global symposium

The School of Education’s 2026 Smiley Award will be presented at the Global Symposium. The Smiley Award supports global educational opportunities for current undergraduate and graduate education majors at UNC Greensboro. Undergraduate and graduate education majors who serve as outstanding Global Education Ambassadors through international or local engagement are recognized through this award.

Students recognized through the Smiley Award demonstrate leadership, innovation, and impact in international or local settings based on both previous and proposed engagement activities. Two Global Education Ambassador recipients, one undergraduate student recipient and one graduate student recipient, are selected every year.

Nominations are accepted through March 1, 2026. Self-nominations are accepted.

Guest Speaker: Marikay Abuzuaiter, Greensboro Mayor

Marikay Abuzuaiter was raised in a small mountain community in Kentucky and relocated to Greensboro at the age of 18, where she has spent her adult life building both her career and her commitment to public service. She is a graduate of Greensboro College, worked for a local university for 13 years, and was a small business owner for more than two decades, operating Mahi’s Restaurant in Greensboro, NC. This experience provided her with a strong understanding of economic development, workforce needs, and the importance of supporting local businesses. In 2011, Marikay was elected to the Greensboro City Council, where she established herself as a thoughtful and effective leader. Throughout her tenure, she focused on public safety, transportation, and regional collaboration, and served in key leadership roles including Chair of the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation and Chair of the Piedmont Triad Regional Council. Her work has emphasized practical solutions, community partnerships, and long-term planning for Greensboro’s growth and well-being. She is also the recipient of numerous local and regional awards recognizing her leadership and service. In November 2025, Marikay Abuzuaiter was elected Mayor of Greensboro, bringing to the office a proven record of service, regional leadership, and a deep commitment to the community she has long called home.

Keynote Speaker: Praveen Pasupathi, Ph.D. candidate in Kinesiology

Praveen Pasupathi, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Kinesiology at UNCG and an international student from India, earned his master’s degree in Kinesiology from Louisiana Tech University. Growing up, mindfulness was a natural part of his family’s daily life, and that early practice helped him develop focus and resilience, eventually leading him to win a national-level volleyball championship twelve years ago. He has carried that experience and cultural background into his research, where he is developing a novel mind-body practice that combines mindfulness and movement in innovative ways. His work focuses on how simple and everyday health behaviors, including mindfulness, exercise, and this new mind-body approach, can help children and adults manage mental health, strengthen overall well-being, and potentially support older adults in maintaining cognitive health. He passionate about making mental health tools more accessible, particularly for populations who may not have access to traditional care.

Open Mic Host: Josephus Thompson III

Greensboro, North Carolina’s Inaugural Poet Laureate, Josephus III is a teacher and lecturer who founded The Poetry Project, where he works in both educational and corporate settings focusing on “Education through Correlation.” He uses poetry as a catalyst for literacy, leadership, and service. As host of The Poetry Café, his voice is heard nationally over the airwaves where he showcases talented artists from all over the world in the genres of poetry, hip-hop, R&B and more. The show also tours nationally and was featured on Amazon Prime! Throughout his career, he has performed for Oprah, opened for Kanye West and Floetry, and shared stages with The Last Poets. His talent has taken him to Australia, London, Seoul, Malaysia, The Philippines, South Africa, and across the United States sharing his gift. While hosting and performing at events across the world, he is constantly coming up with new ways to share his art. Most recently he has developed The Poetry Field Trip which introduces K-12 students to the power and creativity of poetry. 

2026 UNCG Global Excellence Award Winners

• Global Engagement Champion Award Winner: Natalie O’Connor (Bryan Undergraduate Student Services)
• Faculty Global Excellence Award Winner: Dr. Sharon Morrison (Public Health Education) 
• Student Global Impact Award: Nooshin KianvashRad (Ph.D. candidate in Nanoscience at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering)

Global Engagement Champion: Natalie O’Connor (Bryan Undergraduate Student Services)

Excerpt from Nomination: “A central component of Natalie’s impact is her advising work with our international exchange students in the Bryan School. She provides thoughtful, personalized guidance that helps students navigate academic expectations, cultural transitions, and the overall experience of studying in the United States. Her ability to build trust and create a welcoming environment ensures that exchange students feel supported from the moment they arrive on campus. Many students have shared how her encouragement and expertise shaped their success during their time at UNCG.

