PNW will welcome George Kacenga as its first executive director of Global Engagement, effective July 1. The position will join the Office of International Affairs, which will transition into the new Global Engagement Office in Fall 2018.

The Office of International Affairs has two main aspects: managing the study abroad program and recruiting international students.

Ralph Mueller, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and provost, said the Global Engagement Office will work to infuse global engagement into PNW’s curriculum and give students a better understanding of global societies.

Mueller said Kacenga is suited to help the university achieve its goals of more inclusion and diversity by encouraging students to become involved with the office and by trying to globalize and internationalize the campus.

For 10 years, Kacenga has worked at the University of Colorado Denver, where he currently serves as director of International Enrollment Management in the Office of International Affairs. Although he is content where he is, he sees the position at PNW as a solid move forward.

“There comes a time professionally where you are happy, but you realize there is a next step,” Kacenga said.

One factor that draws Kacenga to PNW is the international activities that are already on campus. He hopes to build an international relationship strategy at PNW that goes beyond study abroad programs and to establish a holistic vision of global engagement on campus.

“A vibrant community already exists at PNW with capacity and momentum, and I am looking forward to being a part of its continued success,” Kacenga said.

Kacenga also said he is passionate about helping international students build skills in United States to use in their home countries. He keeps in touch with students he has helped and said those relationships motivate him to continue moving forward with his job.

Kacenga has traveled to 31 countries and hopes to work alongside the study abroad program. In the past, he has assisted students to travel through Fund for Education Abroad.

Fund for Education Abroad is a professional organization that distributes scholarships throughout the United States for students to study around the world. These programs can last between four weeks and an academic year. This year, the organization granted 100 scholarships which totaled $350,000, according to a press release from the organization.