Global Education Office

Meet the �鶹��Ƶ Nation: Rachel Spence

Lauren Reuscher — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:05:20 +0000

Meet the �鶹��Ƶ Nation: Rachel Spence Lauren Reuscher Wed, 10/15/2025 - 10:05

Rachel Spence

Job: Academic Manager, International Enrollment Partnerships, Global Education Office, and Chair of the Staff Senate

As the academic manager in �鶹��Ƶ’s Global Education Office, Rachel Spence helps international students from partner universities worldwide with the transfer of classes, registration, and advising.

In addition to helping students navigate their experiences in the United States and complete their George �鶹��Ƶ degrees, Spence is also the chair of the Staff Senate, which represents the interests of all classified and non-student wage employees to the administration and Board of Visitors.

Rachel Spence, Global Education Office, and chair of the Staff Senate. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Learning at home and abroad: A career in education felt inevitable for Spence. “My dad taught elementary special education, and my mom taught freshman composition classes at colleges and universities,” said Spence. “Education is in my blood—but I always knew I didn’t want to teach.”

As an undergrad, Spence studied abroad for a semester in Denmark. “It was my first time leaving the United States and was truly transformative,” said Spence. “Especially for developing my sense of independence and my quest to understand different cultures.”

Passport to possibilities: That experience led her to pursue a master’s degree in international and intercultural communication. After graduating, she landed her dream job as a study-abroad advisor at Old Dominion University. “I loved helping students plan their own international experiences and working with them to make it happen,” said Spence.

Global pathways: Since arriving at George �鶹��Ƶ in 2017, she has shifted from helping domestic students plan their time abroad to also helping international students during their time in the United States. She assists students in the China 1+2+1 program, in which undergraduate students earn degrees from both their Chinese and American universities.

“I help students adapt to academic life in the U.S. and build pathways for students from other countries to earn a George �鶹��Ƶ degree,” said Spence.

Even though she does not travel as much and she would like, she said her job lets her have an international experience every day.

Serving all staff: In addition to her job in the Global Education Office, Spence serves as the chair of the Staff Senate, representing the interests of staff across the university.

A time of uncertainty inspired Spence to join the senate. Spence is a military spouse—her husband is in the Navy. When he received a new assignment across the country, Spence received approval from the university to work remotely from California.

“However, just six months after we moved 2,600 miles away from campus, there was a state-level change in policy for remote work,” Spence said. “I thought that my approval might be revoked, and I’d be forced to leave my job.”

Navigating changes: When remote and hybrid work policy for state employees changed in 2022, Spence saw the Staff Senate as an important resource for employees navigating the quickly changing requirements.

“I appreciated how the Staff Senate was advocating and positioning itself as the voice of all classified staff on this issue,” said Spence. “I was so thankful for the special sessions they held that spring, I decided to give back and serve as a senator.”

Spence’s remote work agreement was ultimately approved, and she continued working in California for the duration of her husband’s military assignment. She has since returned to the Northern Virginia area and works on the Fairfax Campus.

Leading the way: Spence was nominated and accepted the role of Staff Senate Chair in spring 2025, after the previous chair left their role at George �鶹��Ƶ. She agreed to cover the remainder of the term, and this summer, she was elected to serve as chair for another two years.

“I’m thankful to my colleagues on the senate for the vote of confidence and their encouragement to keep leading the group,” said Spence.

A seat at the table: Spence also serves as the Staff Liaison to the university’s Board of Visitors (BOV). The Staff Senate advocated for the addition of a staff representative as a nonvoting member in 2020. At the time, nonvoting faculty and student representatives were already part of the board’s membership. The Board of Visitors unanimously approved the change.

“I don’t take for granted that I am often the only staff voice in the room, or that staff only recently earned that seat at the table,” said Spence. “I hope that I can make sure that staff voices are not only heard but are valued and recognized as important members of the team.”

Connecting the dots: To Spence, one of the biggest challenges at a university as large as George �鶹��Ƶ is keeping staff informed of the many changes and updates affecting their work.

“I’m hoping to build a larger network and connect the Staff Senate with other groups on campus,” said Spence. “We already collaborate with Faculty Senate and Student Government, but I’ve also started reaching out to staff councils in the colleges. I think we’ll be even stronger together and can really expand our advocacy and communication efforts.”

Campus outreach: The senate is also bringing its meetings to the regional campuses. The November Staff Senate meeting will take place at the new Life Sciences and Engineering Building at the Science and Technology Campus, and the senate is hoping to host a meeting at �鶹��Ƶ Square in spring 2026. “This will give our constituents on those campuses an opportunity to attend in person and connect with the senate on a more personal level,” said Spence.

Statewide explorer: Outside work and her senate activities, Spence enjoys spending time outdoors. “I completed the Virginia State Parks Trail Quest by visiting all the Virginia State Parks,” she said. That is no small quest—40 different parks participate in the program.

No place like home: Spence’s husband is an engineer, and many of their weekends are spent working on house projects. “For the first time ever, we are starting to realize our current house might be ours for more than a couple of years,” said Spence. “We are working on improving it and making it our own.”

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Next Stop, the World

Colleen Rich — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 18:50:53 +0000

Next Stop, the World Colleen Rich Thu, 08/29/2024 - 14:50

At this moment, there is a member of the �鶹��Ƶ Nation on just about every continent of the globe: conducting research, mastering a language, learning a new skill, and acquiring new knowledge.

