THE INTERNATIONAL TIGER

Dear Tiger Friends, A lot has happened at LSU since we last visited. Our live Bengal tiger mascot, Mike VI, passed away October 11. We were certain to include an international farewell message for our namesake in this edition. Dean Christopher D’Elia, professor and dean of the College of the Coast and Environment, brought back an amazing narrative from his recent visit to Cuba with a delegation including Louisiana’s Governor

John Bel Edwards. The international collaboration in his college directly impacts worldwide research of topics such as weather, water and climate. In fact, this was the topic of the most recent intercultural dialogue that International Programs hosted in connection with International Education Week. Additionally, visiting scholars showcased their research at the International Research Fair. The keynote speaker, Dr. Claudia Escobar, a former judge in Guatemala, provided a refreshing view of the role of women in the Latin American legal system. We were so thankful that our esteemed colleague from LSU Law, Dr. Olivier Moréteau was able to attend the event and introduce Judge Escobar. We were delighted to host the Honorable Ambassador Joohyeon Baik during his visit to LSU back in September. Fun fact: of the top 10 countries sending students to LSU, the Republic of South Korea has the highest percentage of female students! International and domestic female students alike contribute to the diversity of our campus. We highlight what is happening in the LSU Office of Diversity, headed by the energetic and outgoing Vice Provost Dr. Dereck Rovaris. The four pillars of LSU are more than conceptual, they are embodied by Dr. Rovaris’ team which includes strong volunteers such as Alexis Agard, our Tiger Spotlight student. In Fall 2015, we launched LSU Global, a program designed to recruit international students and to facilitate their immersion into LSU life. Meet the first cohort that became the first progression class and the talented team that made it possible! The British are coming! Read about two young British women attending LSU: one an Olympian gymnast and the other a political science major giving her perspective on the recent U.S. presidential election. I want to wish everyone a very happy holiday and hope for a new year filled with The International Tiger spirit! Thanks for joining us in this edition! Geaux Tigers! Hector O. Zapata, Ph.D. Associate Vice Provost for International ProgramsPast Presidents of the LSU Alumni Association Alumni Professor

SOUTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR VISIT

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

LSU ZIKA VIRUS RESEARCHER

IN THIS ISSUE:

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you can donate directly to our program:LSU FOUNDATION DONATION

Become part of a better future by contributing to LSU International Programs!

WINTER 2016

Dean D’Elia: College of the Coast and EnvironmentInternational Programs sat down with Dean Christopher D’Elia of the College of the Coast and Environment to explore his recent travels and his views of internationalization within his college and LSU.

International Programs (IP): How do you envision internationalization in the College of the Coast & Environment? Dean D’Elia (D): Coastal science is, by its very nature, international. What’s happened because of our international collaborations over the years is that we’ve begun to understand deltas around the world and by helping them understand us and the Mississippi Delta, and by them helping us understand them from their own deltas, we’ve learned a whole lot about the problems in deltas worldwide…and they’re in big trouble.

IP: How does internationalization fit with the mission of your college and the mission of LSU?D: My view is that no university can be a great university unless it has a truly

international exposure and perspective. You have to have international stars on your faculty, and we have many of them. 20% of our faculty was born in China alone! But beyond that, I have representatives from Poland, Italy, Mexico, India, Croatia, and Turkey…that is an international group of stars!

IP: If you were to expand your international student enrollment, where does your greatest opportunity lie?D: To the South! We feel very strongly that we’re partners with Mexico, Cuba, and the Gulf, so they have to be part of our mix, because how can you deal with managing the Gulf as a whole unless you have that engagement.

IP: Which programs do you think would have the greatest opportunity to take in more international students?D: We have a huge capacity here. My program can definitely take more students. Our undergraduate program is a gem, I think our coastal environmental science graduate major is a very high quality program that leaves students prepared for virtually any career they’re interested in. I would love more students from Mexico, Central America, South America.

