IU Global – Passport to the World

International collaboration on display at the Global Learning Showcase

Posted on May 16, 2025 by Marielle Petranoff

On one of the final Fridays of the semester, students, faculty, and staff filled the fourth floor of the Ferguson International Center for the second annual Global Learning Showcase. Organized by Global Learning Specialist Andrea Nikolova of the Center for the Study of Global Change, the event began with a keynote from Svitlana Ramer, the Honorary Consul of Ukraine to Indiana, who had just begun her work at IU when Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago. After a welcome from Center Director Eli Konwest and Dean John Ciorciari, faculty involved in the many internationally engaged projects shared remarks before the main event: student poster presentations.

The posters covered projects ranging from interior design and inclusive event planning to evaluating earthquake impacts and social determinants of health. Five IU Bloomington academic schools were represented across the 30 posters: the College of Arts and Sciences; Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture, and Design; Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies; Kelley School of Business; and the School of Public Health.

A student gestures to his research poster as he explains his project to onlookers.

Clusters of students stand in front of research posters.

Indiana University welcomes first on-the-ground staff at Ghana Gateway

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Marielle Petranoff

Indiana University launched its first IU Global Gateway on the African continent in 2024 with the appointment of its Academic Director, Samuel Obeng, and the launch of its physical space in the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. In February 2025, the Gateway entered its next phase of growth with Dr. Abigail Opong-Tetteh joining the team as the IU Ghana Gateway Program Manager.

Opong-Tetteh comes to Indiana University’s Ghanaian space as an education specialist with over 25 years of experience in higher education. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, a Master of Science in Instructional Technology, and a long history of connecting universities, NGOs, government ministries, and the private sector. Prior to joining the IU Global Gateway Network, Opong-Tetteh worked within the University of Ghana, a primary partner of IU, for the University Studies Abroad Consortium.

Celebrating the female faculty of IU: Women of the World 2025

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Minu Thomas

For the fifth year, the IU India Gateway highlighted members of the IU community in celebration of Women’s History Month. This year, they showcased seven outstanding women faculty of Indian origin, whose research, teaching, and leadership are shaping the future. These scholars are making an impact in their fields and inspiring the next generation. To read the full profiles, visit the Women of the World LinkedIn Article.

Latha Ramchand

Latha Ramchand is the inaugural Chancellor of Indiana University Indianapolis. Prior to this role, Ramchand was the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost at the University of Missouri. She also held leadership positions at the University of Houston, including Dean of the C.T. Bauer College of Business from 2011 to 2018 and Associate Dean for Programs and Administration from 2008 to 2011.

Chancellor Ramchand is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and has been recognized for her leadership and scholarly contributions throughout her career. As an international and corporate finance expert, Ramchand has published extensively on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and leadership.

Chancellor Ramchand sees herself as a catalyst dedicated to helping others succeed. In the face of challenges, she relies on her resilience, responds strategically, and keeps her focus on the transformative impact her work has on students’ lives. One of her aspirations is to provide more support for students and families with financial planning for college.

Surekha Rao

Surekha Rao is a Professor of Economics at Indiana University Northwest. Before joining IU, she was a faculty member at the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, where she chaired the Economic Analysis Unit and held academic positions across Europe and the U.S.

Rao specializes in quantitative courses, including statistics for business, economics, and management. One of her notable achievements was introducing a graduate course on ‘Globalization and Economies in Transition’ in the early 2000s, well before globalization became a recognized concept in the region.

She is the President Emerita of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences and the Editor-in-Chief of its main publication, Midwest Social Sciences Journal. She received the IU Bicentennial Medal in 2021 for organizing a groundbreaking interdisciplinary conference that brought together experts from various fields to address key societal challenges in Indiana.

Breaking barriers in Physics education in Uganda

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Rakhee Rajesh

Esther Kataate Namakula, a fourth-year doctoral Candidate at Indiana University’s School of Education, is on a mission to transform physics education in Uganda. Esther has a background in Physics and as both a physics educator and researcher, she has long been concerned with the underrepresentation of girls in this field. “Even when students chose science, they often gravitated toward chemistry, biology, or math—rarely physics. As a student, I was always a minority in my class. In the Physics undergraduate classes that I taught, I would see only three girls among ninety students, which always raised question,” she said. “But it motivated me to try to change that.” Through one of IU Global’s pre-dissertation grants she was able to return to Uganda to conduct a pilot study, setting the foundation for her dissertation research.