For decades, �鶹��Ƶ has advanced global learning opportunities and fostered international research. We have leveraged partnerships like INTO �鶹��Ƶ to bring thousands of international students to George �鶹��Ƶ from more than 130 countries and speaking 80 languages, while providing courses in nearly two dozen countries each year through the Global Education Office (GEO) for those who wish to study abroad.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the university’s campus and operations in South Korea. �鶹��Ƶ Korea launched in Songdo in March 2014 as part of the Incheon Global Campus, a national project established by the Korean government and Incheon Metropolitan City to innovate the Korean education system and nurture the next generation of global leaders.

More than 1,000 students, representing more than 18 countries, are currently studying at �鶹��Ƶ Korea, and that success has led to conversations exploring similar partnerships.

“I’ve always appreciated that �鶹��Ƶ’s U.S. campuses are so international. So when students from our U.S. campuses go to �鶹��Ƶ Korea, they are not encountering an international campus for the first time, but different kinds of internationalism,” says Robert Matz, the former dean of �鶹��Ƶ Korea. “This shared—but different— internationalism in one reason I think �鶹��Ƶ Korea has been so successful.”

It is all part of preparing students for success in an increasingly international and interconnected world. Expanding and enriching George �鶹��Ƶ’s global footprint is a priority—making it critical for the university to reimagine and redesign George �鶹��Ƶ’s global vision and establish a path forward.

Enter Chrishon Blackwell, an organizational development leader with a deep understanding of international education, as the senior international officer and executive director of the Global Education Office (GEO).

Since arriving at George �鶹��Ƶ in 2023, Blackwell has been identifying how to leverage the university’s resources in ways that will further enhance students’ experiences while simultaneously exploring ways for the university to maintain global competitiveness and strengthen relationships with its global partners.

“The goal is to create stronger global citizens and to do that it is critically important to identify, help facilitate, and advance what’s already happening on campus,” says Blackwell. “If GEO is to provide students opportunities to immerse themselves in holistic activities that result in individuals who can compete on [an] international scale, we need to think more intentionally about what impacts them across the disciplines.”

GEO offers a variety of study-abroad program options, ranging from short-term to semester-long experiences. The programs are organized into four distinct categories.

George �鶹��Ƶ-led Programs

These are the traditional study-abroad experiences that many George �鶹��Ƶ alumni remember. As the name suggests, these programs are led by George �鶹��Ƶ faculty and usually run over winter break, spring break, and during the summer. A few programs are offered for an entire semester, and there is often course credit attached.

During the 2023-24 academic year, 670 students traveled to 29 locations on short-term programs and 25 students went on semester-long experiences.

In March 2023, two different groups of Schar School of Policy and Government students traveled to the southern border of the United States and Mexico to experience firsthand the policy debates on both sides of the immigration issue.

Other trips included studying criminal justice in the United Kingdom and Ireland and a trip to the Balkans to look at reconciliation and post-conflict reconstruction.

Schar School graduate students at the Mexican senate in Mexico City. Not only did the Schar School students receive a shout out from the Senate floor, they were invited to a briefing in a committee room and to sit at Senate desks. Photo provided.

Global Gateway

In this program, first-year students can spend their fall semester at George �鶹��Ƶ and their spring semester at one of 10 different locations in such countries as Costa Rica, Morocco, or Greece.

Global Gateway is specifically designed for first-year students with a curriculum that allows students to satisfy many core requirements while taking advantage of local expertise. During the fall semester, students enroll in GEOC 108 �鶹��Ƶ Transitions on the Fairfax Campus with fellow Global Gateway participants. In the spring, they travel with a cohort to another country. According to Jon May, GEO’s assistant director for Global Gateway, the program hosted 108 first-year students in 11 cohorts—two in Korea—during the spring 2024 semester.

Global Internships

The university’s Global Internships Program allows undergraduate and graduate students to learn more about their chosen field of study and earn course credits with travel, virtual, and hybrid internships during winter break and the summer, fall, and spring semesters. Students are placed with companies that align with their field of study and spend the term absorbing knowledge and the country’s culture, whether in person or virtually.

“Our existing programs cover 35 different career fields with many crossovers,” said Kelly McNulty, experiential programs manager for GEO. “Students also have the opportunity to create their own internship by finding and applying to an internship and working with our team to set it up for course credit.”

In 2023-24, 103 students from George �鶹��Ƶ interned across the globe with companies in 21 countries. The top travel destinations were Japan, Argentina, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Korea, India, Italy, Czech Republic, Morocco, Germany, and Australia.

Hiking glaciers in New Zealand. Photo provided by Global Education Office

Partner Schools

George �鶹��Ƶ works with dozens of partners worldwide and was able to send 89 students to more than 16 locations during the 2023–24 academic year. While most students enrolled in semester-long programs, some enrolled in an international summer school.

One of the most popular study-abroad programs in this category is also George �鶹��Ƶ’s most prestigious—the Oxford Semester, which launched in 1995. Each semester, a small group of high-achieving George �鶹��Ƶ undergraduate and graduate students is selected to study in the United Kingdom as affiliated students at one of the 39 Oxford colleges.

Other partner schools include a number of universities in Australia, France, and Japan; Ghent University in Belgium; and Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Global Residencies

Outside GEO, there are additional opportunities to study abroad and even some programs that require it.

