ABINGTON, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Council for International Education honored Nicole Stokes, professor of sociology and the director of Academic Partnerships and Institutional Grant Initiatives at Penn State Abington, with its W. LaMarr Kopp Lifetime Achievement award at the organization’s annual conference today in Philadelphia. 

The council selected Stokes for demonstrating excellence, commitment and leadership in global education "in her capacity as a professor and servant leader, she has contributed an immeasurable amount to global education in Pennsylvania over 25 years and continues to do so." 

“My career has been fueled by my desire to diversify study abroad and offer more opportunities for underrepresented students and faculty to have global education experiences including applying for Fulbright and other competitive awards,” Stokes said, noting that only 10% of college students and less than 2% of those from underrepresented populations study abroad.  

She pointed out that Abington's socioeconomically diverse population naturally lends itself to increasing international education opportunities among underrepresented and first-generation college students.

"Global education is not just study abroad. It includes other aspects such as presenting global perspectives in courses. For example, my course on social problems highlights immigration and how it occurs in every country," Stokes said.

"Even if students never leave the area, we must infuse a global perspective in them. Most Abington students from this area need to see how they relate to the global other,” she said.  

Stokes has partnered with Beza Wossene, the director of Global Programs at Abington, to identify faculty members to lead embedded courses, which feature short-term international travel, and promote these opportunities to students. This academic year embedded courses are headed to Japan, Germany and Ghana, and students will explore Afro-Caribbean culture. 

Stokes’s passion for global education was spurred by a high school trip to the former USSR in 1990, which was organized by her European history teacher.  

“It was incredible. We were in Moscow the week the first McDonald’s opened there. It was life-changing for 12 students from a scrappy New York City Catholic high school. I then enrolled in a faculty led visit to Germany in college. Each experience gave me the push to extend my visits to 10 days, then a summer, and then a year,” she said. 

Stokes is also a strong advocate for federally funded Faculty Fulbright programs, which provide faculty and staff with opportunities to conduct advanced research, teach and attend seminars abroad.  

“Fulbright programs change your worldview. You come home, and you’re not so provincial and local anymore,” Stokes, whose Fulbright award took her to Denmark and Sweden more than two decades ago.  

She serves as a board member for the Philadelphia-Delaware Valley Fulbright Association, which connects Fulbright alumni and current grantees in the region. 

Stokes arrived at Abington in 2022 to assume the role of division head for Social Sciences, Business and Education. With a stellar reputation as a faculty member and administrator in first-generation and diverse learning initiatives, equal employment, international education, and women’s leadership, she quickly made her mark as a collaborative and thoughtful leader.  

Stokes’ impact at Abington has broadened beyond the academic division she initially directed. She served as the interim vice chancellor for Academic Affairs before being appointed the director of Academic Partnerships and Institutional Grant Initiatives last summer, which she said “aligns perfectly” with her experience. 

“I will bring more international partnerships and host students from abroad and visiting faculty. I want to build awareness that Abington is close to Philadelphia – it's a great setting and a great place for Fulbright scholars,” she said. 

Stokes is spearheading access for current Abington students to earn master’s degrees through partnerships with nearby universities. There are three active degree pathways with two more in process. 

“These pathways save time and money and provide flexibility, all of which are especially in demand with our campus’s large population of first-generation college students,” she said. 

“It offers them the next academic step and the flexibility to shift their path. Most students change their major, and this generation will change careers a few times. Higher education must be more responsive so we are building these kinds of things at Abington,” Stokes said. 

About Penn State Abington

Penn State Abington provides an affordable, accessible and high-impact education resulting in the success of a diverse student body. It is committed to student success through innovative approaches to 21st-century public higher education within a world-class research university. With more than 3,100 students, Penn State Abington is a residential campus that offers baccalaureate degrees in 25 majors, accelerated master's degrees, undergraduate research, the Schreyer Honors College, NCAA Division III athletics and more.