IP: Why do you believe that education abroad is important for the students? D: I think for their own career opportunities, it’s very important. People love to hire LSU graduates because they’re good workers and they get along and work well in teams and have many admirable features. I think it’s important for our students to get abroad and have these experiences and learn about the world because whether we like it or not, we live in a global world these days.

IP: What are your expectations of International Programs with regard to the internationalization of your college & of LSU as a whole?D: I wish we had more money for international stuff. I personally would like to see virtually every one of our students have at least one international experience in their time at LSU because I think it just means that much.

Click here to read Dean D’Elia’s piece for Future Earth Coasts regarding his recent travels to Mexico & Cuba!

From left: Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards; Dean D’Elia; K.T. Valsaraj, LSU Vice President for Research; LSU Honors College Dean Jonathan Earle.

The sculpture “Radiance” outside the College of the Coast & Environment is one of a set of art pieces created by American sculpture artist Jim Sanborn for LSU.

Intercultural Dialogue: Weather, Water, & Climate

LSU International Programs hosted the “Weather, Water, and Climate: An Intercultural Dialogue” event on November 16, 2016 in the LSU Union. The Intercultural Dialogue exists as “an open forum for LSU visiting scholars and the LSU community to have cross-cultural conversations and to exchange ideas, knowledge, and perspectives”. Panel members included Jay Grymes, Chief Meteorologist, WAFB News 9; Barry Keim, Professor of Geography, Louisiana State Climatologist; Changyoon Jeong, Assistant Professor of Soil and Water Quality Management, LSU AgCenter; Kam-Biu Liu, Professor & Chair, Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences; Fabrizio Donnarumma, Visiting Scientist, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Chemistry; and Junguo Gao, Visiting Scientist, Visiting Associate Professor, LSU School of the Coast and Environment. Moderators included Fahui Wang, Professor & Chair, Department of Geography and Anthropology; Frank Tsai, Professor of Engineering & Director, Louisiana Water Resources Research Institute; Mark Schafer, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, AgCenter; Rod Parker, Professor & Director, School of Art; and Z. George Xue, Assistant Professor, School of the Coast and Environment.

Click here to watch a video compilation of the event!

The third annual LSU International Research Fair, “Diversity, Collaboration, Engagement”, was hosted by International Programs on November 17, 2016, in the LSU Student Union. The fair is a forum for visiting scholars to showcase their research and to interact and engage with colleagues and the LSU community. The 2016 Research Fair welcomed keynote speaker Dr. Claudia Escobar, judge and former magistrate of the court of Appeals of Guatemala. She is currently a Reagan-Fascell Fellow of the National Endowment for Democracy at Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard. The visiting scholars work in the fields of Comparative Biomedical Science, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Food Science, Geology, Graphic Design, Human Geography, Information Science, and Soil & Water Quality Management. Winners this year are: first place- Ms. Sineenath Sikkwai, Food Science; second place- Dr. Kathiresan Selvam, Biomedical Science; third place- Ms. Rina Su, Environmental Science; and fourth place- Dr. Jun Zhang, Geology. Prizes were sponsored by: LSU Manship Theatre, LSU Rural Life Museum, LSU School of Music and Theatre, & Jeannie Williamson of Foreign Languages & Literatures (Member of Programming Committee).

Dr. Claudia Escobar

Research Fair participants

Attendees discuss weather and climate in Louisiana & the world

2016 International Research Fair

Click the two photos on the right to watch short videos from the fair!