In the mid-1990s, George �鶹��Ƶ’s Costello College of Business began requiring its graduate students to participate in a global residency. These residencies offer firsthand experience on how business is conducted outside of the United States and highlight the importance of acknowledging the cultural differences that exist between countries.

Global residencies are typically 10-day travel and business experiences where students are immersed in educational programming including company visits, discussions with industry leaders, meetings with executives, and cultural excursions. Faculty play an integral leadership and mentoring role before, during, and after the residency.

For students, these trips are typically the most memorable class of their graduate program. Since the program’s inception, students have participated in more than 100 residencies around the globe. This summer, seven groups traveled to Dubai, Japan, Greece, South Africa, Brazil, Ireland, and France.

Travel Fellowships and International Exchanges

The Alan Cheuse International Writers Center, part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, offers travel fellowships to graduate students in George �鶹��Ƶ’s Creative Writing Program. These awards are designed to help students pursue an international writing project.

Since the program began in 2017, fellowships have taken George �鶹��Ƶ students to the Philippines to learn more about World War II Filipino resistance fighters and to Germany to research the life of 12th-century abbess Hildegard of Bingen, who was one of the few female authors of medieval Europe.

The Cheuse Center also hosts established and emerging international writers for a residency in Northern Virginia. These visiting writers continue their creative work, teach classes, and take part in events that highlight international literature. This residency seeks to strengthen the bonds between George �鶹��Ƶ, Washington, D.C., and international literary communities. In 2023, the center hosted award-winning novelist Juan Gómez Bárcena from Madrid, Spain.

Students visited Strasbourg Cathedral in France on one Winter 2023 trip. Photo provided by Global Education Office

Reimagining George �鶹��Ƶ’s Global Footprint

Following a thorough review of George �鶹��Ƶ’s current international offerings, Blackwell recently identified a series of priorities in research, teaching, and engagement to expand the university’s global footprint. These priorities include initiatives such as exploring ways to support George �鶹��Ƶ’s global research activities and collaborations, examining strategies to globalize the student learning experience, and conducting a comprehensive review of George �鶹��Ƶ’s international partnerships.

George �鶹��Ƶ’s revamped global engagement and emphasis on global learning signifies a deep commitment to advancing the university’s internationalization efforts. Not only will it elevate the student experience and provide valuable opportunities for faculty to engage globally, but it will also include perspectives from alumni and partners who can assist in establishing new initiatives.

Looking forward, Blackwell says this new centralized direction will allow the university to “think creatively and boldly about ways to expand international capacity” and will “make George �鶹��Ƶ a rich and diverse tapestry that will ensure the university is competitive around the world while meeting the community’s needs.”

Jennifer Anzaldi, Achim Loch, Ryley McGinnis, Colleen Kearney Rich, and Pam Shepherd contributed to this story.

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Exploring the Complexity of the U.S.–Mexico Border

Colleen Rich — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 18:41:29 +0000

Exploring the Complexity of the U.S.–Mexico Border Colleen Rich Thu, 08/29/2024 - 14:41

This March, during spring break, two groups of �鶹��Ƶ students headed to the southern border.

Michal McElwain Malur, BA International Studies ’96, MA ’97, director of external programs at the Schar School of Policy and Government, helped plan the trips in coordination with the university’s Global Education Office.

Photo courtesy of the Schar School.

Malur says Schar School students have been taking study-abroad trips to Mexico annually for the past 20 years. The Mexico study-abroad experience is one of about five trips a year that Malur plans for the school. “Since the inception of its study-abroad program, the Schar School has prioritized providing students with opportunities to explore consequential policy problems facing the United States today,” says Malur, who assembled the itinerary and has helped lead a trip to the border for the past two years.

Each spring, a different professor teaches the three-credit course POGO 550 Topics in Policy and Government, which includes a weeklong trip to the border, and focuses on related current events such as trade, immigration, and security. This semester Schar School professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a foremost expert on border and immigration policy, taught the class.

The other border trip was part of a one-credit course offered to members of the Schar School’s International Relations Policy Task Force (IRTF) to witness the causes and consequences of competing narratives surrounding border dynamics. Led by Schar School professor Eric McGlinchey, the task force invites upper-level students to engage with pressing global challenges by pursuing a research topic of interest, networking with subject area experts, and working collaboratively to propose policy solutions.

“The fact that the trips were both at the border is a testament to the Schar School commitment of offering our students the opportunity to experience firsthand policy debates and see the consequences of the most important policies of the time,” says Malur.

Brownsville and Mexico City

Following President Biden’s highly publicized visit to Brownsville, Texas, graduate students in POGO 550 traveled to the U.S.–Mexico border town.

“We spent one whole day at the border, specifically at the border wall, and we spoke at length with a local editor about border security,” says Correa-Cabrera. “It was important to see this issue through the eyes of someone who covers it for newspapers for a population that relies on accurate information.”

Along the way, the group met with top industry and government leaders on both sides of the border, with whom they discussed the ongoing issues at the top of international headlines.

“Putting a face to the border was fascinating,” says Davis Kaderli, who is working on a master of public policy degree. “It is much more complex than the majority of Americans understand. What I actually saw isn’t what the mass media often portrays.”

