The DAAD Alumni Association has recognized University of Oklahoma professor Karin Schutjer with its Excellence Award, honoring her decades of dedication to fostering academic and cultural exchange between the United States and Germany.

Schutjer is the L.J. Semrod Presidential Professor of German and assistant chair in the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Linguistics in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences. The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in promoting transatlantic collaboration, mentoring students and expanding international education opportunities.

A DAAD alumna, Schutjer received a yearlong fellowship during her graduate studies, an experience that helped shape her commitment to international engagement. She said the recognition is especially meaningful because of the organization’s impact on students at OU.