Dear Global Studies Alumni,

With the spring semester over, we would like to inform you of some crucial developments that have taken place in LAS Global Studies. For AY 2016-17, we adopted the approach of “consolidation and growth” in our annual staff retreat. The objective was to solidify our presence in the Midwest and nationally, as a premier program for interdisciplinary study of global issues as well as invest in the ‘quality of student experience at Global Studies’. Here are a few highlights of what we have been up to in the spring 2017 semester.

 

New faculty

Starting in AY 2017, Professor Zsuzsa Gille from the Department of Sociology will start her term as the Director of LAS Global Studies. Professor Gille works in transnational and global sociology, studying environmental and food problems, primarily in Eastern Europe and the European Union. Dr. Melissa Goodnight from UCLA and Dr. Charles Fogelman from UIUC will join the program as Lecturers. Dr. Timothy Wedig will continue as the Associate Director for AY 2017-2018, Mr. Malcolm Jamal as the primary Academic Advisor and Val Paceley as the Office Administrator. 

 

New programming

Starting fall 2016, Global Studies started accepting students to the new campus-wide undergraduate Minor in Global Markets and Society. This minor was created to fill the gap left by discontinuation of the Certificate in Global Business Culture, run by the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER). The Minor in Global Markets & Society allows students to study the interdependencies between global businesses, government institutions and individuals in a constructive manner. Students pursue a track complementing their current major to gain practical, marketable skills that are desired by emerging global companies. This year we had 33 students accepted into the minor. You can find more information on the minor here.

 

Scholarships

Our students had a particularly strong year with respect to scholarships.
•    Catherine C. & Bruce A. Bastian Scholarships for spring 2017 were awarded to Etta Alblinger (Barcelona, Spain), Dannika Andersen (Nairobi, Kenya), Yvette Arroyo (Verona, Italy), John Gallucci (Paris, France), Gabyliz Machado (Quito, Ecuador), Shivaliben Patel (Quito, Ecuador), Allison Wheeler (Vienna, Austria), and Sarah Zwick (Paris, France). 
•    Marjorie Hall Thulin Endowment for International Study recipients for spring 2017 were awarded to Dannika Andersen (Nairobi, Kenya), John Gallucci (Paris, France), and Shivaliben Patel (Quito, Ecuador). 
•    Foreign Language and Area Studies Scholarships (FLAS) were awarded to Nellie Cocks and Haeeun Kim for Chinese, Camilia Martinica, Isamar Mata and Madison Johnston for Arabic, Liam Millett for Portuguese, Robin Wilson and Nicholas Zalewski for Italian, and Megan Garand for Swahili.
•    The National Fulbright Scholarship was given to Brittany Nadler to teach English in Thailand.

 

Experiential learning: Study Abroad

In spring 2017, we continued to encourage achievement of the University’s integrated learning outcomes among our students through coursework and co-curricular activities. Four students pursued distinction projects this semester:
•    Sonam Kotadia: Right-Wing Populism in Austria and Germany
•    Emily Smith: Climate Change causing Drought, Economic Downturn and Migration in the Middle East: Case Studies of Turkey and Syria
•    Kalina Gajda: Meanings of Abroad Volunteer Tourism: From the Perspective of College Students
•    Vinh Quach: Facebook Usage Amongst Chinese International Students
Several other students continue to pursue our new capstones in Undergraduate Research Assistance and Internship. You can find more information on these capstone options at: http://www.globalstudies.illinois.edu/current/academics/major/.

We also had 34 majors study abroad in the spring 2017 semester. Europe was the most popular destination with 17 students, followed by six each in South America and Asia, 3 in Africa and 2 in the Middle East. We covered the experiences of some of these students via the Global Studies Spotlight Facebook feature run by our Global Studies Leaders and on our website’s homepage.

 

Experiential learning: Undergraduate Research

Under the leadership of Dr. Wedig, we have worked towards improving the career readiness of Global Studies majors through graduate school and career workshops. In spring 2017 semester, we collaborated with the Center for Global Studies to introduce undergraduate research component in the 2017 Joint Area Centers Symposium. This symposium brought together leading scholars to explore the pressing topic of Governing Globalization. Nine Global Studies undergraduates, freshman through senior, presented posters to globally renowned scholars at this symposium. Additionally, we had seven Global Studies students participate in Undergraduate Research Week that displays the best of undergraduate research and creative inquiry at the University of Illinois. 

 

Incoming and outgoing class 

57 seniors completed their Bachelors of Arts degree in Global Studies in May 2017 this year. They will be replaced by 56 incoming freshman and transfers entering the class of 2021.

 

Call for Alumni Participation 

We are always looking for ways to extend our Global Studies community beyond the campus. As alumni, you are uniquely placed to guide our students to advance in their postgraduate careers. You can engage in the following ways:
•    Stop by our office when you visit the Champaign-Urbana area. Our new office is located at 702 S. Wright St, 3062 Lincoln Hall. 
•    Speak to our students through guest lectures.
•    Get your profile covered on our website and social media globalstudies@illinois.edu.
•    Tell us about exciting internship and job opportunities in your current organization, to help current Global Studies majors get out there and succeed!

We have exciting developments lined up for the fall 2017 semester, and will ensure that you stay updated about them. We wish you a great year ahead!

Global Studies Team