For instance, while in Brownsville, the students heard harrowing stories of inadequate services provided to Americans in need along the border. In nearby Boca Chica, during a visit to the SpaceX complex, students met with residents in government partnerships and discussed how SpaceX impacts their community.

Students then visited Mexico City and the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where they had the opportunity to engage in conversations with decision-makers and attend lectures.

“Mexico was having elections in June this year,” Correa-Cabrera says. “The United States is having them in November. We put these elections in context for the students.”

Upon arriving in Mexico City, the students received a briefing from Miguel Siliceo, the senior economic advisor to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The students were officially welcomed during a federal senate session followed by a meeting with the Vice President of the Senate, Mexican senator Sergio Perez Flores. The students say they gained insights from Mexican officials and policymakers on mutual challenges, as well as new avenues for cooperation and engagement.

“We had ridiculous access on this [trip], from [Obrador’s] senior economic advisor to a legislative briefing at the Mexican federal senate by the vice president of the senate,” says Chris Williams, who is working on a master’s degree in global commerce and policy.

Students also met with senior diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico and received a briefing on the challenges in current U.S.–Mexico relations. “[That] was my favorite session,” says Anduela Johnson, who is working on a master’s degree in international security. “It was interesting to hear how they are managing security issues and balancing economic implications. They see the relationship with the United States and our shared border differently.”

“I really valued the range of perspectives we heard,” says government and international politics major Gabe Dole.

El Paso and Juárez

This was the second year that the task force took students to El Paso and Juárez, says McGlinchey, who also led the trip. This year’s theme focused on competing narratives about migration at the border.

“This was an ideal location to learn, firsthand, how government action and inaction on questions of migration directly affect communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border,” says McGlinchey.

Abara, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering peace through educational programs around immigration and border realities, hosted the IRTF students. Working with the nonprofit and engaging with local community members and activists helped the George �鶹��Ƶ students cultivate a deeper comprehension of border dynamics and the individuals affected.

Abara provided the students with volunteer experiences in some of the 32 shelters they work with both in El Paso, Texas, and Juárez, Mexico. The objective of these experiences was to allow students to engage with those directly impacted by the border issues, particularly migrants, through community service activities, such as assisting in the kitchen and garden.

“Being able to directly interact with migrants facing challenges at the border and putting faces to the topics often discussed in political discourse was incredible and provided me with an experience I will never forget,” says government and international politics major Kaylee Fernandez.

“The media often shape public opinion on immigration yet fail to capture the perspectives of the migrants themselves,” Fernandez says. “That is why volunteering in the shelters was an unforgettable experience for me.”

As an intern on Capitol Hill for U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly, Fernandez says the trip will continue to shape her perspective for years to come. “This experience has forever changed how I will approach drafting memos and understanding legislation related to immigration.”

Students visited the border in Juárez. Photo courtesy of the Schar School.

Beyond volunteering in shelters, students had the opportunity to explore historical and political landmarks, engage with governmental and nongovernmental representatives, and connect with faculty and students from institutions in Juárez. One of the speakers was George �鶹��Ƶ alum Sophia Wozniak, BA History; Government and International Politics ’19, who works as a project and data evaluator at the Emergence Health Network, a local mental health authority for the El Paso community.

Wozniak had taken the spring break border trip during her time at George �鶹��Ƶ and says it influenced her career choices. “The Schar School was such a huge catalyst in the dominos of me ending up where I am now,” she says. “If it were not for the spring break trip to Mexico, I would have never discovered my deep interest in immigration issues and policy work.”

Public administration major William Barker, who was on their second trip to the border, had a similar experience. “The trip encouraged openness, dialogue, and connection, and the scenic overlook of El Paso and Juárez served as a poignant reminder of the diverse narratives and shared humanity that transcend borders,” they say.

“[This trip] reaffirmed my passion for international relations and helped me confirm what I want to do after graduation.”

Mariem El Gazzah, Aidan Jacobs, and Colleen Kearney Rich contributed to this article.

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Study abroad combines tourism and tech

Martha Bushong — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 15:18:13 +0000

Study abroad combines tourism and tech Martha Bushong Tue, 07/23/2024 - 11:18

When most people think of Vienna, Austria they imagine elegant baroque palaces and a world-class opera and symphony, not a European Tech hub. The tension between old and new inspired Professor Rob Pettit, associate chair of the Computer Science Department at �鶹��Ƶ, to lead a pioneering study-abroad program there in the summer of 2024.

Designed for undergraduate computer science students, this initiative is among the nation’s first faculty-led, study-abroad opportunities specific to computer science. "Studying abroad is not just about combining academics with travel," said Pettit. "It's a transformative experience that expands horizons, fosters cultural understanding and builds a global perspective. Given today's interconnected world, studying abroad equips students with unique skills and insights, preparing them to navigate and contribute to a diverse and dynamic global community."

Pettit and the students lived as locals in Vienna's dynamic 6th district for this six-week immersive program. Students attended classes at the renowned Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), consistently ranked in the world's top 100 computer science universities. There, Pettit held lectures for CS 321 Software Engineering in which students gained hands-on experience with team-based agile software development practices in preparation for their transition to industry.

“CS 321 is a project-based course and part of the required curriculum for the BS CS and BS ACS degrees at George �鶹��Ƶ,” said Petit. “For their projects, students were required to incorporate elements of their study-abroad experience into a deliverable software application.”

