Elizabeth City, N.C. – During the 2024 North Carolina Association of International Educators (NCAIE) conference, Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) director of international programs and professor of social work, Andre P. Stevenson, received the Martha Fitch Trigonis Individual Award.
"I am deeply honored to receive this award from the North Carolina Association of International Educators,” Stevenson said. “To be chosen among such esteemed colleagues from across the state underscores the collective commitment to fostering cross-cultural understanding and working toward shaping the future of a more just world."
In the nomination letter written by Kyle Keith, the director of The Outcomes-Based Diversity Outreach Strategy (TODOS), Stevenson was singled out due to his “excellence, leadership, and impact.”
“In addition to his scholarly work on education abroad and internationalization, the positive effect Andre has had on generations of students – many of whom call North Carolina home – is profound,” Keith wrote.
Named in honor of Trigonis, a former director of international student and scholar services at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the award is presented to an individual who has shown remarkable excellence in the field of international education.
In an email to his colleagues, Stevenson expressed his surprise and his gratitude, while underscoring the need for the work in the Office of International Programs (OIP) to continue.
“We will continue our work in the OIP to elevate ECSU, and all HBCUs, particularly our students. We remain committed to preparing as many of them as possible for international education, so they may be better equipped to understand the world and how/where they may fit (politically, socially, culturally, and economically) into that world picture,” Stevenson said.