On September 27, 2023, Associate Professor Dr. Sura Pattanakiat, the Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies at Mahidol University in Thailand, and Professor Laurie Elish-Piper, the Interim Executive Vice President and Provost at Northern Illinois University in the USA, formally entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This MoU establishes a collaborative framework between the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies at Mahidol University and Northern Illinois University, aimed at facilitating and enhancing academic information exchange activities.
The collaboration entails the exchange of visiting faculty, students, and support personnel between both institutions. In this capacity, Associate Professor Dr. Rattanawat Chaiyarat, the Director of the Bachelor of Science Program in Natural Resources and Environmental Management (International Program), and Professor Kerry Wilks, the Associate Vice President in the Division of International Affairs, also signed the MoU as witnesses.
This academic partnership is effectively coordinated by Professor Melissa E. Lenczewski from the Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy within the Earth, Atmosphere, and Environment, together with Assistant Professor Dr. Achara Ussawarujikulchai, who serves as the Director of the Master of Science Program in Technology of Environmental Management (Special Program), and Lecturer Dr. Praewa Wongburi, a faculty member.