John W. Ryan award for distinguished contributions to international programs and studies, Richard A. Fredland

"I would like to think of [the John W. Ryan Award] as being similar to one of those Oscars given to actors for lifetime achievement. It is well deserved and truly fitting."

—John McCormick, acting chair, IUPUI political science department

Richard Fredland’s colleagues hail him as “the embodiment” of international studies and programs at IUPUI. As an educator specializing in international relations for more than 30 years, Fredland has helped thousands of students gain a broad knowledge and view of the world.

Fredland has designed and taught numerous courses and most recently authored the Certificate Program in International Relations and a related minor at IUPUI. He created the Committee on African and Afro-American Studies at IUPUI and has worked on a partnership with the African Studies Program at IU Bloomington. The partnership has produced such programs as a public conference on the School of Medicine’s program in Kenya, as well as medical research in the African-American community of Indianapolis.

Fredland’s accomplishments include authorship of four books on international affairs and a television program covering international topics such as the crises in the Balkans, Consider This, available on community access channels across Indiana.

An expert on African affairs, Fredland has most recently focused on the impact of AIDS in Africa. In 1997, he received a Fulbright scholarship and spent the year teaching and doing research at the University of Malawi.

Fredland has been active in the Indiana Council on World Affairs and the Forum for International Services for decades and has acted as a consultant to diverse political administrations, including the state of Indiana and the government of Zaire.