UW Hands Out Excellence in Global Engagement Awards

Four members of the University of Wyoming community were honored for excellence in global engagement during a recent awards ceremony.

President Ed Seidel and Vice Provost for Global Engagement Isa Helfgott recognized staff member Casidy Mittelstadt, student Danish Kumar and faculty members Barbara John and Yan Zhang.

Mittelstadt, a graphic designer with UW Institutional Marketing, was nominated for the 2024 Staff Award by Zhang and Josh Moro, assistant director of UW’s English Language Center. She was recognized for promoting UW to international students, scholars and campus visitors. Recent projects by Mittelstadt include building the Israel/Palestine Resource Center website; designing international lecture posters for the Department of History; revamping the English Language Center website and promotional materials; and creating stickers for International Education Week.

Kumar, a graduate student in civil engineering, was nominated for the 2024 Student Award by faculty adviser Charlie Zhang for a commitment to addressing complicated international issues, such as climate change resistance and energy transition technologies. Kumar’s academic interests include land use change analysis using ArcGIS Pro; energy analysis of residential buildings on Green Building Studio and Autodesk Insight; and the Climate Resilient Cities Initiative. Kumar presented at two international conferences organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

John, a professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, was nominated for the 2024 Faculty Research Award by Dario Grana, her department head. John was recognized for her expertise in extensional tectonics and scientific ocean drilling. Last summer, John took part in International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 399, which retrieved mantle rock samples from the Atlantis Massif, an underwater mountain in the Atlantic Ocean. John also mentors geology and geophysics graduate students.

Zhang, a senior lecturer in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, was nominated for the 2024 Faculty Campus Impact Award by Joy Landeira, her department head. Zhang’s recent campus activities include organizing this year’s Chinese New Year celebration; establishing relations between UW and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in Malaysia; and leading the Wyoming and Tianjin Internships and Cultural Exploration program. Zhang facilitates international experiences by serving as a mentor to students, faculty, staff and community members who wish to travel to China and East Asia.

Another round of Excellence in Global Engagement Awards is planned next year. Email UW’s Global Engagement Office at global@uwyo.edu with any questions.