Eckman to Direct Education Abroad in the International Programs Office

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The International Programs Office (IPO) recently named Mark Eckman director of education abroad.

Eckman comes to IPO from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) where he most recently served as the senior international officer and director of study abroad at the Center for International Education He also served as partnerships coordinator there in 2007. Previously, Eckman served as assistant eirector of global student services at St. John’s University in New York.

During his time at UWM, Eckman expanded access to programs for students, creating a more robust emergency response protocol, engaged faculty program leaders from traditionally underrepresented academic areas, and positioned UWM as a leader in international education within Wisconsin.  His research interests include fiscal models for international education offices and programs, the establishment of reliable metrics for assessment— both for students and for programs—and the impact of motivation and self-efficacy in the identity development of study abroad participants.

The International Programs Office facilitates a global education network for the University, sending domestic students abroad and bringing international students’ and scholars’ talents and expertise to campus. IPO Associate Provost Kalpen Trivedi says, “I am delighted that Mark Eckman has agreed to join the International Programs Office after a competitive national search.  He has a strong background in faculty engagement and developing innovative study abroad programs.”

Eckman earned a master of education degree in educational leadership in college student personnel from Marquette University as well as a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Beloit College.

He is an accomplished international traveler, having traveled internationally for the first time at the age of five. While in high school, Eckman studied for a summer in Seville, Spain, and as a junior at Beloit, he spent a semester in Quito, Ecuador. During his time at Marquette, he decided to combine his love of international travel and international exchange with his passion for working in education.