University of Iowa International Programs hosted a webinar focused on international faculty success where veteran faculty from international destinations shared their advice and experiences with early career international faculty members. Russell Ganim, associate provost and dean of International Programs, and Meenakshi Gigi Durham, professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, planned and facilitated the discussion.

Panelists included:

• Anny-Dominique Curtius, professor, Department of French and Italian, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Aniruddha Dutta, associate professor; Departments of Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies and Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures; College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Sandra Guzmán-Armstrong, clinical professor and advanced education program director of operative dentistry, College of Dentistry
• H.S. Udaykumar, associate dean for graduate programs, research and faculty, College of Engineering

Each panelist gave a brief history of their career and what brought them to the University of Iowa, followed by questions related to how they adapted to administrative and cultural challenges. Here they share guidance based on their experiences.

Find mentors, both inside and outside of the university

Anny-Dominique Curtius shared her academic journey, which began in Martinique and led her to graduate school in Montreal, Canada, and a postdoctoral position at the University of British Columbia. She eventually joined the faculty at Iowa, where she was drawn to the interdisciplinary work here. She met numerous colleagues whose research aligned with hers, and she recognized that these individuals would become her mentors.

“We become good mentors when we have good mentorship,” said Curtius. “The very first weeks at Iowa I received great mentorship – it motivated me and gave me the support I needed and that I am now re-disseminating to my students and junior faculty.”

Sandra Guzmán-Armstrong came to the U.S. from Colombia, intent on improving her English skills, the language most dental literature is written in. She ended up at Iowa after discovering the field of operative dentistry, an advanced training that is not common in Colombia.

“I realized the majority of the students that were applying to the College of Dentistry were international,” recalled Guzmán-Armstrong. “I had wonderful mentors, and the college was especially welcoming to international students. I have also realized I needed mentorship outside of my department and outside of this university. I got involved working with organizations and institutions that have helped me grow. It is important to branch out and see what others are doing nationally and internationally.”  

Seek out discomfort

H.S. Udaykumar grew up in Mysore in the south of India. He went to the University of Florida, and stayed for a post doctorate, then came to Iowa in 1999.  

“This is a lovely place, and my kids have grown up in this town; they went to City High,” said Kumar. “It is a family place. I’ve lived here longer than any other place in my life, this is home.”  

Udaykumar spoke of some of the adjustments he had to make to adapt to life in Iowa, especially when adapting to cultural differences.  

“We do carry some imposter syndrome; you need to shake that off,” said Udaykumar. “Intrinsically this is something we have to deal with – we are out of our comfort zone. We don’t quite fit in, we don’t quite understand what it is about football, sports in America. How can you be super effective, a leader in your field or institution? How can you have a voice that is heard? Seek out discomfort. Go to those sports parties, make yourself visible and heard. Don’t limit your congregation to people from your country. Break out of that. That is not the road to success.”

Curtius also commented on the importance of integrating into the community.

“It is so important to reach out to people from the very beginning,” said Curtius. “Speak that 'non-native' American English, and then you’ll be fine, like everyone else. You have to make that jump.”

Ask questions early on, specifically about tenure/promotion processes

Aniruddha Dutta grew up in a small town in eastern India and completed a lot of their graduate education in India. They spent some time in Minnesota until a position in their field opened up at Iowa.

“Allowing me to do collaborative work, extensive field work, and allowing enough scope for my tenure package to be built around what I was doing, not an expectation of what it should look like, is one of the things that drew me to Iowa in the first place,” said Dutta.

Dutta addressed the dual challenge of navigating through the promotion process while simultaneously managing their immigration status, which can be as demanding as a full-time job. Dutta shared some of the things they learned when going through the tenure process.

“Tenure expectations can be very discipline- and department- specific,” said Dutta. “You need a clear channel of communication on this. You need to be proactive about this to learn the tenure expectations. If your DEO or department don’t reach out to you, don’t hesitate to set up meetings with them.”  

Guzmán-Armstrong added that it is important to document things early on, find an area of expertise, and focus on something you have a passion for.

“Make lots of connections and network, that’s the key to success,” offered Udaykumar. “It doesn’t matter how qualified or exceptional you are in your field; nothing works without connections.”

Be proud of who you are and what you bring

In closing comments, the panelists underscored how important it is that international faculty be proud of who they are and of the richness they bring to the University of Iowa.

“Be proud of your background and what you are bringing as an international faculty,” said Guzmán-Armstrong. “We have a lot of curiosity and adaptability. You don’t need to blend in but stand out for how unique you are and what you can bring to your institution.”

"We have crossed many oceans and many borders, and we have our place at the University of Iowa,” reiterated Curtius. “It really is a matter of believing in ourselves and branching out with domestic faculty, creating a new discourse at Iowa that only international faculty can bring.”

International Programs is planning additional sessions focused on international faculty success for the upcoming academic year. 

International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement.  IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.