Award Honors University Administrators for International Education Efforts

Cleveland State University President Ronald M. Berkman will be presented the 2009 Michael P. Malone International Leadership Award at the Commission on International Programs Summer Meeting in Colorado Springs, CO, on Tuesday, July 14. The award is sponsored by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A-P-L-U). Dr. Berkman became president of CSU this month; he had previously been Provost, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer at Florida International University.

The Malone Award was established in 2000 to honor exceptional leadership in furthering international education in public higher education. Dedicated to the memory of Michael P. Malone, the award was established to provide national recognition for a career of outstanding contributions to furthering international education at public and land-grant institutions. Malone served as President of Montana State University (MSU) from 1991 until his untimely death in 1999, and he made many contributions to MSU and U.S. higher education. As the former chair of NASULGC, now the A-P-L-U’s Commission on International Programs, he focused its attention on issues critical to international programs in the higher education community.

“This year’s award recipients have worked tirelessly to promote international education and development,” said A-P-L-U President Peter McPherson. “Their focus on international issues speaks well of America’s highly regarded university system and the willingness of our scholars to promote higher education across the globe.” Richard Herman of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Mary Ann Littrell of Colorado State University, join Berkman as 2009 award winners.

Berkman played an instrumental role in the incredible growth of Florida International University’s international programs. Under his stewardship as provost, the university created the Marriott Tianjin China Program, which launched the first U.S. School of Hospitality and Tourism in China. Today, the $50 million joint hospitality management program is fully funded by the Chinese government. Berkman worked with the faculty at FIU to create a “global across the curriculum” innovation that will have every student taking two courses on international issues. He had a large role in developing the “Future House” program, a partnership between the U.S. and several countries, including China, Germany, South Korea, Japan and Spain, to build a green and sustainable “House of the Future” alongside the site of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. Berkman successfully hosted a geopolitical summit that brought together foremost international scholars of foreign policy and international relations to discuss the relationship between the U.S. and the rest of the world. And to help centralize FIU’s international efforts, he created the School of International and Public Affairs in January of this year, fulfilling FIU’s promise to be an international institution of research, teaching, and public service.

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About Cleveland State University: Cleveland State is a comprehensive metropolitan university committed to providing affordable education of high quality to students with diverse backgrounds, experiences, interests and needs. Located in downtown Cleveland with extended campuses in Westlake and Solon, Cleveland State offers degrees in hundreds of undergraduate and graduate programs and law, and professional development programs. Approximately 15,500 students attend Cleveland State.

About the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities: Founded in 1887, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is an association of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and many state public university systems. Its 218 members enroll more than 4.7 million students and award nearly one-million degrees annually. With nearly $30 billion in research, A-P-L-U-member universities comprise 10 of the top 20 universities in total federal spending on research and development in science and engineering. As the nation’s oldest higher education association, A-P-L-U is dedicated to excellence in learning, discovery and engagement. For more information, visit www.aplu.org.

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