In addition, Natalie serves as the Study Abroad liaison for our office, a role in which she consistently demonstrates leadership, collaboration, and initiative. She works closely with campus partners to promote global learning opportunities, support outgoing study abroad students, and connect advising practices across departments. Her efforts have strengthened communication, increased student engagement, and contributed to a more streamlined and inclusive study abroad process. She provides our office with up to date information on our Study Abroad programs so that we can all better advise our students.”

Faculty Global Excellence: Dr. Sharon Morrison (Public Health Education)

Excerpt from Nomination: “Dr. Morrison’s globally-focused teaching portfolio includes courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level: International Health, Global Health, Public Health Diseases, Race, Ethnicity and Health, Immigrant and Refugee Health, Global Health Issues, and Determinants of Health, as well as Honors seminars such as Global Health in Action. Critically, she has developed and led faculty-led study abroad programs — Community Service Learning in International Health in Zambia (2009, 2011) and Refugee Experiences and Protection in Global Contexts in Malaysia (2016) — which have provided students with transformative, immersive international learning. Her curriculum innovation has been recognized with a $35,000 UNC System Award for developing a community-engaged undergraduate research track in public health (2022), a Global Engagement QEP Course Development Award (2015), a Coleman Foundation Entrepreneurship Fellowship (2014), and an International Service-Learning Grant (2007) for the first course of its kind at UNCG.

Dr. Morrison’s research is deeply international, spanning Zambia, South Africa, Jamaica, Mexico, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and the Bahamas. Her published work, in journals including Frontiers in Public Health, Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Progress in Community Health Partnerships, and the North Carolina Medical Journal, addresses the health of immigrant and refugee communities including Montagnard, Bhutanese, Congolese, Latin American, and African populations. She has secured significant grant funding for this work, including an NIH-funded project on HIV testing among Hispanic/Latino women ($128,000), a USDA-funded cultural adaptation resources grant ($46,530), and numerous internal UNCG and community foundation grants supporting refugee health research.”

Student Global Impact: Nooshin KianvashRad – Ph.D. candidate in Nanoscience at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN)

Excerpt from Nomination: “This student has contributed immensely to the local and international communities in Greensboro. She has served new international students as UNCG International Student Orientation (ISO) assistant from Fall 2023 to Fall 2025. She has provided support to international students like helping student through their registrations and finding important locations like the Health Services building. She is also currently serving as an International Peer Advisor Liaison (iPAL) Program assistant, helping the University foster a sense of community for new international students and helping them settle in Greensboro. She also provides support to help international students have a good understanding of what is required of them in an American classroom.

She has also helped raised awareness about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALSO), thereby contributing positively to the local community as Walk ALS United North Carolina assistant. She has also contributed to the local communities through her work with the Spartan Open Pantry Gardening. Her contribution to the local community extended to UNCG Science Everywhere where she was a presenter in 2023, helping kids and their families learn cool science. She is also serving both local and international students as the Graduate Student Association president, where she advocates for the wellbeing and better conditions for graduate students. During her tenure, the Graduate school recently covered the health insurance of both local and international PhD candidates. She has also engaged students to improve their well-being through wellness programs as the Spartan Wellbeing Leader of Outreach. I have no doubt that Nooshin deserves this recognition.”

