Faculty, staff selected for Global Connections program

The first group of faculty and staff members have been selected to take part in the OHIO Global Connections Professional Development Initiative and will travel to Vietnam and Thailand in May.

The new program provides opportunities for faculty and staff to travel internationally and take part in global engagement programs.

"I'm excited to meet my counterparts in Vietnam and Thailand and to make some connections for future partnerships and collaborations,” said Sarah Mitchell, executive training coordinator for the George V. Voinovich Academy of Excellence in Public Service and one of the applicants selected for the May program. “I'm also excited to have some awesome food and see some elephants."

 The activities for the first OHIO Global Connections Professional Development Initiative will include:

• Connecting with colleagues at universities in Vietnam and Thailand
• Learning about the culture and history of the host counties
• Engaging with OHIO alumni
• Meeting with students who are interested in attending OHIO
• Participating in a service project.

The program is being led by Catherine Marshall, director of the Office of Global Opportunities, and Jeffrey Share, Southeast Asia reference librarian. An on-site program coordinator from CIS Abroad will also help to facilitate the visit.

Out of the 44 applications for the first OHIO Global Connections Professional Development Initiative, Marshall was pleased to see such high interest from faculty and staff from a wide range of campuses, academic colleges and planning units.

“The passion that the applicants had for this opportunity and the imagination behind the initiatives that they suggested completing after the travel was readily evident,” Marshall said.

Elizabeth Koonce, assistant professor of English, was delighted to have her proposal chosen for the program.

“The moment I saw that OHIO was offering this professional development opportunity, I knew I had to apply,” Koonce said. “For years, I've been yearning for both the toolkit and template for incorporating my fascination with other cultures into my career portfolio here at OHIO. My hope is that the Global Connections Professional Development Initiative will help me fulfill these goals.”

“I'm specifically interested in connecting with academics overseas who are interested in collaborating on teaching a COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) course, as well as learning ways that I might work towards establishing a new study abroad program,” she said.

The 14 faculty and staff members selected by the University International Council’s Global Mobility Committee for the May trip include:

• Ashlie Bailey, retention specialist, Southern Campus
• Pamela Kaylor, associate lecturer of communication studies, Lancaster Campus
• Greg Obi, assistant professor of business management technology, Chillicothe Campus
• Debra Benton, university registrar, Athens Campus
• Jasmyne Channel, resident director, Athens Campus
• Traci Fetherolf, records management specialist for the Graduate College, Athens Campus
• Elaine Goheen, assistant director for communications, Office of Admissions, Athens Campus
• Ebony Green, assistant dean for advising and student services, University College, Athens Campus
• Daniel Harper, assistant professor of interior architecture, Athens Campus
• Thomas Stevenson, assistant professor of human and consumer sciences, Athens Campus
• Athan Vouzianas, lecturer of engineering and technical education, Athens Campus
• Christine Zachrich, assistant clinical professor/assistant director of the internship program, for Food and Nutrition Sciences, Athens Campus
• Sarah Mitchell, executive training coordinator for the George V. Voinovich Academy of Excellence in Public Service, Athens Campus
• Elizabeth Koonce, assistant professor of English, Athens Campus

The Office of Global Opportunities is coordinating the program with assistance from the Office of Global Affairs and the University International Council. 

“Jeff Shane and I are excited to be working with such a diverse group of people from across the university,” Marshall said. “We're looking forward to the global connections we'll make in Vietnam and Thailand and those we will continue to make upon our return to OHIO.”

For additional information on the OHIO Global Connections Professional Development Initiative, contact the Office of Global Opportunities at 740-593-4583 or global.opportunities@ohio.edu or visit the Global Connections webpage.