Dear all,

Welcome to fall 2024!! This is such an exciting time now that the students have returned, and we gear up for another terrific year in International Programs (IP)! We are especially thrilled to welcome our new international students, who arrived for orientation in the middle of August. I have had the opportunity to meet some of our new global Hawkeyes, and have found them all to be sharp, eager, and eminently friendly. As has been the case the last few years, our new international students represent a wide variety of countries, meaning that Iowa’s reputation continues to grow as a leader in global education. Though this year’s numbers are down somewhat, we still have a large and quite respectable number of international students on our campus. Of note on the undergraduate level is that many of our new internationals are student athletes, some of whom competed in the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. On the graduate and professional side, the year-to-year totals continue to hold steady, and we are proud to report that per the University of Iowa (UI)’s Graduate College, 18%--or nearly one out of five—graduate and professional students at the UI hails from an international destination. Deep thanks and loud applause go to our staff in International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), who organized and ran new international student orientation with their customary professionalism, warmth, and commitment to service. I am especially grateful to the ISSS staff for deftly handling the myriad emergencies that inevitably occur this time of year.

Nonetheless, the beginning of this year is bittersweet. As we express our happiness over the arrival of our new international students, we cannot help but feel more than a tinge of sadness now that Doug Lee has retired from IP and from the university. As most of you know, Doug was our assistant provost, who served IP with grace, charm, and consummate collegiality for over 12 years. It is not an exaggeration to say that Doug is responsible for IP’s current standing and success. His skill with budgets, personnel, and programming are unparalleled, and IP owes him a gargantuan debt of gratitude. Before coming to IP, Doug worked in the Provost’s Office, with many high-level assignments including the Division of Continuing Education, Summer Sessions, and the development of the student information system that became MAUI. And while Doug will return to us on a limited basis as an administrative consultant later this fall, we will sorely miss his steady, reassuring presence in the office. Because Doug is irreplaceable, we are filling his position not by hiring from the outside but by promoting from within. The current staff that Doug assembled in IP is among the best at the university. As a result, we have moved forward with career advancements for our unit heads and other team members that include greater responsibility and more opportunity for professional development. Ever the planner, Doug saw to his succession, and we feel confident that this new year will be among our most productive and our most rewarding.

With all best wishes, 

Russ

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.