Dear all,

Fall break always comes at the right time, and my hope is that you had a restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. November was a cornucopia of activity for us here at International Programs, and I am delighted to share the horn of plenty with you.

It was an absolute pleasure to welcome our International Impact Award winner, Karri Goeldner Byrne to campus. Karri is an Iowa City native who graduated with a BA in communication theory in 1992 and went on to lead a very successful career in the field of international development. Because of Karri’s distinguished record, we invited her to give our annual Commitment to Internationalization Lecture. This year’s topic was “Navigating the Unpredictable: The Private Sector as Partners in Humanitarian Response.”  Much of Karri’s talk drew upon her experience in designing analysis tools for understanding market systems in humanitarian contexts. As you know, International Programs has focused considerable time and effort over the past few years in cultivating public private partnerships to support international education. Karri’s lecture was as moving as it was informative, and her insights into social investment in a time of global uncertainty resonated with the large audience assembled at the Old Cap. This was the first time International Programs combined the International Impact Award with the Commitment to Internationalization Lecture, and given the success of this year’s experiment, we have decided to continue with the practice next year.

November also saw many events as part of International Education Month. Among the highlights were a Pecha Kucha event at the Iowa City Public Library entitled, “Glocal at Iowa,” where UI students gave fast-paced presentations on their most significant local and international experiences. Two of the presenters, Cynthia Okafor and Leila Assadi, were also named the Global Student Award winners for 2025. Cynthia, originally from Nigeria, is a PhD candidate in pharmaceutics at the UI College of Pharmacy, while Leila, who hails from the Quad Cities, is a double major in political science and economics who recently spent a semester abroad in South Korea. As is our newest tradition, we invited our Global Student Award winners to the President’s Tailgate at this season’s last home football game. It was indeed a pleasure to chat with Cynthia and Leila and learn of their remarkable accomplishments. Both winners received their awards at this year’s Multicultural Showcase. Held at the IMU, the event features cuisine and performances from around the world. The Multicultural Showcase is a wonderful occasion to celebrate all the traditions that contribute daily to the international community we know as the University of Iowa. International Education Month was capped by a screening at FilmScene of 

the Irish film “Song of the Sea” as well as the Beverly Brandau Fall Break Meal. This year’s Brandau meal was held in Old Brick. The food and attendance were excellent. As most of you know, Beverly passed away earlier this year, and I was honored to speak at her memorial service in Washington. From now on, the meal will carry Beverly's name as testament to the kindness and generosity she showed the University of Iowa over many decades.

And finally, I wish to thank the members of the International Education Month steering committee for putting together this year’s events. 2025 was our biggest celebration ever, and the group—which consisted of members from both the university and the Iowa City communities—worked for a year to generate ideas, contact potential participants, create promotional materials, and take care of logistics. What a privilege it was for me to work with the committee and to be inspired by their dedication to global engagement at the University of Iowa.

With all best wishes for the upcoming holiday season,

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.