UMN mental health abroad initiative recognized with IIE Heiskell Award

The University of Minnesota has been recognized as an honorable mention for the 2025 IIE Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education for its Mental Health in Education Abroad initiative. The Institute of International Education (IIE) bestows this honor to recognize and support the innovative and successful models for developing and expanding international education in practice today. 

The University of Minnesota created the first-of-its-kind position focused on mental health in education abroad, currently held by Dr. Laura Dupont-Jarrett. The role is primarily proactive, offering training for education abroad staff, program leaders, and on-site colleagues to provide the skills and knowledge needed to proactively support mental health and manage situations as they arise. The position is the result of a partnership among the Global Programs and Strategy Alliance, Learning Abroad Center, Carlson Global Institute, and Office for Student Affairs. The partnership is key to this position’s success, connecting services and resources across the campus system, as well as sites across the globe, to support students’ mental health abroad. To learn more, read a feature story about the initiative and see mental health abroad resources that have been developed.

The IIE Heiskell Awards were created in 2001 to promote and honor outstanding initiatives conducted in international higher education by IIENetwork members. IIE is proud of continuing the legacy of the award’s namesake, Andrew Heiskell, a former Executive Committee member of IIE’s Board of Trustees, a renowned international and cultural philanthropist, and long-time supporter of international education. Now in the program’s 24th year, IIE has given nearly 100 IIE Heiskell Awards to institutions and organizations around the world.