Kaneene honored posthumously with H. Paul Roberts Award for Distinguished Service in Education Abroad
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EmailFrances Nambi Kaneene to be honored with 2022 CANR H. Paul Roberts Award for Distinguished Service in Education Abroad.
Frances Nambi Kaneene will be honored posthumously with the 2022 MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) H. Paul Roberts Award for Distinguished Service in Education Abroad on April 21.
The H. Paul Roberts Award for Distinguished Service in Education recognizes faculty and staff who give their time and creativity to the development and implementation of education abroad programs, as well as those who work behind the scenes to support the students who participate in education abroad.
Kaneene was an academic advisor in the Department of Community Sustainability for over 30 years until her retirement and death in 2020. During that time, she helped thousands of students build their confidence, reach their potential and achieve their dreams — and a major part of that was encouraging them to study abroad. Her own background and experiences — being born and raised in Uganda, living in Paris, and traveling to dozens of countries — demonstrated to Kaneene how important an international study experience could be for students. She strongly believed that studying abroad would give students a greater understanding of and appreciation for the world we live in.
Kaneene was a go-to person for CANR education abroad. She could always be counted on to review courses from overseas institutions, determine MSU equivalencies and figure out how to make credits transfer and count in a student’s major. She would do everything within her power to make it happen for a student.
Incoming exchange students also benefitted from Kaneene’s expertise and dedication. If there were ever any questions or difficulties getting exchange students enrolled in MSU classes, an email or call to Kaneene would quickly resolve the issue. She would say, “Just send me their ID number, and I’ll take care of it.” Overrides would be granted, students would be enrolled and schedules would be completed.
The Award for Distinguished Service in Study Abroad Programs was first presented in 2007 and was renamed the H. Paul Roberts Award for Distinguished Service in Study Abroad Programs upon Paul’s retirement in 2008 to recognize his many and distinctive contributions to the College’s Study Abroad program. Past recipients have represented a broad cross-section of the College and its programs.
When contacted regarding this year’s award, Roberts offered these words, "It is my honor to have my name associated with a tribute to Frances Kaneene. Frances was one of our best advocates of student international experiences, and it was a pleasure to work with her throughout my career. We all miss her but will always remember her wonderful personality and her outstanding contributions to student international opportunities."
