establishment of partnerships between WSU and the Universidad de Chile in Santiago, Chile and Universidad de Concepcion in Concepcion, Chile.
She was a key proponent of the development of the WSU Honors College’s Certificate of Global Competencies, an elective program aimed at the enhancement of students’ preparation for the global environment of commerce, creativity, and scholarship.