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Office of Global Engagement
Torres del Paine mountains trekking trip of professor Rubilar in Patagonia (Chile) & associated research area on Nothofagus forest under climate change

Distinguished Global Alumni Award

NC State honors former international students who have used their education to distinguish themselves through outstanding achievements.

Nominations

The call for 2026 Distinguished Global Alumni Award nominations will open in fall 2025.

This award is administered by the Office of Global Engagement. The purpose is to honor alumni who were international students while here at NC State and have used their education to distinguish themselves through outstanding achievements. 

Distinguished accomplishments may include helping to solve a global problem, contributing important new knowledge to their field, supporting the professional development of young people, achieving success in industry or innovation, or in other ways bringing distinction to themselves and NC State.  

Eligibility

  • Received a degree from NC State
  • Was an international student while at NC State
  • May currently live in the US or in another country
  • Priority will be given to alumni who have continued their connections to NC State after graduation.
    • Examples may include collaboration with current faculty or students, participation in a regional alumni club, or encouraging new students to attend NC State. 
  • Alumni who are current NC State employees are not eligible for this award, but instead should be nominated for the Outstanding Global Engagement Award or the Jackson Rigney International Service Award.
  • Nominators may include NC State alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students. Self-nominations are also accepted.
2024 recipient Rafael Rubilar hiking in a mountainous landscape.
Rafael Rubilar, 2024 Distinguished Global Alumni Award

Timeline

  • Deadline for Nominations: TBD January 2026
  • Award announcement & ceremony: TBD April 2026
  • Both nominees and award recipients will be honored in the Global Beat newsletter as well as through social media coverage.

If you have questions, please contact: ncstateglobal@ncsu.edu

2025 Distinguished Global Alumni Award honors Xu She

Xu She, the senior director of engineering for Lunar Energy and the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Global Alumni Award, received similar advice when he graduated from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China and “took his shot” when he joined the doctoral program in electrical engineering at NC State University in 2009.

Read the full story
An image of Xu She receiving the Distinguished Global Alumni Award at the Global Awards Ceremony

Past Recipients