UA Student Receives Boren Scholarship to Study in Taiwan

• May 5th, 2021
• in International Main

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – University of Alabama student Ann Williams has received a Boren Scholarship for the study of languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad.

Williams, of Montgomery, will study Mandarin in Taiwan.

In addition, Blake Moreland, of Cumming, Georgia, was selected as an alternate to study Arabic in Jordan.

Williams is a junior majoring in international studies with minors in Chinese and women’s studies, and is part of the Blount Scholars Program. She is simultaneously pursuing a master’s degree in public administration through UA’s Accelerated Master’s Program.

Williams’ immediate career goal is to be a public diplomacy officer in the foreign service. In the future, she has loftier goals of working in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and eventually a policy director for UN Women.

Boren Scholarships, an initiative of the National Security Education Program, provide funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate students to study less commonly taught language in such regions as Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

Boren Scholarship recipients represent a vital pool of highly motivated individuals who wish to work in the federal national security arena. In exchange for funding, Boren Scholarship recipients commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation. Amounts range from $8,000 for a summer program to $20,000 for six-to-12 months of study.

In addition to the Boren Scholarship, Williams was recently awarded a Critical Language Scholarship. Part of the U.S. State Department, the CLS program works to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. CLS scholars gain critical language and cultural skills that enable them to contribute to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.

Intercultural Experience Showcase

• April 15th, 2021
• in English Language Institute International Main

On Tuesday, April 13, University of Alabama students presented posters highlighting their experiences from the CIP 202 course, Introduction to Global and Cultural Perspectives. This is an intercultural experience course that offers UA students the chance to meet with international students from all over the world. The UA students join English Language Institute (ELI) students to discuss cultural and current topics. The course provides the opportunity for the students to develop their intercultural competence, the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with people of other cultures.

Many of the students expressed that their biggest fear before joining the course was that they would say something inappropriate. However, once the course began, students quickly overcame this fear and began to form connections with the international students. UA students expressed surprise by how easily they could communicate with students from other countries and the many similarities they shared. Several UA students commented that this was their favorite class of the semester. As one student put it, it is a “life experience” class, not just a class focusing on a textbook. UA students felt that this class gave them confidence to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people in the future. For some students, the course led to an interest in studying abroad.

The ELI students benefit from the course as well. They have the opportunity to share their culture while learning more about U.S. culture and campus life.

Kelly McPherson, the course instructor, said, “It is really exciting to see the relationships between the American and international students grow over the course of the semester. You can see change on both sides as they truly get to know each other.”

The CIP 202 course is an introductory course for UA’s Global and Cultural Perspectives Minor.

Three UA Students Earn Critical Language Scholarship

• March 30th, 2021
• in International Main

Three University of Alabama students have received the Critical Language Scholarship to study overseas during summer 2021.

The Critical Language Scholarship, or CLS program, is part of a U.S. State Department effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. CLS scholars gain critical language and cultural skills that enable them to contribute to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.

Jackson Burns, a political science major from Sand Rock, Alabama, will study Mandarin in an online program based in Dalian, China. Burns, who is minoring in global and cultural perspectives, is an Honors College student and recipient of an Education Abroad grant. He was previously an English language partner in Ansan, Korea, in summer 2019, studied abroad in Chengdu, China, in spring 2020 and studied abroad in Seoul, Korea, in spring 2021. Burns plans to continue furthering his education and work in diplomacy or law one day.

Ann Williams, an international relations major from Montgomery, Alabama, will study Mandarin at Shaanxi Normal University in Xi’an, China, through a virtual program. Williams, who is minoring in Chinese and women’s studies, is in the accelerated master’s program in public administration and is part of the Blount Scholars Program. Previously, she participated in the National Security Language Initiative for Youth, or NISL-Y, program in 2015 in Xiamen, China, interned with the U.S. State Department last year, and just wrapped up a job as under-secretary-general at the National High School Model United Nations, the biggest Model UN conference in the world, aiding in the success of its first virtual format. She hopes to gain fluency in Mandarin and work as a foreign service officer or with a human rights nonprofit.

