WSU Honors College’s Cassleman Recognized with Bates Award for International Service
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.
This year it was presented to Cassleman by its namesake, Director of Research and Graduate Education at WSU Vancouver Robert C. Bates, former WSU provost, on April 12 at International Program’s Eighth Annual International Scholar Recognition Reception.
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.”
In a statement, International Programs listed Cassleman’s qualifications for the award as including her long record of using global topics and perspectives when teaching in WSU classrooms, the Pullman community, and overseas on faculty-led programs; her efforts to advise and inspire students to seek study abroad experience; and her efforts to facilitate bi-lateral agreements with other universities and promote Honors education in universities abroad.
A native of Santiago, Chile, Cassleman has been at WSU for 29 years. She initially joined the university as head track and field coach for women before moving into her current role. As an Honors faculty member, she has brought the global community into the classroom through courses such as “Latin American Culture and Society” and “International Social-Politics of Sports.” She has organized and conducted eight faculty-led study abroad trips for more than 120 students to locations in Spain, Mexico, Chile, and Peru.
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.
She recently traveled with WSU Vice Provost for International Programs Prema Arasu to various locations in Brazil to establish a cooperative relationship with a number of universities. In June she led a study and cultural tour with students, faculty, and staff to Cuba, followed by a faculty-led study abroad trip with students.