NIU’s Division of International Affairs will host a retirement reception Tuesday, April 28, for Associate Vice President Deborah Pierce.
The event takes place from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center Sky Room. Remarks begin at 3:30 p.m.
Pierce, who will retire Thursday, April 30, has had a long and illustrious career in International Education, becoming a national figure in the field, most recently serving on the board of NAFSA: Associate of International Education.
She came to NIU in 2002 as the executive director for the Division of International Programs, growing the division into the hub of Global NIU on campus, as well as expanding the international profile of NIU with the world at large.
Under her leadership, NIU:
- has seen a substantial increase in the international student population, hitting enrollment targets set for the past four years;
- has increased the number of training programs for short-term international students and scholars; and
- has increased the number of faculty-directed study abroad programs, including diversifying the locations of such programs.
Pierce has worked tirelessly to establish a global rapport with the NIU community, reaching out to departments on campus to create synergies and break down barriers, allowing efficiencies and understanding across perceived boundaries.
She and her husband, Bob, are sailors at heart, having spent their weekends and summer vacations sailing Lake Michigan on their boat, the Second Wind. They look forward to enjoying their time on the Second Wind in retirement, as well as becoming dog parents to beagles.
All are invited. For more information, call (815) 753-9530 or email prosenberg@niu.edu.