Schmidt to Depart NC State after 33 Years of State Service
Ingrid Schmidt, Associate Vice Provost for External Relations and Development in the Office of Global Engagement, will leave the NC State October 1 to start her retirement. Schmidt’s last day with NC State will be September 7.
Over the past 25 years since arriving at NC State from the Study Abroad Office at UNC-Chapel Hill, Schmidt has held several important roles and made significant contributions advancing global education at NC State. Schmidt first joined NC State in January of 1996 as Director of Study Abroad, and served in that role until June of 2017.
Under her leadership, the Study Abroad Office grew from two full time and two part-time temporary staff sending 280 students abroad, to 14 full time and 6 student staff sending 1,340 students abroad annually. Her many accomplishments include transitioning the office’s framework to a core focus on Curriculum Integration for study abroad, developing the Global Perspectives Certificate, one of the first university-wide transcripted certificate programs for undergraduates, launching significant new university regulations and the International Travel Gateway to improve risk management support for all students going abroad, and collaborating with the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity in co-leading an ACE grant to establish the “At Home in the World” program at NC State. Schmidt also led the university’s engagement as a Generation Study Abroad Commitment Partner with the Institute of International Education, positioning the SAO to later meet its aspirational goals of increasing both overall and underrepresented participation in study abroad by 50% in 5 years.
“Higher education has the potential to help students experience our global interconnectedness as an exciting opportunity rather than a cause for concern,” said Schmidt. “Students who are given the knowledge and skills to engage globally often gain confidence and develop into respectful, compassionate, and effective problem solvers. It has been deeply rewarding to help students develop their capacity and their passion for being real change agents in the world.”
Schmidt was promoted to Associate Vice Provost in 2005, and in 2017 shifted her role to external relations and development in the Office of Global Engagement. In this position she guided the work of the NC Japan Center and the Passport Services office, began expanding international internships, managed a variety of grants and initiatives to support faculty, and laid the groundwork for the division’s fundraising and development. Under her leadership and experience, NC State Global recently launched its new initiative titled Global Learning for All, which expands the focus of NC State Global to a wider variety of accessible program models, primarily by providing many more online or virtual global learning options, as well as campus-based curricular and co-curricular global activities.
“I am very appreciative of Ingrid’s contribution and her leadership for Global Engagement at NC State. As the Director of the Study Abroad she has improved study abroad enrollment and services to faculty and students,” say Dr. Li, Senior Vice Provost for the Office of Global Engagement. “As the Associate Vice Provost for Global Engagement, she has contributed significantly to advancement/fundraising for supporting international students and study abroad scholarships. She has made special contributions for initiating our Global Learning for All initiative to provide global perspectives to all NC State students, faculty and communities. Her commitment to international education and global learning has benefited the NC State community greatly in the last 25 years. I am thankful for Ingrid’s excellent service to NC State and wish her well in retirement.”