Dear All,

As May approaches, we realize that we have spent nearly 15 months conducting much of our lives online. I applaud you for your persistence and hope you remain healthy and safe. As our spring semester concludes, I wish to express my deep gratitude to our International Programs staff who continue to serve students, create virtual opportunities, and organize cultural and outreach events that promote the value of international education and global awareness.

This past month was an eventful one. On April 5, we held the annual board meeting of the Stanley-University of Iowa Foundation Support Organization (SUIFSO). The meeting is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the work of our faculty and students whose research is funded by SUIFSO. We are profoundly grateful to the Stanley family and the University of Iowa Center for Advancement for their sustained collaboration and flexibility in these exceptional times. The world will return to some semblance of normality this fall, and this will allow our faculty and students to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities afforded them by the Stanley Support Organization.

April represents “award season” at the University of Iowa, and we are proud to announce that Professor Ray Fagenbaum won a Hubbard Walder Award for Excellence in Teaching for his innovations in study abroad curricula, while our International Student Advisory Board (ISAB) garnered a University Diversity Catalyst Award for its efforts to advocate for international students on campus. International Programs sponsored both nominations as they represent the commitment of our faculty and staff to student success.

And finally, as April passes into May, we seek to celebrate the arts, which continue to thrive despite enormous obstacles. We salute Professor Eloy Barragán in the Department of Dance for all his work related to International Dance Day and the two new collaborations he has built between the University of Iowa and the Escuela Nacional de Danza Clásica y Contemporánea and the Compañía de Danza del Estado de México.

Sending you all the best from Iowa City,

Russ