This award recognizes outstanding contributions to international education through her accomplishments at International Student Life and in Athens
Linden Dudley, Director of International Student Life (ISL), is the 2023 recipient of the Southeastern Region New Professional Award. This recognition is awarded annually by NAFSA: Association of International Educators (NAFSA).
The New Professional award “recognizes an individual in the region who has made an outstanding contribution to international education through his or her enthusiasm, potential for leadership, and actual accomplishments in his or her institution or community.” She was awarded this honor at the 2023 Region VII Conference, held in her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama.
NAFSA is an organization serving international educators worldwide and promoting global citizenship in higher education. It partners with organizations like the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to specialize in Education Abroad, International Education Leadership and International Student and Scholar Services.
Linden joined International Student Life 6 years ago, beginning as an Administrative Assistant before occupying other her other roles like Administrative Coordinator and Assistant Director. In 2022, she became the new director of ISL.
Linden oversees all International Student Life activities, including International Coffee Hour, a weekly cultural exchange event that recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. ISL’s biggest event is International Street Festival, a city-wide international celebration that will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2024. “These events celebrate not only the cultural vibrancy of UGA but also the larger Athens community,” she shares.
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Along with facilitating these long running international traditions at UGA, Linden and her staff work with the 11 cultural student organizations, spanning over 17,000 students each year.
“I am here for the student experience. Whether it’s support, creating visibility, or both of those things combined to create a sense of belonging. The more space ISL creates and the more education we can provide, we create a greater area for students to be who they are and to feel comfortable and to feel at home, to share their stories, and to learn from one another.”
As ISL grows each year, Linden and her team ask themselves the question, “What barriers are here for our students, and how can we eliminate those barriers to create a more welcoming environment?”
Linden’s experience at ISL is colored by constant cultural exchange. “The best way to learn about diversity and inclusion is through experience,” she said, “Working with ISL, I’ve been able to experience other cultures and learn as I go on a fast-track… every day, I learn something new from our students and our staff.”
ISL also coordinates programming for International Education Month (IEM), an initiative that seeks to prepare UGA students for an intercultural society while also celebrating the contributions of UGA’s international community.
“What we know about intercultural competency is that the more we experience it, the more we reflect, the more we learn, the more interculturally competent we grow,” Linden shared about the importance of IEM, “The more we experience, the more people we meet, the more we educate ourselves about our differences and similarities, the better we can all coexist, enjoy each other’s company and the world around us.”
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As a Student Affairs unit, ISL works across several units on campus to provide International Students with a sense of belonging at UGA. Immigration Services in the UGA Office of Global Engagement works alongside ISL’s mission to promote the internationalization at UGA.
“Linden and her staff are so skilled and caring in the ways they provide critical support to international students at UGA,” Robin Catmur-Smith, Director of UGA Immigration Services shared. “Our community is so much richer for their contributions, and their presence, and their success at UGA is attributable in no small way to Linden’s efforts. We are so lucky to have someone with Linden’s commitment here at UGA.”
“I love that the University of Georgia has two departments that are devoted to international students and international education…we work together collaboratively on an almost daily basis,” Linden shared about the relationship between ISL and Immigration Services. “Both departments have strong, long-standing relationships with their staff. Our partnership is a great system of support on different sides of the spectrum, so that our students have the best possible access to resources.”
A thread of internationalization runs throughout Linden’s life. Coming from a long line of educators, she attended a Montessori school that emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusion. After studying abroad in the United Arab Emirates in college, she pursued an international career in hospitality and wellness before her time at ISL, where she was granted an opportunity to tie her aspirations for education, diversity and inclusion and collaboration together.
“Because of my work, I have wonderful people in this community,” she continued. “Without them, I would not have received this award. I’m thankful to the students, our former and current ISL staff and leadership, Student Affairs, and everybody that has been invested in the work that we do and the relationships that we have built together.”
The department of International Student Life (ISL) enhances the student‐learning environment through programs and services that internationalize the campus experience in three core areas: Transition & Support, Programming & Outreach, and Engagement & Leadership. To learn more about International Student Life, visit isl.uga.edu.