In addition to CS 321, students earned credit for CS 399 Exploration of the Global Software Engineering Industry. Together, this combination provided six credits of coursework directly applicable to the computer science major.

Computer Science students in front of Melk Abbey. Photo provided.

Organized excursions and industry interactions enhanced the students' cultural and historical understanding. Highlights from the program's first half included visits to the Hofburg Imperial Palace, Vienna's Technical Museum, and the Belvedere Palace's art galleries and gardens. The undergraduates also traveled to nearby Melk Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For the industry experience, TTTech corporation hosted students at its Vienna location and included presentations on high-reliability software. Beyond site visits, the group also shared community meals where they experienced traditional Austrian, Hungarian, and Turkish cuisine while building stronger bonds within the group.

For their first long weekend, students and Pettit traveled to Prague, staying in a hotel with views of the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. A guided tour of Prague's historic city center provided deep insights into the city's rich history. "Our guide, a lifelong resident, enriched our experience with his extensive historical knowledge, concluding the tour in Wenceslas Square with a firsthand account of the Soviet suppression of the Prague Spring uprising, which he witnessed as a teenager," said Pettit.

Additional excursions included visits to Schönbrunn Palace—the stunning Baroque summer palace of the Hapsburgs—and day trips to Bratislava, Slovakia, and Sopron, Hungary. The students explored and traveled to locations in Croatia, Germany, and Italy during their free weekends.

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Reimagining �鶹��Ƶ's global reach: new efforts take off

Pam Shepherd — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 20:33:58 +0000

Reimagining �鶹��Ƶ's global reach: new efforts take off Pam Shepherd Mon, 02/05/2024 - 15:33

In This Story

Janette Muir, PhD

The political, cultural, and economic upheaval that followed the pandemic has resulted in what a recent report by Deloitte calls a “moment of change” for higher education, prompting colleges and universities to reinvent themselves to stand out and remain relevant. Four years ago, leaders at �鶹��Ƶ weren’t entertaining the idea of expanding educational programming to countries other than South Korea, but with international student and faculty numbers returning to where they were prior to the pandemic along with the upcoming 10th anniversary of �鶹��Ƶ Korea, the focus on global education shifted to more centralized efforts which required a change in the university’s strategic direction.

Over the years, �鶹��Ƶ has cultivated a reputation for evolving its innovative programs to meet the needs of its students. As part of this decisive moment, the Office of the Provost launched several new areas such as the Community Engagement and Civic Learning Office, the revised �鶹��Ƶ Core structure, and the Community College Partnerships Office. Today these efforts play an important role in the university’s strategic direction to improve the student experience, grow the research enterprise, and exemplify a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Through it all, �鶹��Ƶ—which is home to the largest and most diverse student body in Virginia—values building sustainable pathways for growth that include creating opportunities for student success such as community engagement activities and advanced research projects. For decades, the university has facilitated global learning opportunities and fostered international research. It has also leveraged university partnerships to bring thousands of international students to �鶹��Ƶ from more than 130 countries speaking 80 languages while providing programmatic learning for those who wish to study abroad in nearly two dozen countries each year. �鶹��Ƶ Korea has grown from a small outpost to the gateway to Asia, hosting and graduating students each semester. And because �鶹��Ƶ is a student-first university with numerous clubs, performances, and cultural events, those who are unable to physically study abroad can still experience a multicultural, and diverse learning journey within a vibrant international community in Virginia through virtual international programs.

In a post-COVID environment, preparing students for success in an increasing international and interconnected world while expanding and enriching �鶹��Ƶ’s global footprint is now a university priority—making it critical for the Office of the Provost to reimagine and redesign �鶹��Ƶ’s global vision and establish a path forward. Enter Chrishon Blackwell, an organizational development leader with a deep understanding of international education, as senior international officer and executive director of the Global Education Office (GEO).

Chrishon Blackwell, senior international officer and executive director of the Global Education Office

“It is a testament to �鶹��Ƶ's global engagement that we now have Dr. Blackwell in her role as the Senior International Officer (SIO),” said Janette Muir, vice provost for academic affairs. “As �鶹��Ƶ's SIO, she is the one who can continue to guide �鶹��Ƶ into the next phase of global engagement, post-pandemic, and we are excited to see where this engagement takes us.”

Since arriving at �鶹��Ƶ less than a year ago, Blackwell has spent months identifying how to leverage and utilize the university’s resources in ways that will further enhance students’ experiences while simultaneously exploring ways to maintain global competitiveness and strengthen relationships with its global partners.

“The goal is to create stronger global citizens and to do that, it is critically important to identify, help facilitate, and advance what’s already happening on campus,” she said. “If GEO is to provide students opportunities to immerse themselves in holistic activities that result in individuals who can compete on [an] international scale, we need to think more intentionally about what impacts them across the disciplines.”

And while international education encompasses the mobility of students in other parts of the world, it is also about the scholars who come to �鶹��Ƶ to conduct research and share different styles of teaching, faculty who go to other destinations, and those who do community-based service learning. It further includes “thinking intentionally about international partners and engaging in deeper relationships [with] them” while leveraging existing affiliations and memorandums of understanding by establishing practices such as “exchanges with universities, delegation visits, and sister city partnerships,” Blackwell said.

