O'Donnell Award - previous honorees
2016 - Kathleen Stephens
Kathleen Stephens was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Kevin O’Donnell Distinguished Friend of Korea Award in 2016. The award was presented by Maura O’Donnell, Kevin O’Donnell’s daughter, with Ambassador Ahn Ho-young at the reception held at the Ambassador’s residence after the annual FOK meeting held in Washington DC on September 24, 2016.
Kathleen Stephens served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Korea in the 1970’s and continued to work in the country at various times throughout the rest of her career. She served as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer for over thirty years, during which time her postings include chief of the internal political unit in Seoul, principal officer of the U.S. Consulate in Busan, Korea, and U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (2008-2011). In 2010 she published a book “Reflection of an American Ambassador to Korea” based on her Korean –language blog. Some of Stephens’s many accolades include the Korean government’s Sejong Cultural Prize and the Korea-America Friendship Association Prize.
Kathleen Stephens served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Korea in the 1970’s and continued to work in the country at various times throughout the rest of her career. She served as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer for over thirty years, during which time her postings include chief of the internal political unit in Seoul, principal officer of the U.S. Consulate in Busan, Korea, and U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (2008-2011). In 2010 she published a book “Reflection of an American Ambassador to Korea” based on her Korean –language blog. Some of Stephens’s many accolades include the Korean government’s Sejong Cultural Prize and the Korea-America Friendship Association Prize.
2017 - pioneers in korean studies
The award was shared in 2017 with a group of scholars, all noted for their contributions to the development of Korean Studies. The honorees are all returned Peace Corps Korea volunteers who, after completion of their service, pursued graduate studies in a variety of academic disciplines focused on Korea. These pioneers went on to spend their professional careers researching, publishing, and teaching about Korea. Through their pioneering efforts as specialists in Korea, they have made notable contributions to the development and expansion of the field of Korea Studies not only in the United States and Canada, but also in Europe and even in Korea. Thanks in substantial part to these pioneers, the field of Korean Studies is thriving and now attracts students whose first exposure to Korea may well have been a course offered or a book published by one of these individuals.
The honorees were: Donald Baker, Edward Baker, Donald Clark, Bruce Cumings, Carter Eckert, Bruce Fulton, Milan Hejtmanek, Laurel Kendall, Linda Lewis, David McCann, Robert Mowry, David Nemeth, Michael Robinson and Edward Schultz.
The honorees were: Donald Baker, Edward Baker, Donald Clark, Bruce Cumings, Carter Eckert, Bruce Fulton, Milan Hejtmanek, Laurel Kendall, Linda Lewis, David McCann, Robert Mowry, David Nemeth, Michael Robinson and Edward Schultz.
2018 - Shim JaI Ok
One of the highlights of the 2018 Annual Meeting was the presentation O’Donnell Award to Mrs. Shim Jai Ok, an extraordinary woman who for the 41 years was on the staff of the Korea-American Educational Commission (aka ‘the Fulbright Program’). She joined the KAEC in 1977 as an Administrative Officer, became Deputy Director in 1990 and was appointed the Executive Director in 2004. Mrs. Shim began her remarkable career in 1967 as a Korean language and cultural instructor for the K-3 and K-5 groups of Peace Corps Korea volunteers. An article in the Fulbright publication, Infusion, noted that “her impact can be seen and felt in the lives and careers of the thousands of teachers, researchers, and scholars she has welcomed to the Fulbright Korea community.”
2019 - Bruce Ballard & Sook Nyul Choi
The O'Donnell Award was presented to Bruce Ballard, a life-long educator and teacher trainer, and Sook Nyul Choi, an award-winning author of books on Korean and Korean American themes this year.
Bruce Ballard served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Korea, teaching English to Korean teachers of English and university students. He went on to receive advanced degrees in language education and a doctorate in applied linguistics from Columbia University. Throughout his career he has concentrated on teacher training, and also has taught both English and Korean directly to students. Dr. Ballard is currently affiliated with the Bronx Charter School for Better Learning, where he helps make Korea and the Korean language a vital part of the children’s lives.
Sook Nyul Choi was born in Pyongyang and fled with her family to South Korea during the Korean War. After emigrating to the United States, she began a career as a writer, lecturer and teacher. Her first young-adult book, The Year of Impossible Goodbyes (1991), told the story of life in Korea under the Japanese occupation and the ravages of the Korean War through the eyes of a young girl. It won numerous awards and is frequently assigned in schools. Ms. Choi has written a number of other books on Korean American themes. Her work has provided great insight for her readers into Korean history and the lives of Korean Americans.
Bruce Ballard served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Korea, teaching English to Korean teachers of English and university students. He went on to receive advanced degrees in language education and a doctorate in applied linguistics from Columbia University. Throughout his career he has concentrated on teacher training, and also has taught both English and Korean directly to students. Dr. Ballard is currently affiliated with the Bronx Charter School for Better Learning, where he helps make Korea and the Korean language a vital part of the children’s lives.
