University of San Diego Among Five Universities Recognized With Prestigious Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization

SAN DIEGO, CA – NAFSA’s 2015 Senator Paul Simon Awards for Campus Internationalization will be presented to five universities and colleges, including the University of San Diego, for excellence in integrating international education across all aspects of college and university campuses.

In addition to the University of San Diego, Mount Holyoke College, North Central College, University of Delaware, and the University of Virginia will receive the 2015 “Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization.”

Rice University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Wake Forest University will receive the 2015 “Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award” for a specific international program or initiative that contributes to comprehensive internationalization.

“We are proud to present NAFSA’s 2015 Simon Awards to these colleges and universities that have excelled in expanding global learning for students and scholars,” said NAFSA executive director and CEO Marlene M. Johnson. “This year’s Simon Award winners are outstanding models for how higher education across the country can and must innovate to prepare our graduates for success in today’s increasingly complex and interdependent world.”

“It is very exciting, and an honor, to have USD included with these other institutions. Comprehensive internationalization includes such things as student mobility, faculty expertise, curriculum development, co-curricular activities, international partnerships and collaborations, leadership at the highest levels and governance structures to support all of these efforts,” said Denise Dimon, PhD, USD associate provost for International Affairs.

USD President Mary E. Lyons added, “USD is very proud of the enormous progress we have made to create and expand innovative programs that provide members of our campus community with enriching global experiences in nearly 50 countries across the globe. We are committed to the goal of graduating men and women who are truly global citizens with the competencies to navigate our world well.”

Named for the late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, NAFSA’s Simon Awards recognize outstanding and innovative achievements in campus internationalization. From the innovative use of technology to expanded English language and support systems, the 2015 Simon Award winners reflect a broad diversity of approaches to campus internationalization, both in terms of models and implementation.

Senator Simon was a strong supporter of international education and foreign language learning. His leadership in these areas was especially evident in his robust support for the creation of the National Security Education Program, which addresses critical national security deficiencies in language and cultural expertise, and for his vision of a national program to greatly expand U.S. citizens' knowledge of the world, which was the inspiration behind the proposed Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act.

Institutions selected for the Simon Awards will be featured in NAFSA's report, Internationalizing the Campus: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities, to be published this fall, and honored at an event in Washington, D.C. during International Education Week in November. To learn more about NAFSA’s Senator Paul Simon Awards, visit www.nafsa.org/SimonAward.

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is among the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact according to The Princeton Review. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.