Samuel Watson, a computer science major with a concentration in cybersecurity from Hazel Green, Alabama, will study Korean at Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea. Watson, who is minoring in Korean, is also a recipient of the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and the Boren Scholarship, through which he spent seven months studying at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, in 2017. In addition, he served as a college-level English instructor at Ansan University in Ansan, South Korea, in 2019, and is currently participating in a software engineering co-op at ADTRAN. Watson plans to further develop his Korean proficiency, and upon graduation from UA, he hopes to secure a cybersecurity position within the U.S. government.

In addition, two UA students were chosen as alternates. Elena Guerra, from Littleton, Colorado, is an alternate to study Russian, and Quinn Lee, from Montgomery, Alabama, is an alternate to study Mandarin.

The CLS program provides scholarships to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to spend eight to 10 weeks overseas studying one of 14 critical languages, including Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish or Urdu.

The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains. CLS scholars are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future careers.

Students interested in Critical Language Scholarships, Boren Scholarships or Fulbright Awards may contact the Capstone International Center at cic@ua.edu for more information.

Contact: Melissa Parker, UA communications, melissa.parker@ua.edu

UA Named a Student Fulbright Top Producer, Sets University Record

• February 24th, 2021
• in International Main

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.  — For the fifth time in six years, The University of Alabama was recognized as a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Student Awards while setting a new University record with 17 students receiving Fulbright Award offers in the 2020-2021 cohort.

“We are immensely proud of our student Fulbright scholars, all of whom have earned a priceless opportunity to teach and conduct research in other countries,” said UA President Stuart R. Bell. “Not only will they grow personally and intellectually by building relationships with likeminded peers across cultures, they are also furthering UA’s mission of transforming lives throughout the world through distinctive academic and research projects.”

Now in its 75th year, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the premier educational exchange program of the United States Department of State. The Fulbright Award offers grants for independent study and research and for English teaching assistantships overseas. The highly competitive program selects about 2,200 award recipients from more than 10,000 applicants each year.

“UA’s repeated recognition as a Top Producer of Student Fulbright Awards reflects the quality of our applicants and the dedication of our faculty and staff to providing all students with a global perspective during their time at the Capstone,” said Dr. Teresa Wise, associate provost for International Education & Global Outreach. “The challenges of the pandemic have altered our delivery methods but not our devotion to offering a world-class and world-focused education.”

The UA students who received Fulbright Award offers in this year’s national competition are: Christine Allen (Spain), Austin Blair (Germany), Mason Olivia Blanke (Poland), Camille Carr (Colombia), Julia Coursey (Hungary), Caroline Smith Dean (Spain), Isabella Rose DeSheplo (Bulgaria), Lota Erinne (Spain), Logan Fenhouse (Spain), Amelia Wyant Gaither (Taiwan), Robert “Chad” Hankins (Germany), Asia Hayes (Spain), Joshua Kirks (Germany), Katherine Lightfoot (Germany), Ashley Tickle Odebiyi (Italy), Rebecca Paholski (Spain) and Ian Samlowski (Germany).

“These brilliant students deserve admiration for their dedication to their studies, and our university takes pride in their Fulbright honors,” said Dr. Beverly Hawk, director of global and community engagement in the Division of Community Affairs’ Center for Community-Based Partnerships. “We wish them all success as international travel resumes, educational institutions reopen, and winners have the opportunity to go abroad and serve.”

Students with an interest in applying for next year’s Fulbright competition can learn more at international.ua.edu and us.fulbrightonline.org, or by sending an email to fulbright@ua.edu to reach the UA Fulbright advising team: Megan Wagner, Dr. Matthew Feminella and Dr. Beverly Hawk.

Contact: Diane Kennedy-Jackson, UA Community Affairs, dkkennedy1@ua.edu

Preparing for a Life-Changing Journey Abroad

• February 22nd, 2021
• in International Main

There are countless ways to make a college experience memorable. But for two sophomores at The University of Alabama, they expect their most life-changing moment will come this fall, as they travel across the world to study abroad.

Mariah Muhammad and Bailee Hughes are recipients of this year’s Gilman International Scholarship, a program designed to increase access to study abroad opportunities for students with financial constraints who might not have otherwise participated.