Following a thorough review of �鶹��Ƶ’s current international offerings, Blackwell recently identified and set forth a series of priorities in research, teaching, and engagement to expand and enrich the university’s global footprint. These priorities include initiatives such as exploring ways to support �鶹��Ƶ’s global research activities and collaborations, examining strategies to globalize the student learning experience, and conducting a comprehensive review of �鶹��Ƶ’s international partnerships.

A vital part of implementing these priorities consists of utilizing the recently formed Global Assembly and Global Operations Team, which engage a broad cross-section of the university to advance �鶹��Ƶ's global initiatives, activities, programs, and services. Both teams consist of representatives from each college, offices that deal directly with global related activities for students, faculty and staff, and other relevant parties. By leveraging the expertise of the members of the Global Assembly, the aim is to collectively identify resources and opportunities that facilitate university-wide internationalization strategies while keeping internal stakeholders informed. The Global Operations Team, meanwhile, coordinates knowledge about �鶹��Ƶ’s global footprint within a decentralized context, then directs and advises the university community on globally focused services and policies. 

“The establishment of the Global Assembly and Global Operations Team demonstrates a collective approach involving a variety of stakeholders across �鶹��Ƶ’s campuses and by doing this, we are fostering a more globally aware and engaged environment for faculty, staff, and student,” she said. “By centralizing our global engagement efforts, we aim to create a more collaborative approach to managing global learning, teaching, research, and engagement.”

�鶹��Ƶ’s revamped global engagement and emphasis on global learning signifies a deep commitment to advancing the university’s internationalization efforts. Not only will it elevate the student experience and provide valuable opportunities for faculty to globally engage, it will also include perspectives from alumni and partners who can assist in establishing new initiatives. Over time, members of the �鶹��Ƶ community will be able to navigate a variety of cultural and political environments resulting in empathetic and inquisitive individuals who are educated in cross-cultural contexts and have the yearning and ability to collaborate.

Looking forward, Blackwell said this new centralized direction will allow the university to “think creatively and boldly about ways to expand international capacity” and is what will “make �鶹��Ƶ a rich and diverse tapestry that will ensure the university is competitive around the world while meeting the community’s needs.”

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A Successful Semester Abroad Fosters a Love of Travel

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 14:54:26 +0000

A Successful Semester Abroad Fosters a Love of Travel Andrew J Schappert Tue, 12/12/2023 - 09:54

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Schar School junior Maggie Reier visited various cities, including Budapest, while studying at the University of Oxford.

Even before arriving at �鶹��Ƶ, Maggie Reier knew she wanted to study abroad for a semester. The Schar School of Policy and Government helped her achieve that goal.

A San Francisco Bay native, Reier wanted to be in the Washington, D.C., area for college—location was key for the current junior double majoring in government and international politics and integrative studies with a concentration in social justice and human rights. Following graduation, she plans to attend law school and study human rights law.

“I knew I wanted to be somewhere that would provide a lot of job and internship opportunities for what I wanted to do, and �鶹��Ƶ just fit the bill,” she said. “Not to mention, the government degree was unique to �鶹��Ƶ, and really appealed to me.”

As far as studying abroad, that notion was homegrown. Her father traveled extensively for work as a photographer and her mother and sister both studied abroad while in high school.

“I grew up hearing about their experiences and I wanted to experience traveling abroad for myself,” she said.

When the Global Education Office sent an email to students advertising a study abroad opportunity in Oxford, England, Reier immediately got in touch with her Schar School advisor to apply.

A semester at �鶹��Ƶ is structured differently than a semester at the University of Oxford, according to Reier. Instead of the usual five classes a semester, she took two tutorials: The Politics of Human Rights and Comparative U.S. and U.K. Law.

“I am given readings and discussion questions, and sometimes an essay. Basically, I do the work over the course of the week, and when I meet with my tutor, we talk about what I read and/or wrote,” she said. “My tutors aren’t afraid to put me on the spot; that’s really helped to improve my ability to answer questions and recall the readings.”

Although the changes were an adjustment for Reier to make, she says that the differences improved her academic abilities.

“My writing has also gotten better in terms of speed and conciseness,” she said. “The learning system forces me to time manage more efficiently than I have before.”

She credits her Schar School classes for helping her to prepare for the content covered at Oxford.

“The Nonprofit Sector in the U.S. class was heavily research-based, so that was helpful in preparation for the amount of research I have to do in my tutorials,” she said. “Constitutional Interpretation gave me a foundation for my comparative law tutorial because the subject matter requires you to be thoughtful and analytical when looking at cases and decisions.”

Outside the classroom, Reier liked to travel across Europe with her peers. She spent a lot of time traversing the United Kingdom, specifically the city of London.

“There’s just so much to do, and I’ve barely scratched the surface,” she said.

Reier also visited Rome and the Vatican. Her favorite city to explore is Budapest.

“The city is so cool, and I wish we could’ve had more time there,” she said. “We went to St. Stephen’s Basilica and Heroes’ Square. We also saw Fisherman’s Bastion, a lookout point on the Buda side of the Danube. We spent a lot of time on the Pest side in the Jewish quarter and it was my personal favorite part of the trip.”

