Study Abroad Excellence Awards
Posted on 21/01/2011
Principal with Caitlin Drummond
The first Study Abroad Excellence Awards of 2011 were held on 12 January, recognising the distinguished achievements of four US students within the arts, humanities and social sciences.
This is the fifth time that these awards have been presented and competition is intense, due to rising numbers of study abroad students at King’s. Depending on their length of stay at the College, winners receive a fund of either £2,500 (one semester) or £3,500 (a whole academic year).
The distinguished students this semester are Larissa Hageman from Arcadia University; Caitlin Drummond from University of Pennsylvania; Michael Anderson from McKendree University and Colleen Dell from Elms College (College of Our Lady of the Elms).
Awarding the students their certificates, the Principal, Professor Rick Trainor, said: ‘You are the crème de la crème; you are handpicked from the handpicked. You help to maintain King’s College London’s reputation and show that the College continues to attract top achievers and great potential scholars.
‘This semester’s winners represent some our longest and most established partners, and some very new ones. We are very pleased once more to have award winners from Arcadia and University of Pennsylvania, which demonstrates not only the strength of our relationship, but also the quality of the study abroad students that we host from these institutions. But from their inception, these awards were about recognising excellence from wherever it came - an important motif at King’s. We are therefore extremely pleased to have representatives from new partners McKendree University and Elms College.'
One of the award winners, Caitlin Drummond said: ‘I am honoured to receive this award; it’s a wonderful opportunity for me. When I received the email saying that I had been awarded it, it completely made my day! I’m very excited to study here at King’s.’
Professor Jan Palmowski, Head of the School of Arts & Humanities added: ‘It has been a pleasure to meet our award holders who stand for the academic excellence of our growing international student community more generally. Even though our award holders are only at the beginning of their time at King’s, I was pleased to learn that they are already making the most of the facilities that the College has to offer, and our location in the heart of London.’
For further information about Study Abroad programmes visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/international/abroad/prospective/sa/
Image by David Tett: Caitlin Drummond receiving her certificate from the Principal.
Notes to editors
King's College London
King's College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (2010 QS international world rankings), The Sunday Times 'University of the Year 2010/11' and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King's has nearly 23,000 students (of whom more than 8,600 are graduate students) from nearly 140 countries, and some 5,500 employees. King's is in the second phase of a £1 billion redevelopment programme which is transforming its estate.
King's has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for British universities, 23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of British universities; over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in the UK in their field and can thus be classed as world leading. The College is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of nearly £450 million.
King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine, nursing and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe; no university has more Medical Research Council Centres.
King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King's Health Partners. King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering global collaboration between one of the world's leading research-led universities and three of London's most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and comprehensive mental health services. For more information, visit: www.kingshealthpartners.org