Knox College has named Dr. Brenda Tooley as the first full-time director of the College's Eleanor Stellyes Center for Global Studies.

Tooley has extensive experience in teaching, academic administration, and the development of international programs, including study abroad.

"My most fundamental hope is to contribute to the cultivation of global citizens and to encourage students to become ethical and compassionate members of a multicultural, global society," Tooley said.

"Like many advocates of study abroad and an internationalized curriculum, I happily point to outcomes of international educational experiences: students' acquisition of self-understanding, cultural understanding, self-confidence, maturity, appreciation of difference, empathy, communication skills, and problem-solving abilities," she added.

The Eleanor Stellyes Center for Global Studies plays an important role in the global education of members of the Knox College community. The center coordinates study abroad and off-campus programs, brings to campus distinguished guest speakers and scholars-in-residence who provide international perspectives, and promotes international travel and research by Knox students and faculty.

"The work of the Stellyes Center is a key driver of the experiential learning opportunities for Knox students," notes Dean of the College and Vice President for Academic Affairs Affairs Laura Behling. "Intercultural competence and communication are vital experiences and skills that Knox off-campus studies programs offer."

About 50% of Knox students participate in study abroad and off-campus programs at some point in their undergraduate education, according to statistics compiled this year. That's a dramatic increase from just four years ago, when about 32% of Knox undergraduates participated in study abroad, either in term-length programs or short-term immersion programs. Knox is among more than 150 colleges and universities participating in the Institute of International Education's Generation Study Abroad project, which, by the end of this decade, aims to double the number of U.S. students studying abroad.

Study abroad and other international experiences are more accessible to Knox students through programs such as the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which offers grants to students studying or interning abroad. Available to students of limited financial means, the Gilman program seeks to help a diverse group of U.S. students study and intern abroad in an array of countries.

Tooley has vast international experience, in addition to her background in teaching and administration. She participated in a Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar in Brazil in 2001; received a teaching appointment at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, in 2005; was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in Bulgaria in 2010; and served as an instructor in the Fulbright International Summer Institute in Bulgaria in 2012 and 2014.

She also has traveled extensively—primarily in South Asia and the Pacific Rim—on behalf of the institutions where she has worked.

"Knox is fortunate to have someone of Bren's international experiences and commitments lead our efforts on this campus—and the connections and enthusiasm she has for students learning in international contexts will serve Knox students and the College well," Behling added.

Tooley's wide-ranging professional activities have included leading an external review of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) London-Florence program, involvement in the Institute of International Education's (IIE) consortium addressing Syria's higher education crisis, and leading webinars on liberal arts colleges and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

She earned a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame and bachelor's and master's degrees from Fort Hays State University, and has published numerous papers, many in the field of English literature. Tooley recently wrote a chapter in a just-released IIE publication about best strategies for working with international students who are in crisis situations, such as living in conflict zones.

She also directs Knox's Peace Corps Preparatory Program, which offers a specialized curriculum to prepare students for Peace Corps or other international service.

For the past three years, Knox College has placed on Peace Corps' annual list of the top volunteer-producing colleges and universities across the country. Knox was the first college in the country to have an official Peace Corps Preparatory Program, and nearly 100% of students who completed the program have been accepted into the Peace Corps.