GEO News 2022-23
June 15, 2023
Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards announced for 2023-2024
Cristina Stanciu, Ph.D., director of the Humanities Research Center and associate professor in the VCU Department of English, and Edmund Acevedo, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, have received Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program awards for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
June 8, 2023
VCU faculty awarded Oxford's Harris Manchester Summer Research Institute grant
Dr. Hyojin Im, associate professor in the School of Social Work, and Dr. Brad Lehmann, instructor in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, have each been awarded a grant to participate in Oxford’s Harris Manchester College Summer Research Institute (SRI) this summer.
June 2, 2023
From experience, two VCU staff psychologists help international and immigrant students navigate college
Mijin Kim and Abey Muthoni Wachira with University Counseling Services bring empathy and expertise to those dealing with culture shock.
May 12, 2023
English Language Program graduates cohort of proficient English speakers
GEO's English Language Program will graduate 28 international students as they complete the requirements of the three-level program. Students from 16 different countries have participated in varying levels of courses from beginner to advanced, completing the coursework depending upon their proficiency levels. Of the graduating students,16 will enroll in degree-seeking programs at VCU in the fall; two at other universities.
May 2, 2022
Global Achievement Celebration recognizes student achievement
The Global Education Office (GEO) recently recognized student achievement in various programs at its Global Achievement Celebration on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. The celebration honored more than 185 students who were involved in the programs during the 2022-23 academic year, celebrating outstanding achievement, participation and graduation.
April 27, 2022
New GEO awards support global learning for VCU students
The Global Education Office (GEO) announces its inaugural 2023-24 Global Learning Program Development Awards intended to fund proposals from Virginia Commonwealth University academic units to develop new and innovative global learning programs, including education abroad, domestic study away with a global focus, or virtual exchange.
April 17, 2022
Ukrainian delegation visits with VCU experts and others as part of effort to eliminate the threat of land mines
Six Ukrainian national security experts visited Richmond recently, and Virginia Commonwealth University facilitated their work to target land mines in their country. The delegates’ meetings with faculty, state lawmakers and officials, and members of the Ukrainian-American community in Virginia were made possible by Open World, a program sponsored by the Congressional Office for International Leadership.
April 5, 2023
Blondin elected as AIEA board member
Virginia Commonwealth University’s Jill Blondin, Ph.D., associate vice provost for global initiatives, was recently elected as a board member of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) during the 2023 AIEA Annual Conference held in Washington, D.C. in February 2023.
March 17, 2023
Ukrainian leaders to examine national security and humanitarian demining with experts in Virginia
VCU will host a delegation of leaders from across the globe through the Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL), formerly called the Open World Leadership Center. Six Ukrainian national security experts will spend March 24-April 1 in Richmond as they meet with VCU faculty, Virginia legislators, state agency representatives, and members of the Ukrainian-American community in Virginia to share experiences with the detection and elimination of land mines.
March 17, 2023
British Embassy visits VCU and the Richmond area
Virginia Commonwealth University will welcome to campus the British Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Dame Karen Pierce, DCMG, and other dignitaries from the UK Embassy on March 20-21, 2023. Several events and activities are planned, including a discussion with the ambassador, “Democracy and Diplomacy: Cultivating our Future,” which will explore US/UK relations, the challenges of global diplomacy and her extensive international career ranging from the United Nations to Afghanistan and beyond.
March 3, 2023
Students and staff from Turkey and Syria feel the impact of earthquake’s destruction
In response to devastating earthquake, members of the VCU community find ways to help, including efforts to raise funds and collect supplies.
February 27, 2023
Studying abroad provides eye-opening experiences for two Gilman Scholars
Donté Jackson and Sofia Simmons, both recipients of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, were able to participate in study abroad experiences that they might not have normally chosen.
February 14, 2023
Love and Travel: A VCU Love Story
Two former exchange students travel from South Korea and Spain to VCU, meet, fall in love and build a life together. Read all about this sweet Valentine love story.
February 6, 2023
Support for our Turkish and Syrian communities
In light of the recent security emergency in Afghanistan and the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the VCU Global Education Office and Division of Student Affairs are reaching out to our students and scholars with personal, geographic or cultural ties to these regions.
February 3, 2023
Global Buddies Program forges international friendships
TheGlobal Buddies Program pairs international students with English-speaking volunteers and gives them the opportunity to learn about new cultures, improve language skills and make a friend in the process.
January 11, 2023
VCU’s Jill Blondin selected as Fellow for U.S.-ASEAN University Connections Initiative
Jill Blondin, Ph.D., associate vice provost for global initiatives, has been selected to participate as a Fellow in the U.S.-ASEAN University Connections Initiative (UCI), a White House initiative announced during the U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit in May 2022.
January 6, 2022
Three VCU students awarded Benjamin A. Gilman scholarships
Three VCU students have been awarded the U.S. Department of State Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad during the winter and spring 2023 semesters. Joud Al Kallas, Donté Jackson and Nathan Rowan, all STEM majors, are recipients of the scholarship among 1,500 U.S. undergraduate students awarded across the country.
December 6, 2022
Class of 2022: Dhruv Fomra thrived in rich research environment at VCU
Dhruv Fomra traveled to the U.S. from his native India to earn his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering.
November 30, 2022
Class of 2022: Simranjeet Kaur turned her love of numbers into a burgeoning accounting career
From doing calculations at her family’s bookstore in India to lining up a job at Deloitte, accounting student Simranjeet Kaur is excited for what her future holds.
November 17, 2021
Thanksgiving banquet brings together international students and community members
More than 100 people attended the Global Education Office’s Thanksgiving celebration for international students to connect with each other over classic holiday food.
November 11, 2021
IEW ‘22 showcases VCU’s internationalization with host of activities
International Education Week, held Nov. 14 - 18, 2022, is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of State and Education was first held in 2000, and today is celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide.
October 20, 2022
Global Learning staff publishes brief in financial aid journal
Global Education Office staff members published a 'reflections in practice brief' in the September issue of the Journal of Student Financial Aid. The brief, Strengthening the Bridge Between Financial Aid and Study Abroad, written in conjunction with staff of VCU's Student Financial Services, is about the successful collaboration between the two departments.
September 23, 2021
Supporting our Iranian community
In light of the tragic death of Iranian Mahsa Amini, VCU’s Global Education Office and Division of Student Affairs are reaching out to our students and scholars with personal, geographic or cultural ties to the region.
Those wishing to show support and meet with others who may be affected by this event, a student-sponsored evening of remembrance for Mahsa will be held on September 23, at 6 p.m., in Monroe Park.
September 8, 2021
IIE and GEO fund passport initiative for TRIO Support students
VCU is one of 40 U.S. colleges and universities selected to receive the 2022 Institute for International Education’s (IIE) American Passport Project grant, which awards 25 Pell-eligible students their first U.S. passports. In partnership with VCU’s TRIO Support Services, the Global Education Office will identify eligible students and support them through the process of applying for their first-time passports during Passport Day, an on-campus passport application event to be held on October 28.