Seniye Vural, Fulbright Student Scholar from Erciyes University, Turkey

Since the end of Spring Semester 2012, UNCG and IPC have welcomed twelve visiting scholars to the university. One of them is Seniye Vural, a Fulbright Student Scholar from Erciyes University in Kayseri, Turkey. Seniye has been teaching at Erciyes University since 2004. She began in English Language and Literature, but her interest has since shifted to Education and Educational Psychology. While still teaching at Erciyes, she has also been working on her PhD in English Language Teaching and has come to UNCG to conduct research for her dissertation, which will focus primarily on self-regulated learning. Seniye chose UNCG because she wanted to work with Dr. Dale Schunk, a professor in the Teacher Education and Higher Education (TEHE) Department in the School of Education and one of the leading researchers in motivation and self-regulation. Starting this month, she and Dr. Schunk will be doing research in self-regulation and how it affects students’ awareness and achievement.

Though most post-graduate students live off campus, Seniye wanted to live on campus, and was delighted when she was invited to live in Cotten Residence Hall. So far, she has loved the experience. “It’s very interesting living on campus,” she said. “Everything is so lively, and you feel more like you belong to university life.” Since arriving on campus, Seniye has been able to participate in many fun campus activities, including being a judge for the Fifth Annual Best Dressed Room contest, which is held by the Office of Housing and Residence Life. She, along with five other UNCG faculty members, was responsible for choosing the grand prize winners. “It was really fun,” she said. “It was different than anything I’d ever done before.”

In addition to participating in campus activities, Seniye has also been giving lectures and presentations to both UNCG and international students. On Thursday, October 18, 2012, she gave a presentation for the Global Village Speakers series entitled, “Take a Closer Look at Turkey: The Blend of the Ancient and the Modern.” The purpose of the presentation was to provide students with a basic overview of Turkey. In Spring Semester 2013, she will be giving another more in-depth lecture about Turkish life and culture. She also gave a presentation through the UNCG Teach learning community to students in ISL 102, which introduced students to the basics of self-regulated learning, including goal-setting, time-management, and self-evaluation.

Seniye will be living and working at UNCG until June 2013. Overall, her experience at UNCG thus far has been very positive, and she has enjoyed viewing university life through the dual-perspective of both student and teacher. “I’m really happy to be here,” she said. “I really feel I belong.”

Interested in inviting a scholar to UNCG, contact: Michael Elliott, Director of International Student and Scholar Services at mjellio2@uncg.edu or call 336.334.5404.

Australian Catholic University, Australia

Logan Stanfield, Kaitlin Ritchie, Tim Johnson, Angie Kapely, and Tom Martinek, Jr.

Rachel Ladics, international exchange student from Australian Catholic University and IPC volunteer

One student currently here on exchange from ACU is Rachel Ladics. Rachel is one of our volunteers at IPC, and she is helping out with all areas of Study and Abroad and Exchange, particularly the outgoing student application process. She is at UNCG for the Fall 2012 semester and is studying theology, arts, and social work. Currently, she is taking a psychology class, two theology classes, and three dance classes (tap, jazz, and contemporary). Once she finishes her studies, Rachel hopes to begin a career as a social worker, working with homeless and abused youth. She also eventually wants to attend graduate school to study counseling.