NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA – The University of Oklahoma has been recognized as a winner for the 2025 Institute of International Education Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education in the category of Student Mobility and Exchange for OU’s Pigmentos International Dance Festival in Puebla program. The IIE bestows this honor to recognize and support the innovative and successful models for developing and expanding international education in practice today.
Heading into its 5th year, the Pigmentos International Dance Festival is an annual artistic and academic exchange that brings together dance students from the United States and Mexico for a week of collaborative classes, performances, and cultural dialogue. The brainchild of OU in Puebla Director Armando Garcia, OU School of Dance Director Michael Bearden, and collaborators from dance communities in the greater Puebla area, the program now has a half-dozen collaborators from both countries. With more than 140 participants each year, the festival creates a unique space where art, academia and international understanding converge.
“Performance-focused study abroad opportunities are rare, especially for dance majors, but Pigmentos fills that gap while remaining intentionally affordable to ensure broader access for students regardless of financial background,” said Rebecca Cruise, associate provost for global engagement, University of Oklahoma Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President. “By partnering with local universities, studios and cultural leaders, the program provides an immersive and inclusive platform that fosters creative expression, mutual respect and lasting cross-cultural partnerships.”
The IIE Heiskell Awards were created in 2001 to promote and honor outstanding initiatives conducted in international higher education by IIE Network members. In its release announcing the awards, IIE states it is proud of continuing the legacy of the award’s namesake, Andrew Heiskell, a former Executive Committee member of IIE’s Board of Trustees, a renowned international and cultural philanthropist, and long-time supporter of international education.
More information about the IIE Heiskell Awards and a list of other awardees are available at www.iie.org/HeiskellAwards.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
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