Cato College of Education professor Chuang Wang and student Maria Garcia are the recipients of the International Education Awards (IEA) presented by the Office of International Programs.
Wang, who won the IEA for faculty, is a member of the Department of Educational Leadership. According to nominator Florence Martin, professor of educational leadership, Wang has an exemplary record in teaching, research and service and has made great contributions to the enhancement of the international education experience at UNC Charlotte. He has added to the educational leadership curriculum by developing comparative courses focusing on China’s educational system. Also, he was a member of the 2013 Faculty International Education Award Committee and contributed to the establishment of the internationalization committee within Cato College.
Wang has led study abroad programs, taking 60 students on comparative education trips to China, South Korea and India. He has recruited five international students (four from China and one from Turkey) to the Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation (ERME) program, and he has collaborated with other faculty and guided them in leading study abroad programs. Additionally, Wang hosted seven visiting scholars from China to strengthen the ties and collaborations between Chinese universities and UNC Charlotte, and he has served on more than 80 doctoral dissertation committees, including those for students from China, Germany, Ghana, India, Iran, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. He has conducted research on an international level and obtained a grant from international agencies to advance his field of educational leadership. Finally, Wang mentored students who wrote chapters about their study abroad experiences for his edited book.
As the 2019 Faculty International Education Award recipient, Wang received a plaque and a $2,000 stipend, presented by the faculty award review committee chairperson, Dolly King, associate dean for research and graduate programs in the Belk College of Business.
Garcia, who is majoring in International Studies, French and German, studied abroad in Lyon, France, and Berlin, Germany. During her time in Germany, she served as a student blogger and Snapchatter for the American Institute for Foreign Study Program and shared her experiences to encourage others to study abroad. Additionally, she served as an overseas ambassador for Diversity Abroad; she wrote articles and represented the organization on social media as an advocate for intercultural exchange.
She also served as a peer advisor for the Office of Education Abroad and as a conversation partner for the English Language Training Institute. As an undergraduate research assistant, she worked in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration on various projects.
As a Charlotte Community Scholar, Garcia works with an immigration attorney in Charlotte to meet various local immigration needs. Her native languages are English and Spanish. In addition, she has studied French, German and Portuguese.
As the 2019 Student International Education Award recipient, Garcia received a plaque and a $500 stipend, presented by a student award review committee member Oldain Claxton, a graduate student and member of the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society.
Both awards were presented on behalf of Assistant Provost Joël Gallegos and the Office of International Programs.
Each year, OIP recognizes one faculty member and one student. The Faculty International Education Award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to the enhancement of the international education experience at UNC Charlotte. Areas of excellence may include teaching, research, curriculum development, program development, grant writing, University service and/or community service.
The Student International Education Award recognizes an individual for his/her outstanding contributions to and involvement in areas such as a study abroad experience, involvement in internationally focused clubs, work/volunteer experiences with the Office of International Programs or other globally focused co-curricular activities.
Faculty and students are encouraged to consider submitting applications for the 2019-20 International Education Awards. Details are on the OIP website.