Photo by Tom Cogill
Dana Elzey, director of SEAS International Programs, is helping more engineering students to experience international opportunities.
The U.Va. School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) International Programs has received $75,000 from the Jefferson Trust to fund study-abroad scholarships, faculty support and global development projects. The award — one of the two largest given to any requesting entity this year — will help the School’s efforts to jump-start international programs at SEAS. Formal grant announcements were made on April 11, Founders Day, at 4:30 p.m., on the south steps of the Rotunda.
“It is exciting,” said Dana Elzey, director of SEAS International Programs and associate professor in the School’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. “Less than 1 percent of SEAS students experience international opportunities by the time they graduate, despite a high level of interest. This funding will help us stimulate many program activities and increase the number of students participating in international opportunities. This support will better prepare our graduates to work in an increasingly globalized economy.”
Specifically, these monies will be used as follows:
- Study-Abroad Scholarship Support — Scholarships up to $2,500 will be given to each of the Engineering School’s academic departments annually. The departments will then distribute the scholarships to deserving students; scholarships will provide incentive for students to make use of programs offered by academic exchange partner institutions and to identify and take courses that can contribute toward their engineering degree.
- Faculty Support for Innovative Engineering Programs — Faculty support grants up to $8,000 will be given to SEAS faculty members who develop and plan for implementation of an international experience tailored to the needs of SEAS students. Such experiences may take a variety of forms, but would likely be faculty-led and offered during the J-Term or a summer session.
- Global Development Project Grants — Through a competitive, annual grant process, two Engineering School student teams will receive grants up to a maximum of $5,000 to fund engineering development projects in underserved communities. This support will encourage more SEAS students to become engaged in this aspect of international study. In addition to student support, two $1,000 stipends will be given to the winning teams’ project advisors to encourage faculty participation.
According to Michael Clarke, vice president of development, U.Va. Alumni Association, the Jefferson Trust trustees’ decision to fund international programs at SEAS is in keeping with the mission of the Jefferson Trust — to provide funding to the University’s various constituencies with the intent of enhancing the University’s margin of excellence consistent with the founder’s vision and its national and international reputation.
“The proposal submitted by SEAS resonated with the trustees because of its focus; a concentrated effort to expand international opportunities University-wide is part of U.Va.’s plan for the future as stated in the recommendations provided by the President’s Commission on the Future of the University,” Clarke said. “As the second-largest school on Grounds, SEAS is integral to the University’s future. The Jefferson Trust felt that providing monies to seed international programs at the Engineering School would provide long-term benefits.”
One immediate benefit Elzey sees is the creation of precedents.
“As a result of this funding, students will be able to have these experiences and return to Grounds to spread the word,” he says. “Word-of-mouth marketing will help as we strive to meet our goal — increasing the number of SEAS students adding an international component to their education from less than 1 percent today to 10 percent in five years.”
Progress in this arena, thus far, has been rapid. In the past six months SEAS has created an office of international programs, appointed Elzey as the director, identified international programs advisors in each of the engineering departments within the School, drafted a vision and strategic plan and, as a first step, initiated a campaign to identify and market existing opportunities for international experiences. In addition, a Study Abroad Advisory Board, consisting of international experts, has been established to assist the design and implementation of SEAS international programs.
According to Elzey, time is of the essence. “Preparing a new generation of engineers, who are responsible for creating and implementing new systems and products for global and new regional markets, requires rethinking engineering curricula. Twenty-first-century engineers will need international training and experience to remain competitive.”
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