IE&O Headlines

Dr. James G. Hromas, director of OSU’s International Education and Outreach (IE&O) Department will be honored as the recipient of the 2008 Great Plains UCEA John L. Christopher Outstanding Leadership Award. The purpose of the John L. Christopher Outstanding Leadership Award is to provide recognition for outstanding leadership in the UCEA – University Continuing Education Association – at the regional level as exhibited by participation in regional activities and programs. He will accept his award at the regional UCEA conference, October 15th in Kansas City.

Dr. Hromas has been a driving force within OSU Outreach and a catalyst for change bringing OSU to regional, national and international recognition through his outreach and international efforts. He chairs the Outreach and International Advisory Councils for OSU-Stillwater and has served on the UCEA board of directors – one term from 1999 to 2001 and a current term that began in 2007 – and the International Sister Cities Board of Directors – currently as the Secretary of the Board. Prior to being the director of IE&O and the School of International Studies, Dr. Hromas was director of Business Extension in the Spears School at OSU for 21 years. In September 2008, he celebrated 40 years of service with OSU Outreach that began with his time as a graduate assistant in Business Extension. To read Dr. Hromas’s nomination letter, click here.

Thursday, October 2^nd, the School of International Studies proudly inducted the 19^th and 20^th members into its Henry G. Bennett Distinguished Fellows Program. The induction coincided with the School’s 20^th presentation of its Global Briefing Series. Inducted were Charlie Eitel, CEO of the Simmons Company, and Dr. B. Curtis Hamm, professor emeritus of OSU. Mr. Eitel’s leadership over the internationally present Simmons Bedding company will give SIS and OSU students timely insight into the career of an international businessman. In his more than 30 years of teaching and traveling, Dr Hamm can impart his unique perspective of integrating international endeavors into one’s educational experience. You can visit the Bennett Fellows Program website for more information about the Program as well as the biographies of the twenty Bennett Fellows

To kick off its 10th Anniversary Year, the School of International Studies welcomed Charlie Eitel for the first Global Briefing of the year Thursday, Oct 2nd. Mr. Eitel is a ‘71 alumnus of what is now the Spears School of Business. He is currently the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for The Simmons (Bedding) Company. His address to students, faculty and other guests was “International Business: A CEO’s Perspective.” Mr. Eitel was awarded the 2008 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. He is also one of only 45 of the 225,000 Sigma Nu Fraternity members to be inducted into their hall of fame. His mentor and OSU professor emeritus, Dr B. Curtis Hamm, helped coordinate Mr. Eitel’s visit to OSU. In addition to the School of International Studies, event sponsors were the Spears School of Business and the OSU Foundation. For more about Mr. Eitel’s resume, click here.