Just over a month before her 80th birthday in September, Diane Cudahy (’89, ’96) received a unique gift—a scholarship named in her honor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Ramzi Abukhadra (’87), whom Cudahy had employed at the International House (I-House) during her 10 years as its director, surprised her with a certificate announcing the Dr. Diane C. Cudahy UT Knoxville Alumni Scholarship Endowment.
“So many international students benefited from Diane and how she united us, though we had different backgrounds,” said Abukhadra. “Diane sort of adopted everyone in the international student community, and she had a genuine love and care for us. That made an imprint on me.”
With this tribute in mind, Abukhadra reached out to UT and, through the Alumni Scholarship Endowment Matching Program, established the scholarship in Cudahy’s name.
“I was speechless when Ramzi told me, and that’s a feat,” said Cudahy. “It’s not easy to surprise me. As I reflect on my life, this honor is the most marvelous punctuation mark.”
When Cudahy began her role as director in 1983, she was tasked with re-envisioning what the International House should look like at UT and bringing that vision to life.
Scholarships that provide increased access to international students are critically important. I’m extremely humbled by this generous gift that honors a former global leader at UT. Diane’s impact and the work of her team is still felt today by our students and international alumni. We will use this gift to continue her legacy.
– Gretchen Niesler, vice provost for international affairs
A Transformative Time
Dave Lawson, coordinator for International Student and Scholar Services and Cudahy’s former colleague, said she began to include American students in activities to encourage direct connections with international students.
“She helped transition the I-House from a hangout space to an office that provided direct student support and programming that promoted cultural exchange and illustrated how to navigate cross-cultural situations,” Lawson said.
A former co-worker, Mary Gage, recalled Cudahy’s experience as a former elementary school teacher and said she always had “such a heart for the students.”
“We wanted to be a home away from home, and Diane was always wanting to share knowledge and educate,” said Gage. “One student worker, Ekem Amonoo-Lartson (’87, ’95), explained our ethos so perfectly we put it on a staff shirt: ‘In many ways we are alike. More importantly, we are different. About our differences, we should be tolerant and understanding. Mind you, we do not have to agree.’”
Many of the initiatives and traditions Cudahy, Gage, and her staff devised exist today. After working at the 1982 World’s Fair, Cudahy was inspired to recreate it for UT’s campus. Thus, UT’s first International Festival took place in 1983 on the fairgrounds.
“The International Festival continues as our most popular event,” said Lauren Wood, current director of the I-House. “It’s important to learn about cultures so we can understand the world and its people and combat stereotypes, and the festival helps us do that while also celebrating the diversity of our students and their contributions to our community.”
Wood is honored to follow in Cudahy’s footsteps and pointed out that an I-House scrapbook from 1985 describes her as “the mother of the International House.”
“It speaks volumes about the support she provided to students and how much they appreciated her,” Wood said.
One such former student includes Christiane Barnes, originally from Germany, who in 2021 retired from UT as a chemistry professor.
“I felt included and safe as one of the international crowd. And when we had time, we would go to the I-House because we all felt at home there,” Barnes said. “We were a great community!”
A Gift of Gratitude
Abukhadra, who graduated top of his class in chemical engineering and excelled in the oil industry with Saudi Aramco, received an MBA from Harvard Business School. He launched a successful real estate development company, Mayaasim, which he still leads as managing partner.
“UT gave me a big boost of confidence, both on a social and academic level,” Abukhadra said. “I attribute a lot of that to the community I had through the I-House and other UT activities, including my role as international student representative on the university student senate.
“I left Lebanon as its civil war was intensifying, and UT became a second home,” he continued. “I’ve been blessed on many levels, then and now, so it’s only fair to share that blessing with others.”
Gretchen Niesler, vice provost for international affairs, explained how grateful she was that Abukhadra shared his blessings through the new scholarship.
“Scholarships that provide increased access to international students are critically important,” Niesler said. “I’m extremely humbled by this generous gift that honors a former global leader at UT. Diane’s impact and the work of her team is still felt today by our students and international alumni. We will use this gift to continue her legacy.”
This likely isn’t a legacy many know within the UT community, but that shows it to be one of the truest Volunteer stories. Cudahy and her staff gave their all for the students they loved and this university, holding the torch for others to succeed without expecting the spotlight.
“The most important thing is that I had enormous support from all of the staff within our unit,” said Cudahy. “We could have never accomplished what we did separately.”
That generosity of spirit sparked a generation of Volunteers like Abukhadra and Barnes who continue to emulate the unity and culture of inclusion they experienced at UT through Cudahy and an I-House that embraced and continues to encourage diversity of thought.
You too can leave a lasting impact on international students at UT through supporting this new scholarship.
