ELI Alumna Returns

• September 29th, 2023
• in English Language Institute International Main

The English Language Institute (ELI) always enjoys visits from its alumni. Our most recent visitor was Dr. Beyza Aksu Dunya, who has returned to The University of Alabama (UA) as a visiting scholar in The School of Education to do research in educational measurement. Beyza studied at the ELI in 2009 on a scholarship from the Turkish government and at the same time met her future husband. After earning a master’s degree at Boston College and a Ph.D at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Beyza returned to Turkey to fulfill her scholarship obligation. Since then, she and her husband have been working as Associate Professors in their country.

Beyza is now taking advantage of a sabbatical to do research at UA concerning computer adaptive testing and student assessment. She appreciates the fact that her “colleagues here are open to sharing their ideas and their time,” and she values the resources available to her. Coming back to Tuscaloosa also attracted her because “it is a safe and affordable college town” in which to expose her 8-year-old son to a new culture and language.

We welcome all ELI alumni to stay in touch and to come back to the campus whenever possible.

Honoring Ifeanyi Anyoku

• August 10th, 2023
• in Capstone International Services

Honoring Ifeanyi Anyoku

On August 10, The University of Alabama community came together to honor international student Ifeanyi Chidubem Prince Anyoku, who tragically passed away on August 5, 2023.

Ifeanyi came to UA from Nigeria in Fall 2022 to pursue his Bachelor’s degree in Biology.

In his time here, Ifeanyi made a tremendous impact on the University, having been named to the academic honors President’s List twice in his first year of study, as an active member of the Blount Scholars Program, the African Students Association, Al’s Pals, Circle K International, the First Baptist Church, and UA Housing and Residential Communities.

These communities came together to share their thoughts and memories of a young man who left too soon.

Many of the attendees left their thoughts and memories, which can be viewed here (View Tributes).

From the ELI to Graduate School

• August 4th, 2023
• in English Language Institute International Main

U.S. Visa Fee Increases Take Effect June 17, 2023

• July 20th, 2023
• in Capstone International Services

From: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/niv-fee-increases-to-take-effect-june-17-2023.html

On June 17, 2023, the nonimmigrant visa (NIV) application processing fee for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2s and BCCs), and other non-petition based NIVs such as student and exchange visitor visas (F, M, and J visas), will increase from $160 to $185. The fee for certain petition-based NIVs for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) will increase from $190 to $205. The fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicants in a specialty occupation (nonimmigrant E category) visa will increase from $205 to $315. NIV fees paid prior to June 17, 2023, will remain valid through the expiration date of the fee receipt.

NIV fees are set based on the actual cost of providing NIV services and are determined after conducting a study of the cost of these services. The Department uses an Activity-Based Costing (ABC) methodology to calculate, annually, the cost of providing consular services, including visa services. The fees for most non-petition based NIVs were last updated in 2012, and certain other visa fees were last updated in 2014.

This rule does not change any other fees, including the fee to apply for a waiver of the two-year residency requirement for certain exchange visitors, which remains at $120.

Fee information can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/fees-visa-services.html, and on the websites of U.S. embassies and consulates.

UA selected to receive the IIE American Passport Project Grant

• May 26th, 2023
• in Education Abroad International Main

The University of Alabama (UA) has been selected by the Institute of International Education (IIE) to receive an IIE American Passport Project grant that will enable up to 25 UA students to obtain a U.S. passport and support their study abroad journeys. In this third year of the program, IIE awarded 48 institutions in the IIENetwork for this opportunity, which will help up to 1,200 Pell-eligible, U.S. students obtain their U.S. passports and start their study abroad journey. “A passport is the first thing that opens up their world to the possibility of study abroad,” said Courtney Temple, IIE Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer

As a key initiative under IIE’s newly launched Center for Access and Equity, the IIE American Passport Project represents IIE’s commitment to create access to international education opportunities and enable equity. For this program, IIE is removing an initial financial barrier for many – the cost of a U.S. passport; thereby, helping to increase diversity and inclusion of students studying abroad. Through the IIE American Passport Project, IIE aims to empower 10,000 U.S. students with their passports by the end of this decade.

In addition, the grant is intended to support the IIENetwork, IIE’s global membership association, in assisting students from their respective campuses to go abroad who would otherwise not participate in an international experience as part of their college education. The program prioritizes first-year students, with limited financial means, for whom this may be their first passport and makes global learning abroad a greater possibility with an earlier start. The awarded institutions will couple the grant funding with their engagement and outreach, advising, programming, and additional support for the students they have identified for this program.

The IIE Passport Project will be managed by Capstone International Center, Education Abroad (EA) office. EA will launch applications for free passports on their website (studyabroad.ua.edu) at the start of the Fall semester!

COVID Rules End May 12, 2023 – Proof of Vaccine No Longer Required to Enter U.S.

