The IFMA Foundation is pleased to introduce the International Student of the Year award program, an initiative that was launched at IFMA’s World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo in Orlando, FL. The inaugural International Student of the Year award will be presented alongside the annual scholarships awarded at IFMA’s World Workplace 2010 in Atlanta, GA, and annually thereafter.
Open to students from around the world, the International Student of the Year award will recognize the student who best exemplifies the future of the facility management profession through academic achievement, excellence and enthusiasm for the industry.
“The International Student of the Year award is truly a worldwide competition open to any FM student around the globe,” said IFMA Foundation Executive Director Will Rub. “It is both meaningful and exciting for the IFMA Foundation to introduce this new award as part of its continuing effort to promote and recognize international FM education.”
Providing scholarships enhances the foundation’s mission to identify, fund and promote education and research for the advancement of facility management. In 2009, the IFMA Foundation distributed more than US$84,000 in scholarships to 27 deserving facility management students.
“The future of facility management depends on attracting and retaining bright, dynamic professionals with fresh ideas and a passion for excellence,” said IFMA Foundation Chair Pat Turnbull, MA, LEED AP. “The International Student of the Year award is part of the IFMA Foundation’s effort to recognize achievement in FM education worldwide. I would also like to recognize IFMA Foundation Secretary/Treasurer Stephen Ballesty, as he was instrumental in pulling together the concept, criteria and judging process for this new award.”
For a small application fee — paid by the student’s sponsoring organization — the entry becomes an active participant in the process of recognizing facility management excellence. The sponsor must verify the applicant’s eligibility to ensure the student has met all award criteria.
An international panel of judges will be appointed by the IFMA Foundation’s executive committee to evaluate the award applications. The panel will be chaired by an IFMA Foundation trustee and will consist of a combination of senior facility management practitioners, service providers, consultants and academics.
For more information on the IFMA Foundation’s International Student of the Year award, including guidelines, click here. To apply for the International Student of the Year award, visit the online application page here.
Established in 1990 as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation and separate entity from IFMA, the IFMA Foundation works for the public good to promote priority research and educational opportunities for the advancement of facility management. The IFMA Foundation is supported by the generosity of the facility management community, including IFMA members, chapters, councils, corporate sponsors and private contributors who are united by the belief that research and education improve the facility management profession. To learn more about the good works of the IFMA Foundation, visit www.ifmafoundation.org. To join and follow the IFMA Foundation’s social media outlets online, visit the foundation’s LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages.