The pre-dissertation grant provides financial support for doctoral students to conduct preliminary research abroad ahead of their dissertation. For Esther, this grant was instrumental in allowing her to travel back home to Uganda and gather essential data exploring how physics teacher educators’ teaching methods could model inclusivity practices, for pre-service teachers to encourage inclusivity particularly for female students in secondary schools as this is where the pipeline.

Esther’s research is centered around physics education in Uganda, examining the pedagogical practices of university educators who train future physics teachers. Her study took her across the country to 5 universities and 5 national teacher colleges, where she conducted interviews with 25 teacher educators.

Through a series of interviews , Esther sought to understand whether these educators were using inclusive teaching practices that could help bridge the gender gap in physics education. She plans to revisit 12 of the 25 educators for a deeper analysis as she progresses in her dissertation research. She will use Interviews, class observations, student focus groups and document analysis for an in-depth analysis to understand how the Teacher educators draw from their Pedagogical Knowledge to model gender inclusive practices.

COP29 from the Perspective of a Student Researcher

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Gie Wilson

My name is Gie Wilson, and I am the Global Student Sustainability Ambassador for the Center for the Study of Global Change. I have worked within IU Global for three years, primarily on initiatives that promote engagement with, and education about, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the Indiana University community. I am also a senior undergraduate student studying Environmental and Sustainability Studies at IU Bloomington with research focuses on climate change, environmental law, climate litigation, and environmental health.

When I started at IU Global, my first task was to interview a professor who served as a faculty advisor for a student delegate who did research at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland. I still remember those feelings of awe, mixed with some intimidation, at getting to speak with two people who were doing the real work that I could only dream about.

Gie Wilson, a student with long hair wearing a blouse, backpack, and blazer, stands in front of the SDG Pavillion. She wears a COP29 badge around her neck.

Three years later, I have now had the opportunity to not only get to work with that professor, Dr. Jessica O’Reilly, but also be one of her student delegates. This past fall I attended COP29 as a student researcher on behalf of IU.

COP29, 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference, is a two weeklong event convenes all nations to discuss climate change with the hope of achieving an agreement to create more ambitious climate action. It also serves as the annual meeting place for the forefront advocates, scholars, and stakeholders of climate change civil society from across sectors and around the globe. This year, it was held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

But before we get to what happened at COP29 from the perspective of a student researcher, I should start with how I this all came to fruition. I decided to apply to be a delegate in the spring of 2024 after attending a callout meeting with the professors who lead the program, Dr. Jessica O’Reilly and Professor Kelly Eskew, and the student delegates who had attended COP28 a few months prior in Dubai.

Keep reading Gie’s Story

IU Indianapolis delegation visits India, from West to North

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Minu Thomas

This January, leaders from Indiana University Indianapolis traveled across India, connecting with key university and institutional counterparts. Led by Chancellor Latha Ramchand, Associate Vice Chancellor Hilary Kahn, and Executive Associate Dean and Professor Davide Bolchini at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, the group included Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Department of Community and Global Health, Associate Professor and Chair Sherri Bucher, and Associate Dean for Planning, Finance, and Faculty Affairs, School of Science and Professor, Rajeev Raje at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. The delegation’s tour was aimed at strengthening academic ties and exploring new opportunities for collaboration across the subcontinent.

“The IU brand is globally recognized due to the dedication of our faculty and staff, along with our alumni, many of whom are successful leaders in business and community across India,” said Chancellor Ramchand. “No doubt there is a large market in India for education.” The IU India Gateway serves as a physical touchpoint for IU’s presence in India, with Gateway Director Zafeena Suresh and Program Manager Minu Thomas coordinating the visit and accompanying the delegation on several visits.

*Chancellor Ramchand speaks to an audience at University of Mumbai*

IU-Ivy Tech globalize first year experiences thanks to Dept of Ed Grant

Posted on January 30, 2025 by OVPIA

In December 2024, Indiana University Indianapolis and Ivy Tech Community College submitted the final report on the Department of Education’s $310,000 Building Global Pathways grant.

Led by Associate Vice Chancellor and Associate Vice President for International Affairs Hilary Kahn alongside Director of Curriculum Internationalization Leslie Bozeman and Grant Specialist Lauren Jobe, the overarching goal of this initiative was to strengthen the fundamental global learning curricular foundations at Ivy Tech Community College and IU Indianapolis over the course of the four years.

