Dear all,

I’d like to dedicate the February dean’s message to our wonderful friend, Linda Baker, who passed away in late December. Linda and her husband Dale are among International Programs’ (IP) most dedicated supporters, and Linda’s loss creates a huge void in the IP family. As many of you know, Linda was the recipient of our International Impact Award for 2023. We had planned to formally confer the award on campus in November, but sadly, she fell ill, and we were unable to duly acknowledge her marvelous contributions in person. An opportunity to publicly recognize Linda’s generosity did present itself in late January, when Joan Kjaer, our former director of communications and relations, and I had the honor of attending Linda’s celebration of life ceremony in Sonoma, California.

It was a privilege to present the 2023 International Impact Award to Dale and their son, Brian. Dale accepted the award on behalf of Linda. Occasions such as these are always bittersweet, but we emphasized the sweet, as Linda would have wanted. Last spring, when we informed Linda that she would receive our International Impact Award, she was over the moon. All recipients are happy, of course, to learn they’ve gotten the award, but Linda was absolutely delighted. The criteria for the International Impact Award are as follows:

The International Impact Award recognizes distinguished alumni and other individuals with significant ties to the UI who have made important contributions internationally or, in the case of international alumni, abroad in their home countries. It was established by UI International Programs in 2010 to honor exceptional individuals in any field who have made sustained and deep contributions internationally or in the U.S. to promote global understanding.

Linda not only met these high standards, but she also greatly exceeded them. For Linda, philanthropy was about opportunity and advocacy beyond the classroom. Her generosity took many forms, the most notable being the establishment of the Dr. Ken Magid Child Advocacy Service Scholarship, as well as the founding of the Baker Teacher Leader Center at the University of Iowa’s College of Education.  

Linda, herself, was an educator who believed in the value of practical experience and service to others. Her generosity enabled countless students to either study or pursue research abroad. Often overlooked were the number of faculty whose careers Linda advanced by enabling them to conduct their scholarship in international destinations. Always a champion of human connection, Linda made travel a large part of her own global engagement. In 2014, she and Dale established scholarships to support service learning by public health students. These gifts were inspired by Linda’s own volunteer efforts in a Romanian orphanage years before. In 2017, she participated in our India Winterim program, which focused on observational learning in educational settings. There are many ways to lead a successful and fulfilling life, but Linda Baker’s kindness, leadership, and compassion set the best example that I know of. She changed lives both at home and abroad, and our world is better because of her.

The International Impact Award is reserved for distinguished alumni who are champions of global engagement and who have burnished the reputation of the University of Iowa on the world stage. No recipient is more deserving than Linda Baker. To illustrate Linda’s impact, our office prepared a short video (below) as testimony to her many contributions. As you can imagine, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house after those gathered viewed the tribute. Linda Baker will be deeply missed, but her legacy continues in the programs she created and the lives she touched.

With all best wishes, 

Russ 

International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement.  IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.