As transfer students, they both came to UA for the greater opportunities it offered them, like education abroad. Even though the classmates have some things in common, they will embark on two different journeys this fall, in different countries, on different continents.

Muhammad, a Hoover, Alabama, native, is preparing to study in South Korea for the year. An international studies major and Korean minor, she believes her experiences there will be defining for her future.

“Being a global citizen is a life-long journey,” said Muhammad, who is a member of UA’s Model UN team and hopes to one day work for the United Nations. “Studying abroad is more than just going to another country. It’s about being open to new experiences and seeing the world from a different and global perspective.”

Muhammad plans to spend her time abroad learning more about the Korean culture and language.

“I hope to better connect with the locals by studying their language so that I can make a greater impact while I’m there,” said Muhammad, who also received Gilman’s Critical Need Language Award, which offers additional scholarship funds to students studying critical languages while abroad.

Thousands of miles away, Hughes will travel to the United Kingdom, where she plans to further explore two things she’s passionate about — mental health and true crime. The Lexington, Kentucky, native hopes the experience will give her a competitive edge in the future.

“One goal of mine is to be an FBI agent,” said Hughes, a psychology major, minoring in women’s studies and African American studies, who plans to eventually pursue a doctorate in forensic psychology. “But my ultimate career aspiration is to open a criminal justice nonprofit, where we’d assist in criminal cases, and educate and advocate for mental health, criminal justice reform and minorities. I’m confident the experience abroad will give me knowledge and understanding in this field.”

Hughes, who is involved in a number of organizations at UA, including Women of Excellence and the Women and Gender Resource Center, is also passionate about educating and advocating on behalf of animals and homelessness, which she plans to incorporate into her future endeavors.

Both Muhammad and Hughes have concerns about studying abroad during a pandemic, including a potential cancellation, but they’re preparing to make the most of whatever situation they’re given.

“I believe everything happens for a reason,” said Hughes, who plans to apply for the scholarship again next year if the trip is canceled.

Added Muhammad, who has firsthand experience after receiving the scholarship last year and having her trip canceled due to COVID-19, “It’s definitely a good lesson in adapting to unexpected circumstances. Always make a plan B, just in case plan A doesn’t work out.”

Contact: Melissa Parker, UA communications, melissa.parker@ua.edu

Model UN Team Wins at the National Collegiate Security Conference

• January 22nd, 2021
• in International Main

January 22, 2021

This past weekend the Alabama Model United Nations Team competed at the 48th National Collegiate Security Conference hosted by Georgetown University. The 12 delegates representing the University of Alabama debated in a wide array of committees ranging from anti-terrorism policies to Chinese direct foreign investments in Tanzania. The team won three individual awards, a strong start to the spring season.

In Margaret Thatcher’s Cabinet 1980, Freshman Ash Lussier tackled three primary issues: inflation, the IRA, and Afghanistan. While seemingly simple, the committee quickly evolved into power grabs in South America, new militias being formed, and even the royal family being accused of working for the Soviet Union! Ash’s performance as Ambassador Sir Nicholas Henderson led to her winning a Verbal Commendation – her second award of the season!

Freshman Sean Atchison earned his third win of the season with a verbal commendation competing in the Asamblea Legislativa of El Salvador, 1993. Delegates were tasked with solving various crises plaguing the country such as police violence, economic free fall, and a broken system of government. Though the committee’s prerogative seemed impossible to solve, delegates created and passed innovative solutions like building a community based policing program and a clinical rehabilitation system. In the end, the Asamblea Legislativa of El Salvador passed two resolutions that would revolutionize the nation.

In the French Third Republic 1871 JCC, Head Delegate Sarah Conrad addressed the rising of the Paris Commune and treaty negotiations in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War. The committee worked to free POWs, bolster alliances with Britain and Austria and debated the role of the French colonies. Sarah won Best Delegate representing Foreign Affairs Minister Jules Favre.

The competition hosted over 500 talented delegates from across the nation and the weekend was a test of historical knowledge, creativity, and policy creation. Alabama competed against delegates from 30 universities including Harvard College, The University of Chicago, and Florida International University. We are so proud of all that the team has accomplished so far and look forward to the rest of the spring season!

