Assistant Director of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies Holly Rivers received the 11th College of Arts and Letters’ Award of Appreciation from Dean John T. McGreevy on Sept. 10.
Rivers received the award for her 12 years of work at the Kellogg Institute, where she has primarily served as an advisor to undergraduates applying to the Institute's student programs. McGreevy read a laudatory recommendation letter from a faculty member at the award ceremony, according to a Kellogg Institute press release.
“Holly is the life force of an astonishing array of undergraduate programming at the Kellogg Institute,” McGreevy read. “She works endlessly to innovate new and better programs for undergraduates.”
McGreevy’s predecessor as dean, Mark Roche, created the College of Arts and Letters Award of Appreciation 14 years ago. McGreevy said the award is typically given to someone who assists in the mission of the College of Arts and Letters.
McGreevy cited Rivers's efforts as being crucial to helping students in the College of Arts and Letters obtain opportunities through the Kellogg Institute.
“[Rivers] has helped assist students with opportunities in undergraduate research going towards a senior thesis, study abroad and sometimes even language learning,” McGreevy said.
“It is much more likely than it was a generation ago that students will travel or work outside of the United States,” McGreevy said. “And we are trying to prepare them for that environment.”
Rivers cited the recent deluge of congratulations from her fellow faculty as being one of the best parts about receiving the award.
“It definitely made my summer one of the nicest I’ve had working here,” Rivers said about winning the award.
In addition to Rivers’s advising work, she also travels every summer to many of the different locations in which the Kellogg Institute has programs.
“Initially, nearly all of the students in the International Studies program were in the College of Arts and Letters. Over time, the Institute has been receiving students from other colleges,” Rivers said.
Rivers also noted how the majority of students in the Institute's programs are political science majors, but recently students studying through the Institute have had varying majors, such as business and pre-professional.
Rivers said becoming involved in the Kellogg Institute's programs is a great advantage to Notre Dame students entering the job market.
“Many people are graduating with a degree. Students going through the Kellogg Institute show that they take the initiative,” Rivers said. “They show that they are flexible by learning languages and immersing themselves within a new culture.”
