Courtesy of the Howard University Newsroom Staff
Tonija Hope, director of the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center, was presented with the IES Abroad Professional Development Award last week in Chicago. IES Abroad presents this prestigious leadership award at its Annual Conference each year to recognize study abroad professionals’ substantial contributions and achievements to the field.
The Professional Development Award recognizes an education abroad professional who has made significant contributions to the field by creatively using resources to promote and support study abroad and has provided leadership in the areas of program development and student services. The awardee is chosen by IES Abroad’s Nominations Committee – comprised of IES Abroad full Member school study abroad coordinators – who base their decision upon nominations received from IES Abroad’s Consortium members.
This award recognizes Hope’s work leading the development of ground-breaking programs; award winning initiatives (#studyabroadsoblack); and necessary work around centering, supporting, and creating programs for students of color. This work directly supports IES Abroad’s diversity commitment and is integral in fulfilling its mission and ensuring the representation and integration of diverse perspectives, cultures, and ideas.
As the Director of the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University, Hope oversees the center’s strategic vision and its wide-ranging international engagements including study abroad, international partnership development, global programming, and the management of the Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship for HU students.
She also supports several flagship fellowship programs for the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) which are aimed at cultivating pipelines for diverse talent in international affairs careers. Throughout her career, Hope has held positions at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, the Phelps Stokes Fund (PSF), and the Baoba Fund for Racial Equity-North America.
She also:
- Serves on the IES Abroad Academic Council;
- Chairs the US Civil Society Committee of the US-Colombia Action Plan to Promote Racial and Ethnic Equality (CAPREE);
- Serves as the Board Secretary for both the Fund for Education Abroad, and the International Student House of Washington, D.C.; and
- Participates as a member of the US Civil Society Committee for the US-Brazil Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination (JAPER).
Hope holds a B.A. in Latin American studies/Spanish from Macalester College, and a M.A. in tourism administration with a focus on international education from George Washington University. Hope is currently a Ph.D. student in the Howard University School of Education where she is completing a doctorate in higher education leadership and policy studies.
On receiving the award, Hope says: “I am honored to be recognized by IES Abroad for this award. IES Abroad is one of our oldest partners and it has been a joy for me to plot, plan and collaborate with the phenomenal team at IES. I look forward to continuing to do that so that more students, especially students that look like me, have the opportunity to live and learn abroad.”
