Each year AIEA presents the Charles Klasek Award at the Annual Conference. "Chuck" Klasek was a founding member of AIEA from Southern Illiniois University at Carbondale and served as its third president. In addition to being a real leader in the founding of AIEA, Chuck was an excellent example of an effective international education administrator. He took on many tasks within AIEA including, in 1992, the editing and publication of "Bridges to the Future: Strategies for Internationalizing Higher Education." When Chuck passed way, the Board of AIEA felt that a fitting tribute to his outstanding service to AIEA and to the field of International Education Administration would be to present an annual award in his name.