South Korean Ambassador Visit

International Programs was highly privileged to host a presentation given by the honorable Ambassador Joohyeon Baik, Ph.D., of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea. The presentation took place on September 23, 2016, in Hatcher Hall. Ambassador Baik was formally welcomed by Dr. Hector Zapata, Associate Vice Provost for International Programs and Dr. Matthew Lee, Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Support Services. A large number of students, faculty, and community members attended the presentation which was followed by a lively discussion and lunch. Ambassador Baik visited LSU “to discuss the past and future importance of the Korea-U.S. Alliance, offering his valuable insight from over three decades of experience as a diplomat.” His talk highlighted the necessity of the two nations to continue responsible leadership roles in the international community, “promoting global peace, security and prosperity.” The presentation began with a highlight of Korea’s history, invention, and discoveries to show the deep cultural significance of its people. The transition to modern Korea included a U.S. expedition to Korea in 1871 and later Japanese colonial rule. Ambassador Baik shared photos of Korea in the 1950s and highlighted the signing ceremony of the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty which began the two nations’ alliance on October 1, 1953. Over the following 60 years, American favorability toward South Korea rose and continues to rise, notably mutual support for both nations sending troops when additional assistance is necessary. One unique example that exhibits the strengthening relations is the growing economic and education ties. The southern U.S. is a prime target for South Korean companies, including the Lotte Chemical facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Concerning higher education, Ambassador Baik indicated that the U.S. as a whole receives more South Korean university students per capita than any other nation. As of publication, there are 41 South Korean students enrolled at LSU. The university is hosting 12 undergraduate and 29 graduate students, comprised of 17 males and 24 females.

Click here to view our slideshow from the event.

LSU Academic Programs Abroad

Throughout October 18-19, International Programs/Academic Programs Abroad hosted the Fall 2016 Study Abroad Fair. International Programs unveiled the first ever LSU Study Abroad Scholarship at the fair! 80 applications were completed and 100+ have since been completed. Find out more information later in the newsletter! A total of 823 students attended and the largest college represented was the University College Center for Freshman Year (UCFY) with 318 attendees. By classification, 296 freshmen, 275 sophomores, 164 juniors, 64 seniors, 1 senior 5th year, 7 Master’s, and 16 PhD students attended. By major, Biological Sciences had the most attendees with 51 students stopping by the fair. APA offers summer, semester, intersession, and year-long programs including over 400 LSU-sponsored options!

Check out the website, call 225-578-6801, or stop by 103 Hatcher Hall to discover where you will geaux!

Lindsay NorthGraduate student, Master of Education in Counseling

Undergraduate studies: B.A. in Psychology, 2015Semester abroad: La Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain

Traveled to: Aix-en-Provence, France; Segovia, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Porto, Portugal; Brussels, Belgium; Amsterdam,

Netherlands; Alicante, Spain; Dublin, Ireland; Cliffs of Moher, Ireland; Marrakesh, Morocco; Paris, France; Santorini, Greece;

Cinque Terre, Italy; Rome, ItalyClick here to watch a brief interview!

Attendees discovering program offerings

Dr. Rovaris: Diversity is Good For Everyone!

Heading the LSU Office of Diversity (OoD) since 2014 is Dereck J. Rovaris, Sr., Ph.D., Vice Provost & Chief Diversity Officer and he is supported by Dr. Kenya Messer, Associate Vice Provost. The OoD is responsible for all levels of diversity on campus including not only race and gender, but also Disability Services, religious groups, the LGBTQ community, and international students. In the recent political climate, Dr. Rovaris assures that his team have doubled down efforts to support all of those groups. "In an ideal world," Dr. Rovaris begins, "all we're doing is supporting and celebrating them. Now we're in some ways advising and counseling as well. As far as International Programs and those students, we've done additional outreach especially for those who

may feel threatened in any way regarding religion, immigration status, and resident status." On the domestic side, the LSU OoD has worked diligently to increase opportunities for students from underrepresented groups to participate in study abroad. Many of these students have never been exposed to these opportunities, or face financial struggles. The OoD aims to leverage opportunities and funding in order to increase study abroad chances.

Considering the necessity to send more underrepresented students abroad, Dr. Rovaris acknowledged three common obstacles to overcome. He first lists simple awareness of the opportunities. Many students are first-generation, low-income or don't fall into either one of those categories, but have no knowledge of what study abroad is.

The second biggest obstacle he lists is financial support. When some students struggle to come up with tuition in a domestic setting, it seems impossible to pay to attend school elsewhere.

