Alumni support study abroad through the Nancy Hauserman Global Experience Fund
From the Winter 2014-15 edition of Tippie Magazine
When retired faculty member Nancy Hauserman was a student, study abroad programs were not yet common. The concept has gained prominence as a way to learn about the global economy as well as different cultures. Now, a growing fund is making it possible for more students than ever to benefit from these pivotal journeys.
From 1976 to 2013, Hauserman served the Tippie College in various roles, including teaching in the International MBA Program and CIMBA. While serving as associate dean of the Undergraduate Program, she helped start the undergraduate Winter Session course in London in 2000. “When students go overseas — whether for a week, semester, or year — you can see the positive impact it has on their lives when they return,” Nancy says.
Nancy Hauserman (photo by Tippie Magazine)
Inspired by Nancy’s work guiding students both in Iowa and abroad, Tippie College alumni and others have supported the Nancy Hauserman Global Experience Fund to the tune of more than $200,000 within a few months.
“I’m totally honored,” Nancy says. “The fund represents the best of all worlds. I’m retired and I’m still doing something for the college and its students.”
Kara Westercamp took classes from Nancy and served as her teaching assistant. She knows Nancy as a teacher and a mentor. “Nancy’s philosophy on life is braving the unknown, so by providing opportunities to study abroad, the next generation of students and beyond will be able to have life-changing experiences,” says Kara, an attorney with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
Kara benefited from trips to London and Hong Kong during her undergrad and MBA years. “My travel abroad experiences made me aware of not just different cultures, but different societies. It opens your mind to the fact that we are part of a global community,” she says. “It opens you to possibilities, challenges you, and makes you appreciate world events at a deeper level.”
Many alumni gained international business savvy while on the job. Case in point: Tippie alumna Kathleen Dore, a senior advisor at Proteus Inc., and a former television executive in Canada. “It’s clear to me, having traveled internationally in the last 20 years, that study abroad would have been a very valuable experience,” Kathleen says.
“Even Canada is a very different culture and business environment, especially in the media field. There are different constraints and more regulation. “Working in Canada taught me how important it is to understand the subtle differences between cultures and people. Business success or failure can really be determined by that,” she says.
Kathleen and her husband view the fund as a way to honor “a wonderful teacher” and support higher education. “I hope that more students will be able to take advantage of the international business study opportunities available, and I hope they enter or reenter the business world with a more sophisticated thought process and problemsolving approach.”
While Nancy has visited 17 countries, some students are the first in their families to travel abroad. She says it is the UI’s responsibility as a quality educational institution to enable more students to study overseas. “The scholarship is not just for the highest achieving students — it’s for students in good standing. I’m very proud of the egalitarian aspect,” she says.
“We have a lot of first-generation college students going to Iowa, and this fund will give people the opportunity that they may not have had without it. Who knows what doors will open to them?” Kara says.