Celebrating 2022

This year marked the return of our in-person short-term programs, and it was a great reminder of why all of us went into international education in the first place and why we’re proud to be part of the Wolfpack! Some of the highlights of 2022 included more frequent in-person team outings as well as gatherings with all our sister units in the Office of Global Engagement.

Celebrating Our Staff

Several GTI staff members were recognized at the Global Engagement division’s Fall 2022 celebration in December.

Pride of the Wolfpack: David McNeill

David McNeill co-founded the Global Training Initiative in 2006 and has provided exemplary leadership to expand the unit’s vision and impact across campus, North Carolina, and around the world. He was instrumental in most of the GTI’s signature programs over the years and helped to establish and promote NC State as a leader in global entrepreneurship by working with faculty to deliver workshops and training to students and professionals from across the world. David’s creativity, hard work, and leadership in this realm of incorporating new immersive technologies in the development of GTI’s global cross-cultural training for businesses and organizations have made a transformative and lasting impact on participants who have undergone the training.

Ginger Davis Outstanding Service Award: Becky Cibulskis

Becky Cibulskis embodies the spirit of teamwork and collaboration. Since she began working at GTI in 2015, she has consistently sought opportunities to collaborate with various units across the division to promote student engagement and the development of their cultural competency. She’s also been an active part of the campus community, serving as a resource and mentor to help with their initiatives. As the chair of Global Engagement’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, Becky has provided thoughtful leadership for the division. Her dedication to DEI and cross-cultural competency has been recognized by campus partners as well as external organizations. Becky’s work in providing global cross-cultural training for students promotes and strengthens the division’s Global Learning for All strategic framework in a visible and active way across campus.

Rookie of the Year: Adrienne Shank

Adrienne Shank hit the ground running when she joined the GTI in the summer of 2021 and has not slowed down since. She started to take the helm of the SKEMA partnership as their enrollment at NC State blossomed over the last two academic years because their China campus remained closed to foreign students. Adrienne took the lead to rework the curriculum for the business and culture course the GTI teaches all first-semester SKEMA students and partnered closely with faculty across the university and the Global Village to connect them with hundreds of NC State students in meaningful, high-impact ways. Adrienne has also been instrumental in the development of our growing Latin American program portfolio, working hard to coordinate and implement online and in-person programs.