N.C. A&T Director Receives Overseas Faculty Development Seminar Award to Senegal

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Nov. 11, 2024) – Kimberly Tyson, director of the Office of International Affairs at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, is among 27 faculty members from community colleges and minority-serving institutions selected to attend the Council for American Overseas Research Centers’ (CAORC) Overseas Faculty Development Seminar programs in January 2025.

Tyson will participate in the Senegal: West Africa and the Diaspora – Continuities and Transformations seminar at the West African Research Center (WARC).

Established in 1981, CAORC is a private nonprofit federation of independent overseas research centers (ORCs) that promotes advanced research, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, with a focus on conserving and recording cultural heritage and understanding and interpreting modern societies.

Overseas Faculty Development Seminars are fully funded programs conducted abroad and designed to help faculty and administrators from U.S. community colleges and minority-serving institutions gain international experience. The aim is to develop and improve international courses, curricula and teaching materials at their home institutions.

Seminar participants receive round-trip travel, accommodations, meals, and programming for the duration of the seminar, typically between two and three weeks. These seminars are conducted in partnership with participating ORCs and are generously supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The January 2025 series includes Sustainability through Urban and Agricultural India, presented by the American Institute of Indian Studies, with travel and activities in Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jaipur and Jodhpur, India, and West Africa and the Diaspora—Continuities and Transformations with travel and activities in Dakar, Touba, Toubakouta, and Saint-Louis, Senegal. A seminar in Bangladesh is planned for 2026.

“A&T has a longstanding commitment to globalization and international engagement for our faculty and administrators as well as our students,” said Tonya Smith-Jackson, Ph.D., provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “Opportunities for professional and personal enrichment such as the Overseas Faculty Development Seminars strengthen our ability to serve our students and demonstrate the excellence that is a hallmark of the A&T experience. We congratulate Ms. Tyson on her latest achievement and look forward to learning more upon her return.”

Tyson joined N.C. A&T in 2023 with more than 17 years of experience in international and domestic admissions and recruitment, student services, education exchange, federal grant administration, project management and partnership building. Previously, she served as senior international officer at the University of Glasgow in Scotland where she was responsible for recruitment of U.S. high school, transfer and postgraduate students, as well as study abroad.

Tyson oversees the Office of International Affairs charged with upholding the university’s commitment to preparing students for global citizenship, social change leadership and environmental advocacy as well as active participation in improving the human condition and the search for justice and equality. She leads support for international students, exchange students and exchange visitors, as well as current students aspiring to study abroad. She also develops exchange partnerships with international institutions along with faculty, and manages staff and graduate student international travel.

Tyson earned a dual B.A. from Clark Atlanta University and an M.A. in international relations from Webster University. She is a member of the Association of International Regional Representatives and designated presenter for the Fulbright Scholar UK Commission.