Up next for the Model UN team is the McGill Model United Nations Assembly January  28th-31st. Students interested in learning about Model UN can attend a meeting of the Alabama International Relations Club. Meetings are currently being held over zoom on  Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm. Information can also be found at https://international.ua.edu/airc/.

UA’s Model UN team is part of the Capstone International Center’s Alabama International Relations Club. The Model UN team is the cornerstone of the AIRC, the premier student-led global affairs organization at UA that continuously provides opportunities for its members to learn, develop, find community and make an impact at the Capstone and the world beyond.

Indefinite Entry Bars Rescinded

• January 21st, 2021
• in Capstone International Services

On Wednesday, January 20, 2021, President Biden issued a Proclamation Ending Discriminatory Bans on Entry to the United States.

This action rescinds prior executive orders 9983 issued on Friday, January 31, 2020 and 9645 issued on September 24, 2017 which impacted citizens of Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar (also known as Burma), Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.

For a breakdown of how the now-revoked Executive Orders’ impacted travel for all 13 countries please look here: https://www.nafsa.org/professional-resources/browse-by-interest/executive-order-travel-ban-nafsa-resources.

References:

• January 21, 2021 Executive Order
• January 31, 2020 Executive Order
• September 24, 2017 Proclamation
• Supreme Court Decision on Travel Ban
• A full history of the Executive Order Entry Ban Litigation

Permanent Residents in Tuscaloosa

• December 16th, 2020
• in English Language Institute International Main

ELI student Abduljabar from Yemen

The English Language Institute serves not only students on student visas but also international permanent residents of Tuscaloosa.

Abdulwanab Fadhel, 35, has just completed the ELI program. He escaped the war in Yemen in 2016 and came to Tuscaloosa two years later. Abdulwanab established a store here and is improving his English to better conduct business and to pursue a master’s degree in law.

Abduljabar Saleh, 18, also left Yemen because of the war. At the age of 13, he went to Jordan and then graduated from high school in Turkey. In the fall of 2020, he joined his father, a businessman in Tuscaloosa, and began his studies at the ELI. Abduljabar hopes to earn a degree in international business law and improve the conditions in Yemen.

Abdulwanab summed up the ELI experience by saying, “Y’all made a change in us that could never be forgotten.”

Drive to Succeed at Home and Abroad

• December 7th, 2020
• in International Main

From UA News | December 1, 2020

When Austin Pearson came to The University of Alabama, he didn’t speak a word of German. Three years later, he was sitting in conference rooms at Mercedes’ headquarters in Germany, participating in meetings spoken in German about the company’s newest car models.

Pearson took part in a unique program at The University of Alabama, learning German alongside his engineering courses while working for Mercedes-Benz in Alabama and in Germany.

Offered through the UA College of Engineering, Two Steps Ahead: International German Student Exchange Program is designed for a select group of students to gain experience with multi-national companies in automotive engineering while learning German. It is a huge reason why Person left the Chicago, Illinois, area to come to UA.

“I’m happy that I chose to come here and be a part of this program,” he said. “The whole experience opened my eyes, and learning a new language and going abroad was a great experience.”

Pearson graduates with his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and German this semester, and has already begun his graduate studies toward a doctorate.

He came to UA in 2016 never studying German, but was quickly immersed in his German major while beginning his engineering studies. After his sophomore year, he worked the summer at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, an automotive manufacturing facility near UA. He interned as a process engineer in the paint and body shop helping improve output and troubleshooting technical and automation issues that arose.

He continued his engineering studies, even taking an automotive engineering course taught in German by Dr. Bharat Balasubramanian, an engineering professor who was vice president of Daimler AG’s group research and advanced engineering before joining UA.

In fall 2018, Pearson moved to Germany to study for a semester at Hochschule Esslingen, University of Applied Sciences, and work for Mercedes in Stuttgart in project management during the spring and summer of 2019.

“It was really cool seeing what goes into these cars,” Pearson said. “You think about what goes into a car, especially a Mercedes S-Class with all its complexity and detail, it was a great learning experience to work with the engineers on the project.”