Dr. Rovaris lists the final obstacle as a perceived sense of international instability in certain locations. He shares that "it's having a perception of an entire continent with a myopic lens that has been spread about and people believe it as reality. I try to educate students on the vast array of opportunities out there and that we shouldn't paint every experience with the same brush." One message Dr. Rovaris wants to impart to prospective international students is the multiple layers of support at LSU offers upon arrival. He proclaims that LSU is a fine place to be...with 90+ countries represented here, you're bound to find a countryman or woman," he declares. "You won't be the only one! More importantly, you'll find many folks in the international community who are also very welcoming. We've got several formalized centers such as the International Cultural Center, the International Programs office, the Office of Diversity. You also have culinary options and religious options. Overall, I would say come and be prepared to grow and learn!"

"This is the time to start looking! Everywhere we can, we're promoting this opportunity to open your eyes, broaden your horizons, spread your wings, and do

all these wonderful things."- Dr. Rovaris about study abroad opportunities

Click here to explore the Office of Diversity's website!

Click for more info!

Tiger Spotlight Upon first glance, Alexis Agard appears to be an everyday young woman pursuing her education aspirations. Only after a few moments of conversation, she reveals an infectious smile along with her vibrant personality. Alexis is an Agribusiness senior with a concentration in International Business and she has a passion for travel. She works on campus for both International Programs and the LSU AgCenter. In addition to her employment, Alexis is an ambassador for numerous organizations, including the LSU Office of Diversity. On top of her work and studies, she balances being a mother to two young children! Alexis has a never-ending drive to promote both international travel plus diversity on and around the LSU campus and community. This determination is vital to keep LSU growing and her work directly promotes the LSU 2020 Flagship Agenda goals: Discovery, Learning, Diversity, and Engagement. Given her international heritage and her contributions at LSU, Alexis embodiesthe true spirit of International Programs! In addition to our interview,she has an inspiring message to share.

Click here to watch our brief interview with Alexis!

"It is up to us as a student body to take advantage of these

opportunities and understand

different aspects of culture...Always

remember that our stories

may not all be the same, but we all share a similarity." -Alexis Agard

Matthew Carroll, LSU in London & Edinburgh

LSU Study Abroad Scholarship

WHO: Qualifying domestic LSU students

DEADLINE: No later than 2 weeks before your desired participation semester

PURPOSE: To acquire global skills at LSU & earn study abroad funding

On September 6, 2016, LSU Global held its inaugural Progression Ceremony to celebrate the achievements of the first 27 students to complete the LSU Global Program and who have fully matriculated into degree-seeking programs at LSU. These students completed the LSU Global Program at the end of Spring 2016 or Summer 2016 with an average GPA of 3.08. Of the 27 graduates, 8 made the Dean’s List and 3 made the President’s List. Speakers included Leisha DeRiso, Managing Director, LSU Global; Tom Dretler, CEO, Shorelight Education; Dr. Hector Zapata, Associate Vice Provost for LSU International Programs; and Esther N. Wairimu, Program Graduate of LSU Global. The program graduates include: Chinoye

Ndu Agwu, Tochukwu Ngu Agwu, Ahmed Al Madhani, Abdullah Al Makhmari, Hadi Al Yaaqoubi, Abdulla Alamoodi, Ali Aldhaheri, Hazza Alhammadi, Mohamed Alhammadi, Nasser Alhosani, Farris Alkhoori, Hussam Alrumaih, Omar Alsuwaidi, Thani Alsuwaidi, Ahmed Al-Touqi, and Esther Natasha Wairimu.

Dean's List Graduates include: Sultan Alameri, Khaleefa Alkhoori, Ali Alsuwaidi, Eisa Alyafei, Eisa Alzarooni, Junjia Li, Devangkumar Patel, and Alibi Usserov. President’s List Graduates include: Hassan Al Lawait, Adhwa Al Uraimi, and Abdulmajeed Al Yaaqubi.