• May 17th, 2023
• in Capstone International Services

COVID Rules End May 12, 2023 – Proof of Vaccine No Longer Required to Enter U.S.

As of 12:01 am EDT May 12, 2023, noncitizen nonimmigrant air passengers no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight to the United States. See more information.

UA Students Receive U.S. Fulbright Program Awards for 2023-2024

• May 17th, 2023
• in International Main

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Fulbright Program has selected 13 University of Alabama students for various awards for the 2023-2024 academic year.

“UA’s 2023-24 Fulbright winners will venture out and have adventures in seven different countries on multiple continents,” said Dr. Teresa Wise, associate provost of international education and global outreach. “As they research, work, teach, learn and play across countries, cultures, perspectives and languages, we wish them the very best. We know that they will build on their UA experiences to help advance the Fulbright mission of promoting mutual understanding among all peoples of the world and that they will grow both personally and professionally. Congratulations to all our winners and alternates.”

Fulbright is the most prestigious United States international exchange program, offering opportunities for students, scholars and professionals. The Fulbright Award of the U.S. Department of State offers one-year grants for independent study and research, and for English teaching assistantships overseas. The highly competitive program selects approximately 1,500 award recipients from more than 11,000 applicants each year.

UA was recognized as a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Student Awards for the sixth time in eight years in February.

Fulbright Student Research Award recipient:

Caleb Ranum, of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, received a Fulbright award to research “People and Plants of the Early Iron Age in the Middle Danube Region” at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia. He is a second-year doctoral student in the department of anthropology, focusing on archaeology. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University and master’s degree from UA.

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Awards offer U.S. students the opportunity to serve in an English classroom overseas, assisting the teacher and exchanging culture with the people of the host country.

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award recipients:

Jacob Camden, of Lafayette, Louisiana, will serve as an English teaching assistant in Germany. He is a major in philosophy, English and Spanish, with minors in German and world literature and liberal arts through the Blount Scholars Program. He is a resident of UA’s German House and 2023 recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.

Katherine Dansereau, of Knoxville, Tennessee, is a 2023 Honors College summa cum laude graduate in public health education and promotion with a minor in the Blount Scholars Program, as well as a master’s in health education promotion. They are a member of Mortar Board, the Carl A. Elliott Society and Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society and was selected to teach English in Cambodia.

Rose Doskey, of Marrero, Louisiana, is a 2023 Honors College graduate and member of Eta Sigma Phi Classics Honor Society and Delta Phi Alpha German Honor Society. As a member of New College, they hold a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a depth study in language, culture and society with a minor in theatre. They will teach in Germany.

Austin Gregory, of Muscle Shoals, was an alternative masters in elementary education student before deciding to pursue law. He has been accepted and plans to attend the UA School of Law in fall 2024. Gregory was a 2021 summa cum laude graduate from the University of North Alabama where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in communication studies. He will teach in Taiwan.

Emma Kenny, of Montgomery, graduated summa cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in political science and history with a legal history concentration in May. She is a member of the Blackburn Institute, Andrew Goodman Foundation’s UA Vote Everywhere, Anderson Society and The XXXI. She will teach in Kosovo.

Madelyn Kloske, of Huntsville, earned her master’s degree in applied linguistics/teaching English as a second language in 2023 and is a former student-athlete on the women’s rowing team. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. She was selected to teach English in Spain.

Vanessa Lent, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, is a graduate student in Spanish literature and graduate teaching assistant in the 100-200 level of Spanish. A 2022 summa cum laude UA Honors College graduate, she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology with minors in Spanish and Blount Scholars liberal arts. She will serve as the graduate teaching assistant for UA’s study abroad program in Colombia this summer. She will teach English in Costa Rica in the fall.

John “Jack” Lombardo, of Niskayuna, New York, is a secondary education and German major, and member of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Society. He plans to pursue a career in education. He was selected to teach English in Germany.

Austin Lynch, of Carmel, Indiana, is a 2023 graduate in German and mechanical engineering. He hopes to begin a career in the energy industry from his Fulbright appointment. He will teach English in Germany.

Claire Maurer, of Redmond, Washington, is a 2023 summa cum laude Honors College graduate in psychology with minors in anthropology and criminal justice. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society. She was selected to teach English in the Slovak Republic.

Marie Moore, of New Lenox, Illinois, is a 2023 Honors College summa cum laude graduate in secondary education and Spanish. She was a member of Mortar Board and the Carl A. Elliott Society. She was selected to teach English in Spain.

Riley VanMeter, of Holland, Michigan, is a 2023 summa cum laude graduate with bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and international studies with a minor in Italian language and literature, as well as a master’s degree in romance linguistics. He is a recipient of the Spanish program’s award for outstanding teaching by a graduate student and student-athlete on the men’s swim team. He was selected to teach English in Spain.

