Faculty Spotlights
Education Abroad Faculty Awards
Each year, the UNC Charlotte Office of Education Abroad recognizes exceptional faculty members who have demonstrated a commitment to fostering global engagement and designing enriching educational experiences in other countries. Since 2024, the International Excellence and Curriculum Design Awards have honored faculty directors who demonstrate exceptional success in these areas. These prestigious awards serve to celebrate and showcase the exemplary contributions of our faculty in furthering our institution’s mission of academic excellence for students from all backgrounds.
International Excellence Award Winners
The 2024 International Excellence Award Winner: Jane Houston, Adjunct Instructor of French in the Department of Languages, Culture and Translation Studies.
Madame Houston was recognized for her unwavering support of students interested in international experiences. Madame Houston has served as the faculty director for the long-running France: French Culture and Civilization in Paris short-term education abroad program, and for the nearly four decades she has served our institution, she has been a consistent pillar of support for students interested in immersing themselves in a foreign culture – French or not.
Curriculum Design Award Winners
The 2024 Curriculim Design Award Winner: Jeff Balmer, Associate Professor in the David R. Ravin School of Architecture.
Professor Balmer was recognized for his innovation in implementing a low-cost and impactful education abroad program that fits within the rigorous curriculum followed by Architecture students. For the 2024 iteration of the Italy: Architecture Semester in Rome + Istanbul program, Professor Balmer welcomed an unprecedented thirty-nine students to Rome for their capstone terms at UNC Charlotte. Of these students, seventeen extended their program to join him in Türkiye for additional research into the architectural and urban culture of Istanbul and the ancient cities of the Aegean Coast.
The UNC Charlotte Office of Education Abroad is thrilled to announce the inaugural winners of the International Excellence and Curriculum…