Reier encourages any student interested in studying abroad to take advantage of the opportunities that �鶹��Ƶ offers and shares this advice: “It’s important to understand what your priorities are in terms of what you want to get out of your study-abroad experience. If travel is important, try to pick somewhere that’s accessible to other countries. Try to plan as much as possible—don’t be afraid to reach out to the GEO office to talk about their different programs. I found that meeting with someone to get more insight into the different programs was helpful in figuring out what program I wanted to do and when I wanted to do it. Once you’re abroad, just make the most of it. Take advantage of what’s near you and try to get out of your comfort zone.”

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�鶹��Ƶ students gain global experience with GEO internships abroad

Colleen Rich — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 14:35:14 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ students gain global experience with GEO internships abroad Colleen Rich Thu, 09/14/2023 - 10:35

Gaining hands-on experience is an important part of �鶹��Ƶ students’ college years. Through the Global Education Office (GEO), students can learn much more by taking their internships abroad.

�鶹��Ƶ biology major Andrea Johnson interned abroad in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo provided

The GEO global internship program allows undergraduate and graduate students to learn more about their field and earn course credits with travel, virtual, and hybrid options during the summer, fall, spring, and winter terms. Students are placed with companies that align with their field of study and spend the term absorbing knowledge and the country’s culture.

The top travel and virtual destinations this year were Japan, South Korea, Ireland, Spain, United Kingdom, Argentina, Czech Republic, Morocco, and South Africa.

Traveling abroad lets students gain valuable insight, but sometimes, the cost is a limiting factor. “Going abroad can be expensive, but we want to make it accessible,” says McNulty.

There are many affordable options, including some that are the same cost as in-state tuition. Many �鶹��Ƶ-funded grants and scholarships are available to help cover the cost of the courses and travel—$43,000 worth were awarded last year, and McNulty and the GEO team help students find external funding for their programs as well.

Biology major Andrea Johnson didn’t know if going abroad was an option for her, but through the support of the GEO office, Johnson found and received a prestigious Gilman Scholarship for her summer abroad in Cape Town, South Africa.

“In my last year, I started to consider it. I wanted to be in a different area and experience more life than what I see in my day-to-day,” Johnson said.

�鶹��Ƶ business major Adel Batterjee interned at the Riyali Foundation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Photo provided

Johnson, who has a longtime interest in women’s health and aspires to become a gynecologist, worked with the Perinatal Mental Health Project, an organization that focused on women’s mental health around pregnancy. The internship showed her that mental health is an important part of women’s health, and she said she’s glad she took the leap across the Atlantic to learn more about this issue.

Adel Batterjee, a junior business major, participated in the build-your-own internship program that comes with a guaranteed travel grant. Batterjee found an internship at Riyali Foundation, an organization in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, owned by SEDCO Holding that aims to teach everyone about financial literacy. He worked on financial and technical proposals, communicated with vendors, and helped collect data when their website crashed.

“The worst part about this internship was that it ended,” Batterjee said. “It was a great environment. Riyali offered many engaging activities for employees.”

Batterjee’s grandparents live near the area, so he got to stay with them while completing the program, which was another benefit.

Batterjee and Johnson agree that everyone should consider going abroad and that �鶹��Ƶ offers plenty of resources for each step in the journey.

Applications for the internship abroad program are now open, and McNulty and her team are here to help every step of the way. The GEO office seeks to support students throughout the application process, finding funding and housing, packing, and even planning ahead for a program later on in students' academic career. All GEO internship students take an online course abroad to earn credit through �鶹��Ƶ, helping them get another step closer to graduation.

“We’ve seen a recent increase in people going abroad,” said McNulty, adding that there were 58% more students going abroad in 2022-23 than the previous year. She would like to see even more students take advantage of the opportunity study abroad provides. “Even if students are vaguely considering it, we want them to set up a meeting to learn how it’s possible.”

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To Help Fellow Police Officers Deal with Trauma, She Needed Knowledge. Now She’s a Master’s Student at the Schar School

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 18:08:44 +0000

To Help Fellow Police Officers Deal with Trauma, She Needed Knowledge. Now She’s a Master’s Student at the Schar School Andrew J Schappert Mon, 04/17/2023 - 14:08

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Tojo Thatchenkery

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Corinne Dopp stands at the doorway of the Bodleian Library at Oxford. The Schar School student, a police officer in North Carolina, is spending a semester abroad studying master’s-level curriculum designed specifically for police.

“If you have turned on the television in the last few years, or even the last few days, you are very aware the relationship between police officers and their communities is suffering,” said Corinne Dopp, reflecting on the seemingly daily news stories involving violence between law enforcement officers and the public they are sworn to protect.

While many in the public-at-large see police as antagonists, even calling on officials to “defund the police,” Dopp sees things from a different angle. She serves as a police officer in the Town of Glen Alpine Police Department, in Morganton, North Carolina, and as such, she’s aware of the trauma—induced by hypervigilance, violence, and working shifts in hazardous environments—that law enforcement officers suffer as a result of daily interactions with domestic turmoil, mental health issues, and criminal activity.

In March 2021, she cofounded a business, with colleague Gregory Snider, to assist police officers address with mental health struggles—Navigating Pathways Home—but the 2021 public health graduate from Appalachian State University realized she needed more knowledge and skills in order to achieve her goal of helping police in jurisdictions other than her own.

