Jackie Levine is a trailblazer in the field of international education and a lifelong advocate for expanding access to study abroad. As Director of the University of Rochester’s study abroad programs from 1991 to 2016, she was among the earliest champions of sending students from underrepresented backgrounds abroad—laying the groundwork for the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts that define the field today. Her pioneering collaboration with IES Abroad helped make the University of Rochester the organization’s current School of Record. In recognition of her profound impact, Jackie was honored with IES Abroad’s Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating her decades of service, innovation, and dedication to global education. She also served as Assistant Dean and Director of Special Projects in the Dean’s Office at the University of Rochester, where she continued her legacy of meaningful change in higher education.

Dr. Michael Steinberg is a pioneer in international education whose 40-plus year career at IES Abroad shaped the very definition of study abroad. Joining the organization in 1976, he rose to become Executive Vice President for Academic Programs, leading innovations that set the global standard for excellence in education abroad. From launching academic centers in more than 35 cities worldwide to co-authoring the influential IES Abroad MAP and MAP for Language & Intercultural Communication, Dr. Steinberg has elevated the academic rigor and cultural depth of study abroad programming. He has served as Chair of the Forum on Education Abroad’s Standards Committee, co-developed national health and safety guidelines, and contributed extensively to ethical standards and professional publications in the field. Honored with NAFSA’s Education Abroad Leadership Award, Dr. Steinberg is regarded by peers as a “gigantic reference point” in the history of international education—an admired mentor, thought leader, and tireless advocate for cross-cultural understanding and academic excellence.

Richard Landers is an IES Abroad Vienna alumnus (1968–69) whose year abroad profoundly shaped his worldview and lifelong commitment to global citizenship. His time in Vienna ignited a deeper understanding of humanity’s shared identity and collective destiny, challenging him to look beyond cultural or geographic differences to recognize the fundamental truths that unite us. Motivated by this perspective, Richard has devoted his philanthropy to fostering awareness, especially among young people, of our shared human DNA and our fragile dependence on the planet’s environmental balance. He has been a champion of IES Abroad’s Global Pillars program, which equips students to confront global environmental challenges and empowers them to create innovative, sustainability-driven solutions for a better future.

Charles E. Merrill Jr. was a visionary philanthropist and longtime advocate for educational equity whose legacy with IES Abroad began in the late 1950s, when, as a board member at Morehouse College, he personally funded all-expenses-paid scholarships for academically exceptional students from Morehouse and Spelman Colleges to study abroad for a full academic year. These Merrill Scholars, many of whom went on to earn graduate and postgraduate degrees, have made profound contributions in fields ranging from education and medicine to law and public service. In 2011, IES Abroad began efforts to establish the Charles E. Merrill Jr. Endowed Scholarship Fund in his honor, an initiative later championed by alumnus Dr. John Hodges (Nantes 1966–67), who was inspired by a class reunion to make a significant gift and rally support among fellow HBCU alumni. Simultaneously, Gretchen Cook-Anderson, IES Abroad’s Assistant Vice President of Diversity Recruiting & Advising and a former Merrill Scholar herself, mobilized younger Morehouse and Spelman alumni to contribute. Together, their efforts carry forward Merrill’s vision: to ensure that students of color—regardless of financial means—can experience the life-changing power of study abroad, connect with people and cultures vastly different from their own, and discover a world that not only welcomes them, but celebrates their potential to shape it.

Alberta and Clarence Giese were two of the original 23 American students who boarded the SS Volendamin 1950 to study abroad in Vienna, a journey that helped spark the founding of IES Abroad. Young newlyweds from Chicago, Clarence and Alberta were captivated by their year in Austria, an experience that transformed their lives and fueled their commitment to global education. Alongside Paul Koutny, they helped bring future cohorts of students abroad, playing a foundational role in the creation and expansion of IES Abroad. Alberta, a beloved presence at the IES Abroad Vienna Center for decades, became a pioneer in student affairs, offering warmth, guidance, and famously, her homemade brownies, to generations of students. She also led alumni engagement in Vienna, maintaining close ties with early program participants. In honor of their contributions, the Clarence & Alberta Giese Endowed Scholarship was established in2010 to support need-based student access to IES Abroad Vienna. The impact and legacy they built continues to shape the lives of students around the world.

Paul Koutny was a visionary Austrian student whose time studying in the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship in 1949 inspired him to launch a bold, cross-cultural initiative: the Institute for European Studies (IES Abroad). In 1950, at just 24 years old, he co-founded IES Abroad in Vienna alongside Clarence and Alberta Giese, enrolling the first class of 23 American students. A survivor of political imprisonment by the Nazis at age 17 for his stance in the resistance, Paul dedicated his life to rebuilding post-war Austria and fostering mutual understanding between Europe and the United States. His dream was rooted in the belief that study abroad could change lives and bridge cultural divides, especially for students of moderate means. Paul remained active in the organization into the early 1970s, helping expand IES Abroad’s reach through customized programs and musical tours. His legacy endures in the tens of thousands of students who have studied abroad through IES Abroad to date, and in the Paul & Brita Koutny Founders Scholarship, which continues to support access to global education for generations to come.

I am a student at the University of Iowa studying Psychology and pursuing a career in geriatrics. In my free time I love to read, travel, spend time with friends, and go to concerts! I cannot wait to take you all along this journey with me :)