Dear all,
As the leaves turn and the weather becomes cooler, we want to highlight the work of our diligent study abroad team. This past summer, we sent nearly 300 students to destinations around the globe. While there were some issues with Covid, all of our Hawkeyes returned safely with many stories to tell.
Some of the returnees participated in our Study Abroad Fair on September 13 and 14 as mentors to students contemplating a global experience. This was our first in-person fair since 2019, and nearly 800 students registered to gather information on outbound learning opportunities. While students at the Study Abroad Fair were considering future programming, our office is connecting with students abroad this fall to give us regular updates on their experiences. Please see this feature on our fall 2022 study abroad correspondents, and treat yourself to their regular updates over the course of this semester.
IP’s study abroad advisors are hard at work preparing students for their time away, and in that vein, we have prepared a list of top 5 must-do’s that will enable our global Hawkeyes to get the most out of their experience. The planning process leads to life-changing results, as described in a feature on Christian Frankl. Christian is a UI drum major who spent spring semester in Scotland and flew back to Iowa in the middle of the term to audition for (and earn!) his prestigious position with the UI Hawkeye Marching Band.
Experiences such as Christian’s are made possible through the gifts from generous donors. On September 21, International Programs honored Richard (“Dick”) Tyner for his scholarship support to students from the Honors Program, the Department of French & Italian, and the Department of Political Science (International Relations). Mr. Tyner also funds a study abroad scholarship administered by International Programs. An Iowa farm boy who graduated from the UI in 1970, Mr. Tyner served in the Army ROTC and earned several prestigious advanced degrees in preparation for a career in international law, where he practiced most notably in France and Saudi Arabia.
Over the years, Mr. Tyner has enabled scores of UI students either to go abroad or to complete their education on the Iowa campus. Mr. Tyner’s scholarship recipients were invited to express their appreciation and to share stories of their collegiate experiences. It is no coincidence that these students are either now pursuing successful careers, or have ambitious plans for the future. We are proud to count Dick Tyner among our closest friends and deeply value all he has done to support our Hawkeye community at home or away.
Our alumni are quite generous indeed in terms of maintaining relationships with their alma mater. On September 15, International Programs was delighted to host Meembo Changula in the sixth installment of our Global Alumni Spotlight Series. Born in Zambia, Meembo graduated from the UI in 2010 with an MS in urban and regional planning. She worked in various positions in Zambia’s Ministry of Local Government and now serves as the project manager on the World Bank-funded Urban Planning and Development Control Strengthening Programme in Tanzania. Meembo shared fond memories of her time in Iowa while providing insightful perspective on sustainability and public policy issues in East and Southern Africa.
We will be sharing more student, donor, and alumni stories throughout the year. In the meantime, thanks for reading and please accept my very best wishes for a most enjoyable fall.
All the best,
Russ