Over 150 international educators from 54 institutions across the state flocked to Florida State University on Feb. 16 to participate in the 25th Annual Florida Association of International Educators (FAIE) State Conference.
FAIE promotes international education and serves as a resource to educators, organizations and students in Florida through advocacy, professional development and connection-building. Conference topics ranged from ChatGPT to cultural exchanges and study abroad.
As this year’s conference host, FSU reaffirmed its commitment to providing world-class international partnerships and educational programs for students.
During his opening remarks, President Richard McCullough recounted a transformative sabbatical in Copenhagen where he met one of his best friends and learned about the importance of cultural exchanges.
“The power of what students and postdocs and visitors learn by coming to the United States and what we learn by going to other countries is absolutely invaluable and it’s important in so many incredible ways,” he said. “As you know well, all that you do is incredibly important for educating the next generation of students so that they can learn about these cultural exchanges interacting with other countries, other people, and what you do is so vital to the world. It not only increases understanding and the power of international education, but it changes lives, and that’s the work that you do.”
The FAIE Board of Directors honored the FSU Center for Global Engagement (CGE) and its director, Cindy Green, for supporting and hosting the 25th annual conference.
The CGE provides orientation, immigration advising, and ongoing support to over 2,400 international students and more than 250 international scholars and faculty at FSU. It also offers a variety of educational, social, and cultural programs throughout the year, like the weekly International Coffee Hour or the annual International Bazaar.
“Having FSU serve as the host for the 25th FAIE annual conference provided a great opportunity for other international educators from across the state to not only experience a great conference but also to learn more about FSU’s international initiatives,” Green said.
The CGE also oversees FSU’s Global Exchange programs, which give students the opportunity to study at partner institutions in places like Thailand, Australia and Germany. FSU students can also study abroad through International Programs at one of their European study centers in Florence, London and Valencia, or through one of International Programs’ discipline-targeted trips in places like Kosovo, Croatia and Switzerland. In addition, FSU has a degree-granting branch campus in the Republic of Panama with more than 400 students currently enrolled.
Betty Jensen, an international student advisor with the Center for Global Engagement at FSU, served as the 2024 FAIE Conference coordinator. Jensen arrived in Tallahassee as an international student from Peru in 1975 and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from FSU. She credited FSU and the CGE for their assistance in planning the conference.
“On behalf of the FAIE Board, I would like to thank everyone who helped make this 25th annual conference a great success from start to finish, especially Vice President for Student Affairs Amy Hecht and the CGE’s director, Cindy Green,” Jensen said. “Coordinating this two-day event was made easier for me because of the efforts of many.”
Vilma Fuentes, director of FSU’s Ukraine Task Force and a visiting associate in research at Learning Systems Institute (LSI), was honored during the conference with FAIE’s “You Made a World of Difference” award. Established in 2007, the award honors FAIE members who have made meaningful contributions to international education.
LSI at FSU was established in 1969 to improve learning and human performance globally. Since its inception, faculty and staff at LSI have touched the lives of millions across the globe, transforming the way people learn. LSI at FSU is working on projects sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development in places like Malawi, Egypt, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Rwanda and Zambia.
Pre-conference workshops took place Thursday, Feb. 15, and included a special presentation on international education and collaboration at FSU. Presenters included Cindy Green, director of the CGE; Louisa Blenman, associate director of International Programs; Patrick Kennell, director of the Center for Intensive English Studies; Leslie Crosdale, associate General Counsel; and Vilma Fuentes, visiting assistant in research at LSI and director of FSU’s Ukraine Task Force.
The following faculty and staff from FSU presented at the 2024 FAIE Annual Conference:
- Angel Rios, instructor and testing coordinator with the Center for Intensive English Studies (CIES) at FSU, participated in the “ChatGPT Panel Discussion”
- Moira Mozo, immigration and passport manager with International Programs, and Hanna Herndon, immigration coordinator with International Programs, presented “Outbound Immigration for the Post-Pandemic Student.”
- Li Pon, senior assistant director at The Career Center, and Jared Tirone, international student advisor with FSU’s CGE, presented “Guiding International Students Through the U.S. Career Landscape.”
- Zoe Crook, director of media, communications and marketing at International Programs, presented “Engaging Gen Z Through Study Abroad Marketing” with colleagues Michael Susnjer, marketing representative with International Programs, and Leah Canavan, media specialist with International Programs.
- Patrick Kennell, director of CIES at FSU, delivered the presentation “What Value Does an English Language Program Bring to a University or College?”
- Megan Glogowski, program manager with International Programs, and Abby French, program coordinator with International Programs, presented “Unlocking Global Minds: Faculty Partnership in Study Abroad Experiences.”
- Maria Mendoza, coordinator of the English for Academic Purposes program at CIES, presented “Campus Collaborations to Enhance International TA Training.”
- Warren Oliver, associate director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement, and Ashley Krutz-Ordner, FSU’s director of International Travel, Safety and Risk, presented “Balancing Risk with Independent, Community-Based, Experiential Education in Students’ Experiences Abroad: The Global Scholars Story.”
- Steven Niette, international student advisor with FSU’s CGE, participated in the presentation “Administrative Processing: The Student Experience” alongside a representative from U.S. Consular Affairs.
For more information about FAIE, visit faie.org.
