Contact: Charles Gliozzo, International Studies and Programs, (517) 353-5589, gliozzo@msu.edu; Jay Rodman, International Studies and Programs, (517) 432-7139, rodman@msu.edu; or Angelika Kraemer, (517) 267-9140, kraemera@msu.edu

2/17/2005

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Angelika Kraemer, a Michigan State University graduate student from Germany, has been named the David Merchant International Student of the Year by Phi Beta Delta, an international organization dedicated to fostering scholarly achievement in international education.

This prestigious honor will be awarded at the organization’s annual international conference in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Feb. 19. It recognizes an international student member of a participating chapter of the honor society with an outstanding history of involvement in a variety of international activities.

The award includes a $500 cash award, expense-paid participation in the conference and a plaque.

“I know that it is a very competitive award and that students from chapters from all over the country and other continents applied, so I was very excited to have been selected,” Kraemer said.

 Kraemer is a doctoral student in German and a master’s student in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). MSU Professor Charles Gliozzo, longtime member of the organization, said Kraemer is an excellent choice for this award because of her “superior academic achievements, her extracurricular role and participation in international activities, and her continuous commitment as well as her dedication to Phi Beta Delta.”

Kraemer’s activities and involvements outside the organization include:

• Development of German language materials for the MSU Center for Language Education and Research
• Participation in the “Speakers Bureau” sponsored by MSU’s Community Volunteers for International Programs
• Teaching classes, tutoring and coordinating numerous German language events for the MSU Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages
• Participation as facilitator for the MSU’s International Teaching Assistant Orientation
• Working as the administrative assistant for the Annual Conference of the Michigan Foreign Language Association
• Presenting more than 20 papers promoting language learning and research at conferences across the country

The Phi Beta Delta honor society was established as an international organization in 1986 and is currently based in Washington, D.C. The organization’s mission is to foster and recognize scholarly achievement in international education.

MSU’s Alpha Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Delta honor society was established in 1989. Since its inception, more than 1,900 individuals have become members, including domestic and international students, faculty and staff.

More information about Phi Beta Delta is available at www.msu.edu/user/pbd/