The deep cultural immersion that came with a year in Germany was worth the hard work it took to be part of UA’s program, he said.

“I have a great respect for people who come to the U.S. to study,” he said.

For now, Person envisions a path in research, having worked in the lab of Dr. Kalyan Srinivasan, associate professor of mechanical engineering, on internal combustion engines. He will continue studying under Srinivasan as a graduate student.

His undergraduate research work culminated with being selected as one of two undergraduate winners for his virtual presentation at the 2020 Fall Technical Conference of the Internal Combustion Engine Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Learn more about the Fall 2020 graduating class on UA’s commencement page.

Changes to H-1B and Prevailing Wages – UPDATED DECEMBER 1

• December 1st, 2020
• in Capstone International Services

PREMIUM PROCESSING FEE INCREASES TO $2500 – EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 19, 2020

Effective October 19, 2020 the premium processing fee will be $2,500 for premium processing requests on H-1B Petitions, I-140 cases and other types of employment petitions, as authorized by the Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act signed into law on October 1, 2020.

For more information, see USCIS’s October 16, 2020 announcement. Prior to October 19, 2020, the premium processing fee had been set at $1,440 since December 2, 2019 by 84 FR 58303.

UA International Student & Scholar Services has updated its H-1B Packet and pages with the updated Premium Processing fee.  Please use the most recent H-1B Packet when processing filing fee requests for H-1Bs going forward.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR CHANGES TO PREVAILING WAGES – UPDATE – STRUCK DOWN ON DECEMBER 1

UPDATE:
On December 1, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted the plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgement, and set aside both the Department of Labor and Department of Homeland Security interim final rules. This blocks both rules from being enforced or implemented. Read the court’s order and judgement, which found that the agencies did not have just cause to promulgate the rules without notice and comment. The case is Chamber of Commerce et al. v. DHS et al., Case No. 4:20-CV-7331 (N.D. Ca., October 19, 2020).

BACKGROUND:
On October 8, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) published an interim final rule (IFR) titled Strengthening Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Aliens in the United States.

The rule changes how DOL computes Level I through Level IV wage rates when it uses Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) wage data to make a National Prevailing Wage Center (NPWC) prevailing wage determination or to certify an LCA that relies on OES wage data.

The interim final rule went into effect on the date of publication, October 8, 2020.

In short, the rule meant that official prevailing wages which we use for H-1B petitions and which are required for labor-based Permanent Residency/Green Card filings was higher for many positions.

With the court decision on December 1 striking the rule down, it means that going forward, UA can rely on previous prevailing wages that were in effect prior to October 8, and can rest assured knowing that H-1B regulations won’t prohibit our sponsorship of staff or faculty positions.

H-1B CHANGES –  UPDATE – STRUCK DOWN ON DECEMBER 1

UPDATE:
On December 1, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted the plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgement, and set aside both the Department of Labor and Department of Homeland Security interim final rules. This blocks both rules from being enforced or implemented. Read the court’s order and judgement, which found that the agencies did not have just cause to promulgate the rules without notice and comment. The case is Chamber of Commerce et al. v. DHS et al., Case No. 4:20-CV-7331 (N.D. Ca., October 19, 2020).

BACKGROUND:
On October 8, 2020, DHS published an interim final rule (IFR) titled Strengthening the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program.

The new rule would have gone into effect on December 7, 2020.

Changes include revised definitions of and standards for a “specialty occupation” that make use of the H-1B category for staff positions more challenging.

This rule amends the definition of a “specialty occupation” at 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(ii) to clarify that there must be a direct relationship between the required degree field(s) and the duties of the position.

Additionally, the rule changes the qualification as a “specialty occupation” to require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree for all positions.

The changes would have impacted future filings, extensions, and amendments of H-1Bs.  The primary impact would have been to our ability to sponsor non-teaching staff positions in the future.

With the court decision on December 1 striking the rule down, it means that going forward, UA can rely on previous prevailing wages that were in effect prior to October 8, and can rest assured knowing that H-1B regulations won’t prohibit our sponsorship of staff or faculty positions.