To accomplish this mission, Dopp enrolled in the Organization Development and Knowledge Management (ODKM) master’s program at �鶹��Ƶ’s Schar School of Policy and Government. ODKM is a cohort-based, integrated learning experience that deviates from higher education pedagogies: Students act as a team to learn and apply essential leadership proficiencies, creative problem-solving, and advanced analytical skills to a range of professional fields. Many come to the program to advance their careers; others, such as Dopp, learn methodologies not available in traditional degree programs that they immediately apply to their own organizational concepts.

In Dopp’s case, “I have found the answer for how it is possible to build a system that will address the problem [of police mental health issues] in a preventative way from within each police department,” she said. She said she has a plan for an “internal wellness framework” for every police force, at no cost.

That advanced learning does not come without sacrifice. Dopp enrolled in the Schar School’s ODKM program knowing it would mean leaving her three children—ages 13,11, and 4—at home 400 miles away, with her Army active-duty husband Joshua, a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne, for the 12-hour round-trip drive for weekly in-person classes at �鶹��Ƶ Square in Arlington.

But it also afforded her an unexpected opportunity: Late last year she was accepted into �鶹��Ƶ’s Global Education Office’s semester abroad at the U.K.’s University of Oxford, where she is being exposed to that country’s master’s-level curriculum designed specifically for police. She’s also been a guest lecturer at Cambridge’s Anglia Ruskin University.

“The 12-hours-plus round-trip is the longest we’ve had in the ODKM program,” said professor and program founding director Tojo Thatchenkery. The drive, he suggested, “was also her opportunity for reflection about the changes she wanted to create for the mental health of her own law enforcement community. She understands the emotional turmoil that comes with law enforcement and wants to think outside the box to enhance the well-being of fellow officers.

“With that determination, she is now learning from the best practices of officers around the world in a program at Oxford. Corrine’s indefatigable efforts are one of the best examples of the positive changes ODKM students have been making for social justice and well-being.”

Dopp’s service to her fellow police—helping process trauma, building resiliency, and underscoring community—is important, she said, because as of now, “the way we are treating police officers is ineffective, and we can see this in their average number of pension withdrawals.” She cites World Health Organization figures that show the average citizen experiences one to two “critical incidents” in their lives, outside of normal loss and grief. “A career police officer experiences 600 to 800,” she said.

“This has a health cost. Most officers don’t last five years in the profession, and those who make it to retirement meet that accomplishment at the highest risk of death within their first two years.

“The average life expectancy of a citizen in the United States is 74 years. The average life expectancy of a law enforcement officer is 53 years.”

Additional reporting by Anduela Nika Johnson.

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The Secret's Out: �鶹��Ƶ's study-abroad programs are your ticket to the world

Colleen Rich — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 16:58:51 +0000

The Secret's Out: �鶹��Ƶ's study-abroad programs are your ticket to the world Colleen Rich Thu, 09/02/2021 - 12:58

�鶹��Ƶ is your ticket to the world. With more than 200 programs in more than 60 countries, students can study abroad for as little as a week or as long as a full academic year.

Whether it’s advancing your career through an internship at a global organization, expanding your academic learning by studying at �鶹��Ƶ’s partner institutions abroad, learning a language by being fully immersed in the culture, or experiencing personal growth and enhancing your global awareness, �鶹��Ƶ students from all majors can earn college credit while learning from expert faculty members who lead the trips.

$500,000 in scholarship opportunities from the Global Education Office, among other departments and organizations, make it possible for students from all backgrounds to make the world their classroom.

Students often describe their �鶹��Ƶ study-abroad experience as transformative. Besides earning more credits faster, they step out of their comfort zone and return home with new knowledge, skills and global understanding.

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Marie alice Arnold named interim executive director of Global Education Office

Colleen Rich — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 13:37:46 +0000

Marie alice Arnold named interim executive director of Global Education Office Colleen Rich Thu, 06/03/2021 - 09:37

Marie alice Arnold

�鶹��Ƶ Provost and Executive Vice President Mark Ginsberg announced on Wednesday that Marie alice Arnold will serve as interim executive director of the Global Education Office (GEO). Currently associate director of GEO, Arnold will assume her new position later this month.

“I am excited that Marie alice has agreed to serve in this capacity and I am confident she is the right leader as we enter a new phase at GEO,” Ginsberg said. “Her experience in international learning will serve �鶹��Ƶ well as we harness the potential of our students and global education partners to create opportunities for the future.”

Arnold succeeds Brian Gibson who on May 12 was named chief global officer at the University of Utah.

“It is an exciting time to be leading Education Abroad at �鶹��Ƶ,” Arnold said. “In this difficult year, GEO discovered new opportunities that expanded our thinking of what is international learning. I look forward to building on that work as we head into a period of renewal and growth.”

In her new role, Arnold is responsible for the daily operations of GEO, as well as program management of study-abroad experiences and the implementation of new initiatives.

Arnold has 30 years of experience in international education, 13 of them at �鶹��Ƶ. Prior to joining GEO, she worked at Skidmore College in the Office of Off-Campus Study and Exchange and spent more than a decade at the Council on International Educational Exchange. She holds a master’s degree in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University, and bachelors’ degrees in Spanish and business from Skidmore College.

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Meet the �鶹��Ƶ Nation: Rachel Spence

Rachel Spence

Job: Academic Manager, International Enrollment Partnerships, Global Education Office, and Chair of the Staff Senate

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To Help Fellow Police Officers Deal with Trauma, She Needed Knowledge. Now She’s a Master’s Student at the Schar School

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