Guest Speaker and Award Winners of 2025 Global Symposium

Guest Speaker: Dawn Whitehead, PhD

Dawn Michele Whitehead is the Vice President of the Office of Global Citizenship for Campus, Community, and Careers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). Her work focuses on advancing practices and strategies to integrate global, civic, and experiential learning across curricular and co-curricular initiatives and practices that advance equitable participation in global and community-based learning for everyone. Whitehead has written, presented, and delivered workshops both nationally and internationally on global learning, community-based learning, equity-minded experiential learning, and curricular change.
Her roles as the director of the Institute on Engaged and Integrative Learning, an inaugural member of the Institute for International Education’s National Academy for International Education, and vice-chair of the board of directors for The Forum on Education Abroad further emphasize her leadership. Before her current position, she served as the director of curriculum internationalization while also teaching at Indiana University Indianapolis (IUI) and as faculty director for community-based global learning programs in Costa Rica, Ghana, and Kenya. She earned a Ph.D. in Education Policy Studies from Indiana University, Bloomington, with a concentration in African Studies and a minor in International and Comparative Education.

2025 UNCG Global Excellence Award Winners

• Global Engagement Champion Award Winner: Dr. S Anandavalli (Alumni) 
• Faculty Global Excellence Award Winner: Dr. Vasyl Taras (Management) 
• Faculty Global Excellence Award Winner: Dr. Hewan Girma (AAADS) 
• Student Global Impact Award: Dominic Done (Senior) 

Global Engagement Champion: Dr. S Anandavalli – Alumni

Excerpt from Nomination: “I am enthusiastic to nominate Dr. S Anandavalli for the UNCG Global Engagement Champion Award. As an alumna of the PhD program in Counseling and Counselor Education, Dr. Anandavalli’s burgeoning scholarly record and level of excellence in research embody the mission and vision of UNCG. Dr. Anandavalli’s acumen for research, leadership, and mentorship has already created a substantial impact among students and leaders in the counseling profession, and I have witnessed how she intentionally cultivates research mentorship for new professionals and students at the master’s and doctoral levels, especially international students. In fact, much of her scholarship refers to a cohesive line that centers international student mental health and well-being. She has proudly sustained our legacy at UNCG with international partnerships, collaborations, mentorship, and scholarship.”

Faculty Global Excellence: Dr. Vasyl Taras – Management

Excerpt from Nomination: “Through coursework design, engagement, cultural exchange and personal contributions, he offers a more meaningful experience in required courses. With the development and implementation of the X Culture project, the new I-Conn, X-culture academy, X Culture coaching program and the Global symposium, his contributions and dedication to promoting and supporting global involvement and cultural exchange is undeniable.”  

Faculty Global Excellence: Hewan Girma – AADS

Excerpt from Nomination: “Hewan has led two study abroad programs to Tanzania. She did this during a time that she was an Assistant Professor. Taking students abroad is a big commitment, requiring a lot of preparation and execution. Hewan was able to do this as a junior faculty member and this speaks to her commitment to supporting global learning initiatives and exposing students to varied cultures.”

Student Global Impact: Dominic Done – UNCG Senior ’25

Excerpt from Nomination: “UNCG has no shortage of outstanding globally engaged and active students. But I can’t think of anyone who has had more of an impact and made more contributions to UNCG’s global engagement than Dom. He studied abroad at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia in Fall of 2023. Upon his return to campus, he initiated and led a special interest meeting on “Greek & Abroad.” He shared about the unique stresses of studying abroad as someone accustomed to the support system of living alongside his fraternity brothers and the emotional journey of stepping out on his own. That same semester he participated in an international education conference and was subsequently hired as a student worker in the Global Engagement Office. Within GEO, he single-handedly launched the Peer Advising Program, supporting students who returned from abroad and who wanted to encourage other students in their study abroad journeys. He helped shape the tone and nature of engagement with students and took on the front-line services of the office, creating a relatable presence and a positive atmosphere. He has participated in LGBTQ+ Abroad, served as a Teaching Assistant for the Study Abroad Re-Entry course, and has designed many of our student facing materials, just to list a few more of his projects. We are indebted to Dom for his many contributions and know that many students are studying abroad because of Dom’s work.”