International Center Programs and Partnerships
The International Center offers a variety of programs to support international students, scholars, and employees and their dependents. Our programs are developed by our staff and in collaboration with other departments, offices, and student associations across Tufts.
Our programming strategy and initiatives are always growing and evolving. We welcome your recommendations about how we can create programs and events to better serve the Tufts community.
International Center Partnerships
The International Center supports and collaborates with student organizations and other offices at Tufts to promote international community. We are especially proud of our long-standing role in supporting the International House ("I-House") special interest housing community, as well as the I-Club.
Davies House, better known as International House (or "I-House") is a Tufts residence for 16 students from all over the world, including the US. The I-House offers an intercultural living arrangement for both international students and Americans with the goal of creating an environment in which residents can share their cultures and celebrate their differences among friends.
The I-House hosts cultural events for the rest of the Tufts community throughout the year. Look in The Tufts Daily and the I-Center Calendar for announcements about what's happening at the I-House, such as the Fall BBQ, lectures, movies and parties with international or intercultural themes.
The I-House is located at 13 Sawyer Avenue, across the street from the International Center. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are invited to apply to live in the I-House. Contact the International Center for more information about future I-House events.
The International Club, or "I-Club," is an undergraduate group that welcomes international and American students as members of the Tufts international community. The history of the International Club dates back to 1955. The club offers leadership roles and responsibilities through the various sponsored activities during the year.
Parade of Nations
One of I-Club's showcase activities is the annual Parade of Nations, which brings together people of all cultures to share and experience different aspects of each other's culture through music, dance, performance and fashion.
Each year, the International Club, with the support of the International Center, chooses and awards the Oliver Chapman Leadership and Community Service Award. Since its inception in 1993, the Chapman Award recognizes a senior who has demonstrated leadership through involvement in the international community at Tufts.
Award winners are nominated by their peers and selected by a committee consisting of I-Club officers, leaders from different cultural and ethnic organizations at Tufts, and a member of the International Center staff.
About the Chapman Award
The Chapman Award was established in the spring of 1993 in memory of Oliver Chapman. Oliver was an undergraduate student from Panama who passed away in May of 1992. Oliver had many friends within the international community, was loved by all who knew him and he was always ready to help others. Oliver's openness to other cultures allowed many people to learn from each other through their interactions with him. Oliver is also remembered by his friends as having an incredible smile, and was very well-liked by his peers. While at Tufts he had been involved with the International Orientation Program and served as an International Student Host Advisor. Additionally, he was an executive officer of the Latin American Society.
Nominee Criteria
In considering nominees for this award, the committee is looking for a senior who has been active with the international community whether on-campus, in the Greater Boston area, or internationally. Ideally, the nominee is a person who has reached out to others and who has had an impact on the lives of Tufts students or to a group or community outside of Tufts. The nominee should demonstrate a love for humanity through his/her involvement in extracurricular activities.
One previous Chapman Award recipient was given this honor based on her initiative to create a cross-cultural peer support group for Tufts students who faced cultural adjustment issues to American college life. Another recipient was one of the primary individuals who brought to the campus an awareness of the needs of Latino students at Tufts. One volunteered, working with a local immigrant population, teaching English as a Second Language. Another dedicated his time to raising awareness of, and fundraising for, financial aid to international students. In all of the above examples, the most striking characteristic of each student was their ability to give unselfishly to others while never expecting to receive any recognition for their efforts.
In considering nominees for the Oliver Chapman Leadership and Community Service Award, the committee asks you to think about the qualities described above when making your nomination. The recipient will receive an individual plaque recognizing his/her award and his/her name will be inscribed on a permanent plaque listing all previous recipients that hangs in the International Center.
Previous Chapman Award Winners
1993 | Christine Overholt | 1994 | Saskia Mechman |
1995 | Juan Cedeño | 1996 | Anita Swamy |
1997 | Shalini Bhatia | 1998 | Julio M. Terra |
1999 | Nahid Bhadelia | 2000 | Aparna Basnyat |
2001 | Shou Min Tan | 2002 | Gerald Sean McDermott/Carl Nee-Kofi Mould-Millman |
2003 | Rodolfo Alborelli | 2004 | Eli Levin-Goldstein |
2005 | Carolina Schildknecht | 2006 | Mauricio Artiñano Guzmán |
2007 | Sebastian Chaskel | 2008 | José Alfaro |
2009 | Malek Al-Chalabi | 2010 | Antonella Scarano |
2011 | Michael Niconchuk | 2012 | Alisha Sett |
2013 | Jameelah Morris | 2014 | Anna Zhou |
2015 | Yiqing Li | 2016 | Shanice Kok |
2017 | Barry Maswan | 2018 | Sopuruchukwu Ezenwa |
2019 | Akshat Rajan | 2020 | Anshuman Nemali |
2021 | Insiya Naim | 2022 | Aadhya Shivakumar |
2023 | Rishabh Sharda | 2024 | Audrey Njo |