Former ISS Director Receives NAFSA International Volunteer Award

Chuck Olcese, former director of International Support Services, was recognized with the International Volunteer of the Year Award at the NAFSA Region II Conference in Lawrence last month.

Olcese, who was at KU from 2012 to 2020, was recognized for his work with migrant and refugee populations following his retirement. While presenting the award, Joe Potts, associate vice provost for international innovation, development and strategic partnership, noted Olcese’s impact has been felt from the time of his arrival at KU as ISS director.

“And those impacts have continued and taken new forms since he retired from KU three and half years ago,” Potts said.

Among Olcese's recognized contributions was his support, along with a group of dedicated friends and colleagues, for Afghan students following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from their country in 2021. During that time, Olcese “went above and beyond to ensure that those students felt not just welcomed but embraced by the local community,” Potts said.

Since retirement Olcese has volunteered with Centro Hispano, making and delivering tamales, coordinating other volunteers and raising funds so that the organization's clients can provide their children with holiday gifts.

Olcese was recognized for having the vision to establish, sustain and grow Lawrence Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministry (LIRIM), which seeks to help community members learn about, advocate for and support immigrants and refugees in Lawrence. Through his leadership, LIRIM and Centro Hispano have come together to provide scholarships for students in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Earlier this year, Olcese created a new non-profit organization, Assistance for Immigrants and Refugees, which collaborates with refugee resettlement agencies to help refugees become established in Lawrence. So far, the group has had refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine.