Join members of Phi Beta Delta for a "Power Hour" discussion about global education. Guest speakers will talk about what internationalization means to them and reflect upon lessons, triumphs, and challenges they have faced. Come listen as they share their stories, Friday, October 29, 2021, from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m, via Zoom.
Featured speakers:
Jeanine Porter Abrons, clinical associate professor in the College of Pharmacy
Jodi Graff, administrative director of graduate and postdoctoral studies at the Carver College of Medicine
This event is sponsored by the University of Iowa's Alpha Tau Chapter of Phi Beta Delta Honors Society for International Scholars and co-sponsored by International Programs and the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Jeanine P. Abrons, PharmD, MS, received her pharmacy degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and a Masters of Sciences in Social & Administrative Pharmacy from University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to returning to Iowa – her home state – she was a Clinical Assistant Professor at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Albany, NY. She now serves as the Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Student Pharmacist International Activities at the University of Iowa, College of Pharmacy, where her focus areas are: writing and editing, and global health for underserved patient populations. Her experience in writing and publishing extends to work as Editor of the University of Iowa, Teaching Cases and the University of Iowa, Active Learning Exercises; Author and Editor of the APhA Pharmacists Peripheral Brain; and an Associate Editor role and Editorial Advisory Board role for the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association and work with Pulses and Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning.
Abrons’ work with global underserved care extends to multiple countries, however, her primary work centers around partnerships in Dominica, collaborating with a local eco-based, social entrepreneur, the Ministry of Health, and a private pharmacy. In Iowa, she is actively involved in health promotion/health prevention as Co-Director of Mobile Clinics. She is passionate about individualization while coordinating engagement and leadership, global health, and travel medicine courses. Abrons honors at the University of Iowa include recognition in 2016 with the Academic Teaching Advisory Council’s Innovations in Teaching with Technology Award and the College of Pharmacy’s 2018 Teacher of the Year Award. Her honors in pharmacy recently include the AACP Global Health Pharmacist of the Year and the APhA Pinnacle Award, recognizing her contributions to global health and underserved care.
Jodi Graff is a trusted higher education administrator and student affairs professional with a career at the UI spanning over twenty-two years. She has a stellar history of working collaboratively with faculty, staff, and administrative units to effectively champion student success for undergraduate, predoctoral, and postdoctoral learners. Jodi joined the University of Iowa (UI) Carver College of Medicine (CCOM) administration team in 1998 as the recruiter for their Medical Scientist Training Program and basic science departments. In 2000, she became the program administrator for the Biosciences Program and the scope and breadth of her responsibilities continued to expand with her appointment as the director of graduate admissions and first-year experience in 2011. She was named the administrative director for the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in 2014 and in 2019 her leadership expanded to include administrative oversight of the Biomedical Science Graduate Program.
Jodi is passionate about building and maintaining equitable, diverse, and inclusive environments. In addition to being the vice president of the Alpha Tau Chapter of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars at the University of Iowa, she is also a member of the National Coalition Building Institute’s (NCBI) UI Campus Affiliate where she leads their workshops “Leadership for Equity and Inclusion” and “Conflict and Controversial Issues”. As a visible ally for the LGBTQ community she serves as a facilitator for the LGBTQ Safe Zone Project. Jodi leads workshops that participants learn more about the LGBTQ experience and campus/community resources to become allies and effective resource people for their workplace and classroom. She is also an member of the UI team of faculty, staff and students who provide the Exploring White Identity for Effective Allyship workshop. The workshop strives to hold honest, intentional, conversations around white identity and allyship. The wish is to create a space to explore white identity’s relationship to power, oppression, and its collective history. Jodi is a 2019 recipient of a UI Diversity Catalyst Award. Jodi received her B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication and M.A. in Education (Higher Education) from the University of Iowa.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Erin Stresow in advance at erin-stresow@uiowa.edu or 319-467-3291.