IPC eNewsworthy September 2012: Faculty Staff

The beginning of the academic year is always an exciting time in the International Programs Center with all the positive energy of newly arrived students and returning study abroad participants. In addition we welcome our new staff (including undergraduate and graduate students and volunteers) without whom we couldn’t live. Welcome on board!

New Student workers

Junyi Hu (aka Justin) is a graduate student in the IT Department at UNCG. Junyi joined IPC in the summer of this year as our new Programming Assistant, replacing Ling Cai, who graduated in May 2012. Junyi works closely with Michael Elliott, our Director of ISSS, in the planning and execution of IPC events such as the weekly Friday Fests, the annual International Festival (I-Fest), the annual International Education Week (IEW), and many other international events on campus. Junyi is from China.

Hongjoo Woo, a graduate student from South Korea in the Department of Consumer Apparel and Retail Studies (CARS) will be assisting Pamela Harrod, our Director of International Admissions.

Katie Pegram is the new editor of the IPC eNewsworthy. In May 2010, Katie graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a BA in Communications Studies with a double minor in Creative Writing and Screenwriting. Before starting her graduate career at UNCG, she took a year off to work as an editorial intern at Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. During this time she also read and critiqued manuscripts for Peak City Publishing, a small, start-up press in her home town, Apex, NC. Currently she is a second-year English Masters student, on track to complete the Writing and Editing plan of study.

Pinyapat Chuchuen is also a graduate student in our ISSS department. She replaces Sasikarn "Mook" Chativijit, who graduated in summer this year. Pinyapat, who is from Thailand and working on an MBA in Finance, will assist Norma Velazquez, our Assistant Director of ISSS.

Left to Right: Junyi Hu (aka Justin), Hongjoo Woo, Katie Pegram & Pinyapat Chuchuen

IPC would also like to welcome the following Federal Work Study students who found employment at IPC and UNC Exchange Program this academic year:

Welcome, New Interns and Volunteers!

Danny Gobel, a Communication Studies major who will be graduating in December is working as an intern for Study Abroad and Exchange for the 2012 fall semester. Danny will be working with the international exchange students and UNCG study abroad students. One of his major projects will be planning social/cultural events for the PAL program, a program designed to match US students with incoming international students to aid in cultural transition. Danny will also assist with the study abroad orientation and recruitment as well as re-entry workshops. Sarah Pickett, a business administration major at UNCG will be graduating in December. She is an intern for Study Abroad and Exchange, primarily working with the international exchange students. Sarah will help with processing new exchange student applications, orientation preparation, and community programming for the international students. Gloria Mª Hernández Galán will be volunteering with IPC for the entire academic year. Gloria worked as a nurse in Ciudad Real, Spain from 2007 through summer 2012. She arrived in Greensboro with her husband, Juan Munoz Gonzalez de la Aleja, an international exchange student studying business administration. Gloria will be assisting with all units of IPC, particularly helping with projects for the international exchange students.

IPC bids a fond farewell to Sara Poole, the Program Coordinator for UNC Exchange Programs (UNCEP). An alumna of UNCG, Sara started working at UNCEP as a Program Assistant in April 2010. She later assumed the responsibilities of Program Coordinator. In addition to being very efficient in managing UNCEP’s programs, Sara also presented at a number of conferences and assisted many universities’ Study Abroad Fairs in the UNC system during her time at UNCEP. She left the service of UNCEP at the end of August 2012 to pursue a graduate program at North Carolina State University. We wish Sara the best of luck!

We must also say goodbye to Dr. C. K. Kwai, who began his career at UNCEP as the third UNCEP Director in August of 2010. While at UNCEP, C. K. was involved in numerous UNC system international initiatives and represented the system on a number of committees and sub-committees. C. K. is now moving on to the University of Maine, and will be the next Senior International Officer. Best wishes, C. K.!

IPC sends a fond farewell to Dr. Sha Li Zhang of the Jackson Library who is heading off to University of Montana-Missoula to become the Dean of the Library. We thank her for leadership and assistance with many of our international initiatives and wish her well.

Interested in volunteering or working at IPC? Email us at ipc@uncg.edu or call (336) 334-5404. IPC strives to give student workers and volunteers a truly intercultural work experience that complements curricular experiences at UNCG while enhancing any resume.