LSU Global offers an Undergraduate Accelerator Program (UAP) or a Career Accelerator Program (CAP) of varying lengths designed to prepare international students for academic, social and professional success at LSU and their future careers. The LSU Global office celebrated its first year in September with a ribbon cutting ceremony at its new location in the LSU Student Union. While taking classes provided by LSU Global, students also earn credit to enter year two of an undergraduate degree. To learn more about these programs, please visit http://www.lsuglobal.com/. Regular admission is always an option. Please visit the LSU Admissions & Aid page for more information and resources.

Click for more info!

LSU Global Holds Inaugural Progression Ceremony

Program graduates, LSU & LSU Global administrators at the ceremony

Therese Jernbeck, Sweden, Scholarship Recipient

LSU Alumni Association International Student Scholarship

WHO: Qualifying international LSU students

PURPOSE: To recognize high academic achievement, leadership, engagement & diversity

DEADLINE: January 31, 2017; no later than 4:30 PM

Presidential Election from International Student PerspectiveBy Suzanne Strong

International Programs is excited to welcome Bristol, England native Ruby Harrold as a new international student and member of the LSU gymnastics team. The 20-year-old brings 15 years of training, including six years of international com-petition, to the highly successful team. Most notably, Harrold has two Olympic expe-riences competing for the Great Britain Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Olympic team. The gymnast served as an alternate in the 2012 Summer Games in London. Most recently, she won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro on the uneven bars and balance beam. Great Britain’s women’s gymnastics team won fifth-place overall. Harrold joins her LSU teammates in training for the 2017 gymnastics season. In or-

der to train and compete internationally, Harrold deferred university attendance and looks forward to embarking on her collegiate career.

Take a look at our interview with Harrold to learn more about her experience at the Olympics and at LSU.Join us in wishing her good luck in the upcoming season!

LSU Olympian Student Athlete Ruby Harrold

Harrold in the LSU gymnastics facility.

With Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton spearheading strong campaigns, we have all witnessed a process unique to the U.S. For Suzanne Strong, a British international exchange student focused on American Studies, this election has provided an opportunity for insight and comparison.

"On November 8, 2016, the whole world was looking at the United States for the election as the results would impact the whole world. This is mainly because the U.S. leads the world because of its history, economy and its global dominance. If there is a dramatic decrease in the U.S. economy, it will affect the world’s entire economy. Foreign reaction also matters, particularly from nations that are associated with the U.S. such as Israel, China and Russia.

For an international student, it is certainly an interesting and exciting time to be here. The Presidential election has certainly been much different to what we see in the United Kingdom. Although the U.K. is technically a democracy, we do not have the same two-party system that seems to be in place in the U.S. This is because America has a presidential system, where the executive is popularly elected; not a parliamentary system like Britain, where the executives are held responsible to an elected legislature.

The campaign trail in America also vastly differs from the one in the U.K. The United Kingdom does not allow the same smear campaigns to be advertised as they are in America. I have seen many advertisements where one candidate is talking about another candidate and saying “I approve this message” and this would not be accepted in the United Kingdom. Another distinct characteristic is that America’s elections begin not long after the last election takes place. Candidates announce their candidacy more than a year in advance of the election in order to start laying groundwork for their campaign. The U.K. has approximately four weeks every general election in which the candidates are allowed to campaign. As an international student, these are exciting yet turbulent times we are living in, especially since the election results were announced and the events that have followed it. The violence that has surrounded the election results has been horrific to witness, and as an international student (who has witnessed the violence Brexit wrought) I just want everyone to remember one thing: we are all human. We may not all agree when it comes to politics, but we must remember to treat each other humanely."

"We may not all agree when it comes to politics, but we must remember to treat each other humanely."

LSU Alumna-Turned-Faculty Conducts International Zika Research

Over the summer, the Zika virus and its impact made headlines as the virus spread throughout the Americas. Zika is spread mostly through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus), and can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Infection during pregnancy can lead to birth defects such as microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects. LSU alumna Dr. Rebecca Christofferson, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, is the recent recipient of a $1.2 million research grant provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of General Medical Sciences. She met with International Programs to discuss her very important work and the global impact it has. Her colleague, Dr. Christopher Mores, Professor, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, also participated in the interview via phone, as he is currently doing Zika related research with the U.S. Navy on site in Peru.