Additionally, four students were awarded alternate status in this year’s national competition and may have the opportunity to serve abroad if more funding becomes available or if a finalist is unable to participate. They are Sydney Del Rosario (Spain), Christine Thompson (Belgium), Lydia Fantoni (Bulgaria) and Colleen Rhein (South Korea).

Students with an interest in applying for next year’s Fulbright program can learn more at international.ua.edu and us.fulbrightonline.org, or email fulbright@ua.edu.

United Way of West Alabama Day of Action

• May 15th, 2023
• in International Main

Last Friday, three groups of volunteers showed up to help the United Way of West Alabama give back to the community! This year, we built raised gardens at Flatwoods Elementary, spruced up the exterior of Hospice of West Alabama and prepped Myrtlewood Elementary’ s cafeteria for a summer renovation project!

Five UA Faculty Receive Fulbright Awards

• May 15th, 2023
• in International Main

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Five University of Alabama faculty members have received Fulbright awards for educators to teach and research around the globe.

Dr. Deepa Das Acevedo, associate professor of law, received a Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Fellowship and will travel to Bengaluru, India, where she will be a visiting faculty member at the National Law School of India University. She will teach and conduct fieldwork starting in January 2024.

Dr. Ellen Csikai, professor of social work, received a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award and will travel to Murcia, Spain, to teach and conduct research at the Universidad de Murcia. She will teach in the areas of health and gerontology, specifically in palliative and end-of-life care in courses at all social work program levels, post-masters training, across campus and the community. Her research is expected to have implications for social work and gerontological practice as well as in policy advocacy to improve the lives of caregivers of seriously ill older adults in both the U.S. and Spain.

Dr. Prasad Gogineni, professor of electrical and computer engineering, received a Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship Award and will travel to Kanpur, India, where he will conduct research to design and develop airborne sensors for large-scale characterization of snow and ice in the Himalayas in collaboration with faculty and students at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur. The project will also involve collaboration with the Indian National Center for Polar and Oceans Research. Gogineni will travel to India in August.

Dr. Bryan Koronkiewicz, associate professor of Spanish linguistics, received a Fulbright Scholar Award and will travel to Murcia, Spain, to teach and research linguistics at the Universidad de Murcia. He will teach two graduate courses and assist with supervising graduate students on the use of linguistic methods in their research projects. His proposed research project is an experimental study on intra-sentential Spanish-English code-switching, the linguistic phenomenon that occurs when bilinguals mix elements from both of their languages in the same utterance.

Dr. Eric Weisbard, professor of American studies, received the Fulbright-Uppsala University Distinguished Scholar in American Studies and will travel to Uppsala, Sweden, where he will teach and research at Uppsala University. His courses will introduce Swedish undergraduates and graduate students to American studies as a field and to popular music studies as a part of American studies.

The UA Capstone International Center offers guidance to students and faculty on a variety of prestigious international awards including Fulbright Awards. The Capstone International Center website provides information for faculty members to learn about Fulbright awards as well as students interested in Fulbright and other awards.

Contact: Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, bryant.welbourne@ua.edu, 205-348-8325

DS-2019s Can Be Sent Electronically

• April 28th, 2023
• in Capstone International Services

From: https://j1visa.state.gov/participants/how-to-apply/about-ds-2019/detailed-description-of-the-ds-2019/

U.S. Department of State Announces Updated Options for Form DS-2019

On March 28, 2023, the Department of State published an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register that permits designated sponsors for the Exchange Visitor Program to digitally sign and electronically transmit Forms DS-2019 to an enumerated list of parties. The new regulation will reduce costs, improve efficiencies for exchange program sponsors, and streamline Department of State exchange visitor visa processing. While the rule goes into effect on April 27, 2023, the Department of State will accept public comments on the rule until May 30, 2023.

The Form DS-2019 is the controlled document used by the Department of State to administer the Exchange Visitor Program. Exchange visitors and their accompanying spouses or dependents, if any, must present paper Forms DS-2019 to apply for nonimmigrant J visas at U.S. embassies or consulates. Exchange visitors must obtain J-1 visas and accompanying spouses or dependents, if any, must obtain J-2 visas to enter the United States. They must carry their Forms DS-2019 to the U.S. port of entry and present their passports, visas, and Forms DS-2019 to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers to seek entry into the United States.

Prior to April 27, 2023, sponsors had to sign paper Forms DS-2019 in blue ink and mail them to prospective exchange visitors. With the publication of the Interim Final Rule, sponsors may continue to mail paper copies of Forms DS-2019, but no longer must sign them in blue ink. In addition, the Interim Final Rule offers two new options:

• Sponsors may print and physically sign paper forms in ink (blue ink not required), scan and save them (e.g., as portable document format (PDF) files), and electronically transmit them (e.g., via email).
• Sponsors may use digital signature software to sign Forms DS-2019 and then electronically transmit them (e.g., via email) or mail them.