Sook Nyul Choi was born in Pyongyang and fled with her family to South Korea during the Korean War. After emigrating to the United States, she began a career as a writer, lecturer and teacher. Her first young-adult book, The Year of Impossible Goodbyes (1991), told the story of life in Korea under the Japanese occupation and the ravages of the Korean War through the eyes of a young girl. It won numerous awards and is frequently assigned in schools. Ms. Choi has written a number of other books on Korean American themes. Her work has provided great insight for her readers into Korean history and the lives of Korean Americans.
2020 - Kenneth Klein
The fifth annual O’Donnell Award was presented to Dr. Kenneth Klein, who had recently retired as Head of the East Asian Library at the University of Southern California. For decades, Dr. Klein wash dedicated to the mission of fostering cultural awareness and friendship between Americans and Koreans through his career as librarian of East Asian collections at the University of Southern California. His purview included the Korean Heritage Collection which is a part of the East Asian Library. Trained in both library science and the academic study of pre-modern Chinese history, Dr. Klein dedicated his career to the acquisition, preservation, and promotion of USC’s East Asian Collection. This included the acquisition of important materials related to Korean and Korean American History, working collaboratively with both Korean American and Korean organizations and institutions.
In addition, Dr. Klein has been active in promotion of cultural understanding between Americans and Koreans at particularly critical junctures. In 1993, he served on the Planning Committee for a conference on new directions for the Korean American community in the aftermath of the unrest of April 1992 in Los Angeles. Among other outreach activities, Dr. Klein contributed to drafting a Senate resolution recognizing contributions of Korean Americans and advised the LA City Planning Department on important Asian American (including Korean American) monuments; mounted photo and other exhibits; gave papers and presentations at diverse venues; contributed to or edited newsletters or journals; produced documentary films and conducted numerous oral history interviews. Closer to home (the Peace Corps experience in Korea), Dr. Klein, together with a colleague, conducted oral history interviews of former volunteers and oversaw the project to create the USC Peace Corps Digital Archives, a collection of photos and other contributions of former volunteers.
In addition, Dr. Klein has been active in promotion of cultural understanding between Americans and Koreans at particularly critical junctures. In 1993, he served on the Planning Committee for a conference on new directions for the Korean American community in the aftermath of the unrest of April 1992 in Los Angeles. Among other outreach activities, Dr. Klein contributed to drafting a Senate resolution recognizing contributions of Korean Americans and advised the LA City Planning Department on important Asian American (including Korean American) monuments; mounted photo and other exhibits; gave papers and presentations at diverse venues; contributed to or edited newsletters or journals; produced documentary films and conducted numerous oral history interviews. Closer to home (the Peace Corps experience in Korea), Dr. Klein, together with a colleague, conducted oral history interviews of former volunteers and oversaw the project to create the USC Peace Corps Digital Archives, a collection of photos and other contributions of former volunteers.
2021 - KIM JONG-CHAN
Friends of Korea (FoK) presented the sixth annual Kevin O’Donnell Distinguished Friend of Korea Award to Mr. Kim Jong- chan, long-time Peace Corps Korea staff person, trainer, and mentor, friend and colleague to many Peace Corps Korea volunteers. Here is an excerpt from the nomination letter submitted by Chuck Hobbie:
"It is time to recognize individuals such as Mr. Kim for their long, dedicated service on Peace Corps Korea staff in support of the Peace Corps program and its volunteers. There can be no more significant contribution to the goals of fostering cultural awareness and friendship between Koreans and Americans than his accomplishment of successfully preparing hundreds of PCVs for service in Korea over a period of twelve years.
The history of Peace Corps Korea eloquently demonstrates that Mr. Kim - significantly more than any other person - had a long, dedicated career of teaching and training Peace Corps Korea trainees. As every PCV knows, by his actions he fostered cultural awareness and friendships between Koreans and Americans to an extraordinary degree - a fostering that continues visibly through his active engagement with RPCVs on-line and during the Korea Foundation revisits program forty years after the last PCV left Korea."
"It is time to recognize individuals such as Mr. Kim for their long, dedicated service on Peace Corps Korea staff in support of the Peace Corps program and its volunteers. There can be no more significant contribution to the goals of fostering cultural awareness and friendship between Koreans and Americans than his accomplishment of successfully preparing hundreds of PCVs for service in Korea over a period of twelve years.
The history of Peace Corps Korea eloquently demonstrates that Mr. Kim - significantly more than any other person - had a long, dedicated career of teaching and training Peace Corps Korea trainees. As every PCV knows, by his actions he fostered cultural awareness and friendships between Koreans and Americans to an extraordinary degree - a fostering that continues visibly through his active engagement with RPCVs on-line and during the Korea Foundation revisits program forty years after the last PCV left Korea."