International Programs (IP): Tell us about your progression from LSU undergraduate, to graduate student, to faculty member. How do you think your studies at LSU influenced your career path?Rebecca Christofferson (RC): I was a lot like most undergraduates in that I was going to school because that’s just what you do. I got married and then got a job working as an administrative assistant in the College of Agriculture. While I was working with the Dean of Agriculture, he encouraged me to look at the Statistics Program there. So I got an undergraduate in Zoology, and Statistics was interesting because it showed me a part of Biology that was quantitative, and I was surprised I enjoyed it so much. I then found the program here that combined my statistics love and biology/infectious diseases. Once I got my PhD, I had a job lined up somewhere else, and then received the position here as a counter offer.IP: What is the global impact of the Zika virus, both now and in the future?RC: It’s good in that [the outbreak] highlighted the importance of funding studies of emerging viruses. It has brought science communication [with the media] to the forefront. We are trying to figure out the cause of microcephaly; is it just [caused by] Zika, is it Zika and a co-factor? Then you have the children who are born with this; the years and years of social programs

that are going to need to be developed…particularly in the low income areas hit hard [such as those in Brazil], and they may not have the infrastructure to support thousands of children born with special needs.IP: How has globalization impacted the virus in terms of outbreak and response?RC: With both Zika and Chikungunya most people had not seen either of these viruses [in the Americas]. Increased travel, trade, and urbanization are contributing factors. The speed of transmission is due to the fact that no one had immunity; I think that was the biggest factor. IP: Will global cooperation aid in preventing future outbreaks?Christopher Mores: Geopolitical boundaries are real impediments to data sharing, and they create a lot of murkiness to what is going on; having these sorts of relationships in advance of a problem is critical. If you’re trying to build a relationship after you’ve got an outbreak it’s really inefficient. International relations, sharing of students and colleagues, and collaborations are some of the best ways we have to try and keep ourselves on a better footing in the absence of international centers for research.RC: The problem of course is funding it all. Funding of these kind of programs has always been traditionally hard; it’s always an impediment.

For the latest information on Zika, please visit http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/Click here to watch LSU’s Research Works video on Dr. Christofferson’s work with Zika!

Dr. Christopher Mores and Dr. Rebecca Christofferson working on mathematical modeling of viral emergence and transmission at LSU.

Birds-eye view of Iquitos, Peru, where Dr. Mores and Dr. Christofferson are establishing Zika virus surveillance in conjunction with NAMRU-6.

Global Community Day On October 16, 2016, the Baton Rouge Capital City Rotary Club and LSU International Programs hosted the third annual Global Community Day. The event took place in Parker Coliseum from 1-6pm. People of all ages attended the event and took part in “traveling the globe” with a World Visitor Pass. Passing from country to country, attendees learned about unique cultures and received a stamp. If all stamps were ob-tained, attendees could claim a prize provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. Members of the international community joined together for a parade around the arena to showcase na-tional flags and traditional garments. Other attractions in-cluded traditional ethnic dances, special food items, and calligraphy demonstrations.

In May 2016, Dr. Harald Leder, Director of International Programs/ Academic Programs Abroad, traveled to Mendoza, Argentina. He met with officials of the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo to discuss opportunities for student exchanges, summer and short term programs, as well as service learning. LSU Alumni Mauricio and Alejandra Aguero, both PhDs in Music, had arranged for a number of meetings and were at hand to render valuable assistance in the process. Mendoza is located at the foot of the Andes Mountains in Argentina’s premier wine region. The city has a population of a little over 100,000. More than 44,000

students are instructed by over 4,000 faculty members. International Programs is in the process of establishing exchange agreements with UNCUYO. APA is working with faculty members in Music and Education to create new short term program opportunities there for 2017.

Photo courtesy: http://www.lsu.edu/miketiger/mike_vi_facts.php

UNCUYO campus

Dr. Leder meets with UNCUYO leaders

Global Connections: Mendoza, Argentina