The team focused on the foundational curriculum of first-year coursework at the two institutions, targeting both content and professional development of instructors and career advisors. The project included developing an online global learning curriculum for first-year seminars, which included a module on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a well-attended global learning symposium, the integration of global learning into freshman and transfer orientation, and study abroad funding for students transferring from Ivy Tech to IU Indianapolis.

*Students in a first year Bridge experience classroom, 2023, Photo by Liz Kaye*

Inspiring young minds through the Center for the Study of Global Change’s 2024 outreach programs

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Rakhee Rajesh

The Center for the Study of Global Change, a collaborative unit within Indiana University’s Office of the Vice President for International Affairs as a part of IU Global, continues to make strides in introducing global perspectives to learners of all ages. Through innovative programs and partnerships over the last year, the Center brought cultural exploration, language learning, and international awareness to children in Monroe County and across Indiana.

Stories Around the World

This fall, the Center hosted Stories Around the World, a weekly story hour at the Southwest branch of the Monroe County Public Library. Designed to introduce children to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the program wove global themes into captivating narratives. Each session highlighted a different region of the world, featuring stories that reflected the culture and values of that area.

With books curated from the School of Education library’s children’s global collection, the program brought regional experts and cultural representatives to share these tales with young listeners. Through engaging stories, children explored concepts such as poverty and sustainability in a relatable, age-appropriate manner. Parents praised the program for blending education with fun, sparking conversations about global issues in a format even the youngest attendees could enjoy.

Exploring identity and culture through study abroad

Posted on January 17, 2025 by Rakhee Rajesh

Political science major Victoria Ford always wanted to explore her Mexican-American roots, but growing up bi-racial in the United States left her feeling somewhat disconnected from her Spanish-speaking heritage.

Her parents’ stories of cultural exploration inspired her, particularly her father’s transformative experience in Mexico during high school through the IU Honors Program in Foreign Languages (IUHPFL). His two months abroad left a lasting impact, shaping his independence, maturity, and Spanish language skills. Decades later, he could still speak the language and recall the life-changing lessons learned. “It’s amazing how those two months shaped his life,” Victoria shared. “He always encouraged me to go abroad, and it was always in the cards for me.” With both her parent’s encouragement and her own interest, she fostered the idea of studying abroad from an early age as a way to connect with part of her identity.

Victoria’s journey began during her freshman year at IU when she met with the Education Abroad office. After considering various options, she decided on a summer program in Chile. Santiago became her temporary home, where she and another student from her IES program lived with a Spanish-speaking host. Apart from the 2 classes she took through her program, she also took up an internship with an organization, Good Neighbors Chile. Her role required extensive research in Spanish and interactions with local elementary school students, an experience that not only tested her language skills but also deepened her connection to the community.

A landscape picture of the city of Santiago with mountains in the background — Santiago, Chile

Keep Reading Victoria’s Story

Professor of history connects art, racial justice in India as a Fulbright Specialist

Posted on January 10, 2025 by Marielle Petranoff

A professor of history who specializes in the intersection of labor and racial justice movements primarily in the U.S. South and South Africa, Alex Lichtenstein may not seem like the ideal candidate to teach Indian fine art students as a part of a U.S. Department of State international scholar program. Thanks to the Fulbright Specialist program, Lichtenstein did just that in the late summer of 2024.

The Fulbright Specialist program differs substantially from its more well-known counterpart, the Fulbright Scholar program. While both are longstanding exchanges created by the Department of State to further international educational and cultural exchange, the Specialist program allows recipients to participate in a number of projects designed by foreign host institutions from over 150 countries and other areas during a three year tenure. If one aligns with the Specialist’s interests and skills, they submit a bid and if accepted, go on a short-term program lasting 14-42 days.

Lichtenstein found the program’s temporal and geographical flexibility fit his academic and teaching goals while broadening his collaborations and expertise. In fact, this year marked the end of his third time participating in the program. He already completed two other programs, once in Belgrade, Serbia once in Genoa, Italy. In Spring 2024, Lichtenstein knew that his period of eligibility was coming up, so actively sought out projects. He found one in one of IU’s partner institutions in India.

Alex Lichtenstein, a gray haired man with glasses, stands behind a podium at the IU India Gateway.

OP Jindal University’s project requested someone to teach about curatorial practice with their Bachelor of Fine Arts students. Having been to India before, Lichtenstein was interested in engaging more deeply in an academic setting; he applied despite the perceived mis-match in skills. “I’m not a curator. I don’t work in a museum, but as a historian I’ve curated a few history exhibits,” he said. “I also work with the intersection of photography and art and history, so I thought why not?”

Learn more about Lichtenstein’s experience