Welcome Back from Gillian Ice and Global Affairs!
Greetings from Global at OHIO
Welcome back to campus! As I stepped into my role with
Global Affairs this May, I was tasked to build on the work of the International Opportunities Think Tank to shape OHIO’s international strategy. To this end, I have spent the summer talking with as many people as possible to get different perspectives on strengths, opportunities, barriers, and goals. In these conversations, I am continually reminded of the rich history of international engagement, partnership, research, and innovation at OHIO, and I am excited to see what we develop together.
In June, I had an opportunity meet with alumni in Ghana and even got a “lift” from a Russ College alumnus and pilot, John Gohoho. I was reminded that we have alumni working in every sector in Ghana who are eager to engage with OHIO students, faculty and staff.
I’ve also enjoyed learning about the summer activities of our colleagues. Appropriately coinciding with the commemoration of the
50th anniversary of the Chubu-OHIO partnership, this summer has witnessed a flurry of activities taking place in Japan. Chris Thompson and Hao Lou led the first Global Consulting Program in Tokyo. Lisa Milne in the Alumni Association hosted a well-attended alumni event in Tokyo. Beth Novak directed the Animation and Culture in Tokyo study abroad program. Andrew Pueschel and Nukhet Sandal presented at the ISA Asia-Pacific Region Conference at Waseda University.
Beyond Japan, we had many students participate study abroad programs and faculty engaged in international research. For example, Cory Crawford and students had a productive field season in Israel in collaboration University of Haifa (keep a look out for pictures from Ben Siegel!). Students in rehabilitation sciences had an excellent interprofessional experience in Botswana with Janice Howman, Janice Wright and Rebecca Meier. Geoff Dabelko returned from his sabbatical work connecting climate change with Age-Friendly communities in Europe. Did you know that almost half of faculty on fellowship leave in the past year worked on projects with an international focus?
Last week, we welcomed 235 NEW international students from 49 countries to the Athens campus. They are excited to be here and eager to learn and engage in campus life. Please visit the
International Student and Scholar Services website for resources to support our international students. Students continue to experience challenges with arranging visa appointments in a timely manner. We anticipate about 30 additional students who will arrive late, and some will have to defer due to the delays. We hope to see them in an upcoming semester soon.
In addition to students, we are welcoming three international scholars to campus, including our
Robert Glidden Visiting Professor, Dr. Yoshiharu Tanahashi from Chubu University who is working with the Russ College of Engineering for a month. Dr. Adom Manu is a Fulbright scholar from University of Ghana who is joining the College of Health Sciences and Professions and working with the Global Health Initiative for AY 2023-24.
Glidden Visiting Professor, Dr. Yunus Dumbe from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, will join African Studies in the Center for International Studies this fall.
A special congratulations to the Ohio Program for Intensive English (OPIE) for obtaining a 10-year CEA accreditation approval! I am thankful to Gerry Krzic and his team for the excellent work they do with our international students. Please encourage both your international and domestic students to participate in the
Conversation Hours and the
Conversation Partners program. These are great opportunities for domestic students to learn cross-cultural communication skills and for international students to feel a sense of belonging.
I also want to congratulate Zelalem Haile, who was appointed as the interim director of the Global Health initiative. With his strong background in research, I am sure he will strengthen global research in CHSP and HCOM.
Lastly, I want to remind everyone of our excellent
International Collections at the library, which will be hosting a special workshop for international students on September 22, 1:30-3:00 in Alden 319. Our international librarians, Araba Dawson-Abdoh and Jeffrey Shane, can provide support for faculty interested in integrating the collection into your classes.
I will be reaching out to many of you in the next few weeks to discuss the global/international strategy and hope that you are willing to share your wisdom and experience. I’d love to share your adventures and accomplishments in future emails and news stories, so please send me updates when you get a chance!
