PURC assistant director named UF International Educator of the Year

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Araceli Castaneda, Assistant Director of the Public Utility Research Center, has been named International Educator of the Year in the staff category by the University of Florida’s International Center.

The International Center honors outstanding international endeavors by senior faculty, junior faculty and staff. The staff award recognizes important contributions staff has made in internationalization priorities on the UF campus. The International Educator awards will presented Nov. 15.

Castaneda’s achievements are numerous. According to PURC Director Dr. Mark Jamison, Castaneda has “developed and managed important international relationships with the Associação Brasileira de Agências de Regulação, Fundação Getulio Vargas of Brazil, Organisation of Caribbean Utility Regulators, and Thammasat University in Thailand; managed PURC’s flagship international training program that has trained more than 2,500 professionals from 149 countries since 1997, and managed other international projects, including programs in Brazil, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Thailand, Bermuda and Costa Rica; taught leadership classes for utility professionals from more than 30 countries, including teaching courses for government and industry in Turks & Caicos and Uganda and represented PURC at numerous international events and spoken at international programs in Mexico City, Peru, Guyana and the United States. Dr. Jamison said Castaneda “ensures that UF students are involved in PURC’s international outreach so that they, too, become globally engaged.”

“Araceli is one of those rare individuals who can make an impact anywhere in the world and in any situation,” Dr. Jamison said. “I am always impressed with her ability to comprehend a situation, regardless of the cultural context, and ensure that the people around her are successful.”

PURC is an internationally recognized academic center dedicated to research and to providing training in utility regulation and strategy, as well as the development of leadership in infrastructure policy. Founded in 1972, PURC, which is located in the Warrington College of Business Administration, strives to enhance the understanding of issues confronting public utilities and regulatory agencies through conferences, seminars and training programs; through research covering the energy, telecommunications, and water sectors, and by preparing students for careers in infrastructure industries.