Pinder Recognized for Inclusive Excellence in International Education

Dr. Tony Pinder was honored for his work elevating diversity, equity, and inclusion in global education at Emerson by Diversity Abroad, an organization dedicated to making international education accessible to young people from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.

Pinder, Emerson’s Vice Provost for Internationalization and Equity, received an Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion in International Education (EDIIE) Award in the Executive Leader category at Diversity Abroad’s annual conference in Chicago November 2.

“Dr. Pinder’s impact at Emerson College cannot be overstated,” Diversity Abroad said in presenting him with the award. “He has, quite simply, transformed Emerson’s curriculum, globalizing the college’s programs, while simultaneously advancing diversity, access, and inclusion both at home and abroad.”

In selecting Pinder for the award, Diversity Abroad cited the faculty-led Global Pathways program, which Pinder established – in particular the James Baldwin Writers’ Colony at Kasteel Well, developed to attract and support BIPOC students at Emerson and students from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

“Through creation of these new programs, as well as the restructured and reimagination of the College’s pre-existing international program in the Netherlands, Dr. Pinder’s tireless work has brought a dramatic increase in the number of BIPOC students attending education abroad programs at Emerson. For example, for the Fall ’23 semester, 61 percent of total enrollment at Emerson’s campus in the Netherlands are BIPOC students.”

Pinder, who joined Emerson in 2014, was named Vice Provost for Internationalization & Equity in 2021, tasked with building and leading a newly created division with an explicit mission to link equity with global perspective and infuse those values throughout the curriculum. In his role as vice provost, Pinder also worked to launch three new funds intended to invest in the future of global education and equity at Emerson: the Internationalization and Equity Fund, the International Student Assistance Fund, and the Education Abroad Assistance Fund.

“Receiving the award is a tremendous professional honor, as well as an important recognition of Emerson’s intentionality to pursue internationalization from an equity-based approach,” Pinder said. “This has meant leveraging institutional support from senior administrative leadership to cohesively situate equity within international education at the college.”

In 2020, Pinder won the Sen. Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization from NAFSA, the world’s largest association for international educators in higher ed.