David Archbold, director of the International Students and Scholars Office at Oakland University, was recently selected by his peers as the 2017 recipient of the David Horner Award for Exceptional Service, which is the highest honor given out by the Michigan Association of International Educators.
To be nominated for the award, candidates must have at least 10 years of experience in the field of international education, including five years of experience in the state of Michigan. Service to the state can include service on or in support of the MAIE team, but may also include mentoring or otherwise service as a resource to others in the field.
The winner is selected by a committee of past recipients and the award is presented during the annual MAIE conference, which was held this year in Lansing.
“Winning the David Horner Award is one of the high points in my professional career,” Archbold said. “It is also a reaffirmation of the importance of the work I do in serving and advocating for International Students and Scholars, especially in these times with Presidential Executive Orders affecting some and troubling to many.”
Archbold joined OU in October 2001 after five years as assistant director of Foreign Student Affairs at Eastern Michigan University. Before holding that position, he served as EMU’s program manager of International Cooperative Education Exchange. Prior to that, he was an International Placement Specialist at EMU.
The California native holds two degrees from EMU – a Master of Arts in educational leadership and a Bachelor of Arts in international business and language, with a minor in marketing and geography.
“I was inspired to go into International Education because of my love to travel and getting to know people and learn about their culture,” Archbold said. “I also wanted to help International students and scholars have a little easier time with getting settled then I did when I lived abroad.”
According to Archbold, the International Students and Scholars Office served approximately 986 international students and 36 scholars in 2015-16.
To learn more about the ISSO, visit www.oakland.edu/isso.