Awards

John W. Ryan Award for Distinguished Contributions to International Programs and Studies - 2024

About Julien Simon

Professor Julien Simon is a study abroad extraordinaire who began his tenure at Indiana University East in 2006 as an Assistant Professor of Spanish and French. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012 and has received multiple recognitions from the university, including the Distinguished Research (2019) and Distinguished Service Awards (2023). He has contributed greatly to the student study abroad experience through his service as the Campus Coordinator for IU Bloomington’s Education Abroad Office since 2008, a member and chair of the study abroad committee, and as the recent Director of Study Abroad as of 2020.

Prior to Professor Simon’s service, IU East lacked a wide range of study abroad experiences and occasionally no such experiences were offered to students in a given year. Under his direction, IU East shifted that paradigm and has developed more than twenty new study abroad programs, becoming a regional leader for study abroad excellence. When those trips were cancelled during the pandemic, Professor Simon promoted international experiences for his students by engaging in the Global Classroom Initiative, where IU East faculty and students could engage collaboratively with international students on projects. Simon also worked diligently to make IU East an institution able to accept student applications for the prestigious U.S. Department of State funded Gilman scholarship, which provides financial assistance to student studying abroad. Two students from IU East have been recipients of this prestigious award.

Professor Simon’s dedication towards championing and stewarding international experiences has truly made a profound difference in the campus culture surrounding study abroad at IU East, but also for the students, who engage in those transformative learning experiences.