2025 Outstanding Leadership in Globalization Award winners announced; nominations sought for 2026 

During International Education Week (Nov. 16-22), Purdue’s Office of Global Partnerships and Global Academic Committee recognize four winners of Purdue’s 2025 Outstanding Leadership in Globalization Award.  

This year’s two faculty winners are Jennifer DeBoer, associate professor of engineering education and mechanical engineering (by courtesy), College of Engineering; and Ellen Schellhase, clinical professor of pharmacy practice and director of international engagement, College of Pharmacy. The two staff winners are Laura Starr, now-retired director for experiential learning and student success, College of Science; and Addison Sheldon, director of global engagement, College of Veterinary Medicine. 

These university-level awards are given annually to recognize faculty and staff for their dedicated efforts to increase Purdue’s global recognition as a leader in higher education either comprehensively or within a specific land-grant mission pillar. Globalization in this context is defined as developing, facilitating and sustaining programs and activities — in partnership with universities, agencies and private-sector constituents outside the United States — that further Purdue’s institutional strategic goals embodied in Purdue’s Next Moves. Specifically, the awards recognize exceptional endeavors that involve faculty and/or students from Purdue and international counterparts in learning, discovery and/or engagement. 

Jennifer DeBoer – Faculty Comprehensive Award

DeBoer has exemplified exceptional leadership in advancing global engagement across all pillars of Purdue’s land-grant mission. As an associate professor of engineering education and mechanical engineering and director of practice for education and youth at the Applied Research Institute, DeBoer integrates global and local engagement in both research and teaching — empowering youth to become problem-solvers in their own communities. Her work spans programs in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Senegal and Jordan as well as Purdue’s Global Learning Community, impacting hundreds of students and educators worldwide.

One colleague noted that “Dr. DeBoer roots her work in Purdue’s land-grant tradition with a global scope for community engagement, connecting Indiana residents to international communities, and learning from communities around the world to find new ideas for addressing local community needs.” Through initiatives such as her NSF-funded study abroad and International Research Experiences for Students programs, humanitarian engineering courses, and refugee education models, DeBoer exemplifies how globally informed research and teaching can foster equitable access to engineering education and strengthen community resilience both locally and globally.  

Ellen Schellhase – Faculty Engagement Award  

Throughout her career at Purdue, Schellhase has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to advancing Purdue’s land-grant pillar of engagement around the world. Her leadership in developing the award-winning Purdue Kenya Partnership and expanding pharmacy engagement in countries such as Colombia have positioned the College of Pharmacy as a global leader in health engagement and experiential learning, creating mutually beneficial opportunities for students and professionals alike. Through initiatives spanning health care systems in London to addressing disparities in Medellín, Colombia, Schellhase has created transformative global learning experiences while improving patient care worldwide. Her numerous national and international honors, her stewardship of over $1 million in engagement-focused grants, and her more than 35 peer-reviewed publications exemplify her lasting impact on global pharmacy education and practice. 

Laura Starr – Staff Comprehensive Award  

Over her 30-year career at Purdue, Starr set herself apart as a visionary leader in global and experiential learning within the College of Science. As director of experiential learning and student success, she founded the Global Science Partnerships Learning Community — one of Purdue’s first and longest-standing intercultural learning communities — and launched the Learning Beyond the Classroom program, through which more than 500 students have earned certificates for engagement in global, professional and service-based experiences. Known for her innovation, Starr transformed study abroad programs into virtual experiences during the pandemic and developed new intercultural leadership and facilitator training courses. A colleague noted, “Perhaps her most impactful innovation was the online Learn-to-Be program … emphasizing the importance of developing self- and other-awareness — key global competencies — through reflection.” Through her sustained commitment to experiential learning, intercultural skills development and student success, Starr profoundly shaped Purdue College of Science global engagement and prepared generations of students to lead in an interconnected world.  

Addison Sheldon – Staff Engagement Award  

Sheldon has transformed global engagement at Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine, elevating study abroad, international partnerships and student global consciousness to unprecedented levels. Since joining as director of global engagement in 2021, he has rebuilt programs affected by the pandemic, expanded faculty-led and prematriculation study abroad opportunities and developed comprehensive predeparture and reentry curricula to ensure meaningful, reflective experiences. Under his leadership, over 60% of veterinary medicine graduating classes participate in international programs, and his strategic initiatives have strengthened Purdue’s global reputation among veterinary colleges.

Sandra San Miguel, associate dean for engagement, notes, “Addison’s leadership and expertise were directly responsible for returning our college’s program to prepandemic levels in fewer than three years, while transforming and elevating every aspect of our global engagement programming.” Through his vision, dedication and meticulous planning, Sheldon prepares veterinary students to address complex global health challenges and excel as internationally minded professionals.  

2026 award nominations open

The Outstanding Leadership in Globalization Awards are monetary awards open to all categories of full-time university faculty and staff members on the West Lafayette and Indianapolis campuses. Following the existing procedures for administering faculty and staff awards, each college or unit may submit up to three nominations for each award (i.e., three for faculty and three for staff) by March 13, 2026. 

Nomination instructions are available online: 

• Instructions for faculty nominations  
• Instructions for staff nominations  

These awards were created to further reinforce the importance of the global outreach undertaken by Purdue faculty and staff. The awards demonstrate the institution’s commitment to Purdue’s Next Moves, promoting world-changing research and transformative education for the benefit of the entire Purdue community of faculty, staff and students, as well as stakeholders abroad. 

International Education Week celebrates the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. Initially launched as a joint initiative of the U.S. departments of State and Education, the week promotes programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attracts future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences. See Purdue’s full list of activities this week here.