Fostering Diversity in Study Abroad 

Director of Education Abroad James Pasquill with President Jones.

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 15, 2016) – The Center for International Education and Global Strategy’s Director of Education Abroad James Pasquill, has been honored for his success in increasing the numbers of UAlbany students of color who study abroad.

Pasquill is the recipient of a 2016 Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion in International Education (EDIE) Award, for his personal commitment to fostering diversity and inclusive good practices in international education.

Under Pasquill’s leadership, the percentage of students of color who study abroad has grown to account for 30 percent of the school’s study abroad participants.

“James has dedicated his career to creating opportunities for study abroad for the most underrepresented populations at the University,” said Dean and Vice Provost for International Education and Global Strategy Harvey Charles. “Throughout his tenure as both program coordinator and director, he continues to create new opportunities that better serve a diverse student population, specifically through creative financing and targeted programming design.”

Notably, he has worked to create interdepartmental relationships between his office and the Equal Opportunity Program (EOP) and the Collegiate Science Entry Program (C-STEP). Study abroad participation rates among EOP students have increased dramatically, from only a handful of EOP students a decade ago to seven percent of all UAlbany international education participants today.

In addition, at the financial level, he helped support and co-author a scholarship with the Institute of International Education to help fund underrepresented students’ programs abroad. This is important because students may find it difficult to cover the extra costs of travel and living abroad without a scholarship.

“Study abroad is a proven strategy for preparing students to be globally competent. The challenge has been engaging larger numbers of underrepresented students in this transformative experience. We are pleased that UAlbany has made global education and study abroad opportunities an institutional priority, a commitment that further empowers Jim Pasquill and his staff to enable larger numbers of students to study abroad as part of their college experience,” said Charles.

Pasquill was chosen from recommendations made by Diversity Abroad Network member institutions. The awards were presented in Atlanta, Ga., on April 5 at the 4th Annual Diversity Abroad Conference.

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