Robert J. Reinstein, outgoing dean of the Beasley School of Law and vice president of international programs at Temple, has been awarded a 2008 Michael P. Malone International Leadership Award by the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), the organization's highest award for career contributions to furthering international education at institutions in public higher education.

Reinstein, who will return to teaching and scholarship on June 30 after nearly two decades of service as dean and vice president, has spearheaded global initiatives that earned Temple Law's international programs a top-20 ranking in the most recent edition of U.S.News & World Report's annual guidebook America's Best Graduate Schools.

His accomplishments include the creation of three new international master of laws degree programs in

China, Japan and the United States; development of groundbreaking semester-abroad programs for law students in China; and the development of faculty and student exchange programs in China, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Poland.

Last year, 28 percent of Temple Law students studied or worked abroad, and during his tenure as dean, 65 percent of Temple Law faculty members have taught or done research abroad.

Among Reinstein's most innovative initiatives are Temple's pioneering Rule of Law programs in China. At the invitation of the Chinese government in 1997, Temple was asked to design educational programs to prepare Chinese legal professionals to practice in the newly developing market economy. Today the programs include a master of laws degree program in partnership with Tsinghua University — the first LL.M. program approved by both the American Bar Association and China's Ministry of Education — as well as judicial and prosecutor education programs, scholarly roundtables and faculty exchanges.

The Malone Award will be presented to Reinstein in July at the summer meetings of NASULGC's International Programs commission, which is chaired by Temple President Ann Weaver Hart.

"Bob Reinstein is a most deserving winner of a Malone Award," Hart said. "He has creatively and consistently championed international education initiatives that have literally transformed the focus of Temple Law School. Through his vision and commitment, Bob has been a major force in the development of international opportunities for American students and for foreign students who seek to study American law."

The nation's oldest higher education association, NASULGC is an association of public research universities, land-grant institutions and state public university systems. NASULGC's 218 members enroll more than 3.6 million students, award approximately a half-million degrees annually and have an estimated 20 million alumni.

On July 1, Reinstein will be succeeded as dean of the Beasley School of Law by Temple Law Associate Dean JoAnne A. Epps, a leading scholar in the areas of trial advocacy and criminal procedure and one of the university’s most distinguished faculty members.

On the same day, Adelaide Ferguson, head of Temple's Office of International Affairs — a new administrative unit that will develop a strategic vision for Temple's global engagement and oversee the university's extensive and fast-growing international programs — will assume the title of interim vice president of international affairs.