KU News Release

International educator award presented to Confucius Institute director

LAWRENCE — William Tsutsui, professor of history and director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Kansas, received the 2007 George and Eleanor Woodyard International Educator Award at convocation Sept. 6.

Richard Lariviere, provost and executive vice chancellor, presented the award to Tsutsui, who has been on KU faculty since 1993.

The award, previously known as the Provost’s Award for Leadership in International Education, recognizes faculty on the Lawrence campus who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in strengthening KU’s international dimension in such areas as curriculum development, study abroad programs, relationships with international partner institutions and collaboration with international colleagues in significant research and publications.

Tsutsui was recognized for his involvement in a wide range of international education activities. His leadership helped bring the Chinese government-sponsored Confucius Institute to KU. He has been instrumental in bringing program funding to KU, including a grant from the Freeman Foundation that created four faculty positions in East Asian studies, and has enabled more than 80 undergraduates to travel to East Asia through the Kansas Asia Scholars Program. He received a Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence in 2001. Tsutsui also organized the 2004 Godzilla conference that brought international attention to KU.

Past recipients of the award are: John Head, law (2006); Anita Herzfeld, Latin American studies (2005); Marsha Haufler, art history (2004); Garth Myers, geography and African-American studies, and Robert Timm, ecology and evolutionary biology (2003); Melissa Birch, business, and Diane Fourny, French and European studies (2002); Judith McCrea, art and design (2001); Leo Villalon, political science and African and African-American studies (2000); and Tom Mulinazzi, civil, environmental and architectural engineering, and Charles Stansifer, history (1999).

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