Alumni networking event in Dubai proves strength of Hokie connections

Alumna Katherine Lelia Hall has learned that no matter how far from Blacksburg her career takes her, she’s never far from a fellow Hokie.

That sense of global community was reaffirmed recently at the first Hokies in the Middle East alumni networking event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. An initiative of the Language and Culture Institute, with support from Alumni Relations and the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, the event brought together more than 85 alumni, students, and supporters from the region.

“The connections we made in Blacksburg and continue to make all over the world are the reason that we chose Virginia Tech in the first place,” said Hall, who earned a master’s degree in English in 1998 and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction in 2001 and now teaches at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi. “It is very exciting to know that we alumni can still keep our connection with Virginia Tech even when we live far away.”

Read more at VT News.

Entomologist from Vietnam gains global perspective at Virginia Tech

Tran Thi My Hanh and Muni Muniappan host a booth at Hokie BugFest.

Tran Thi My Hanh hoped the semester she is spending in Blacksburg improving her English at the Language and Culture Institute's Intensive English Program and studying entomology would help her combat the pests and pesticides that keep her native Vietnam from thriving in global markets.

She is finding, however, that her semesterlong stay is teaching her even more.

“Coming from Vietnam, I can really say that Virginia Tech is known around the world,” said Hahn, who is the deputy head of plant protection at the Southern Horticultural Research Institute in Vietnam. “While here, I have improved my listening, speaking, and writing skills. I have also gained access to new books and can read entomology articles much easier now, which will benefit my work helping smallholder farmers manage their crop threats.”

Read more about Hanh's journey.

See photos from the Hokies in the Middle East alumni event in Dubai

More than 85 Virginia Tech alumni, students, and friends gathered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Nov. 16, 2018, for the first Hokies in the Middle East alumni networking event.

The event was an initiative of the Language and Culture Institute, with support from Alumni Relations, the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, and Virginia Alumni in the UAE.

 

See more photos on our Facebook page.

LCI students tour largest library in the world

Students and staff from the LCI in Northern Virginia recently visited the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. It is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution, and it serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with more than 162 million items. The collections include books, sound recordings, motion pictures, photographs, maps, and manuscripts.

Read students' accounts of their field trip below.

LCI welcomes UAE Scholarships Office representatives

From left: Ms. Maha Saeed Al Dhabari, chief academic adviser; Mr. Juma Bin Aati Alrumaithi, director of the Scholarships Office; Dr. Guru Ghosh, vice president for Outreach and International Affairs; Ms. Ayesha Juma AlKhateri, head of academic section; and Dr. Donald Back, director of the LCI.

The Language and Culture Institute on Friday welcomed representatives from the Scholarships Office (SCO) of the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Presidential Affairs (MOPA).

Making the trip from Abu Dhabi were Mr. Juma Bin Aati Alrumaithi, the director of the Scholarships Office; Ms. Ayesha Juma AlKhateri, head of the academic section of the study abroad division; and Ms. Maha Saeed Al Dhabari, chief academic adviser of the internal scholarships department.

Mr. Al Rumaithi was appointed acting director of the Scholarships Office in February. He currently oversees MOPA's Internal and External scholarship departments. He holds master's degrees in business administration and strategic and security studies.

Ms. Ayesha joined MOPA in 2006.  She holds a wealth of knowledge of the education system in the UAE, having worked in education for the past 12 years. She has a master's degree in international business and a bachelor's in computer engineering.

Ms. Maha joined MOPA as a scholarship coordinator in 2009. She currently advises sponsored students at private universities in the UAE and liaises with these universities. She has a degree in business and a higher diploma in banking and financial services.

During their time on campus, they met with representatives from across Virginia Tech, including Vice President for Outreach and International Affairs Guru Ghosh; Luisa Havens Gerardo, vice provost for enrollment; Juan Espinooza, associate vice provost for enrollment management; Lia Kelinsky-Jones, interim associate director at the Cranwell International Center; and Glenda Scales, associate dean for global engagement and chief technology officer at the College of Engineering.

Instructors' VATESOL presentation could help ESL teachers in Pakistan

Instructors Mary Freday and Becky Etzler present at the VATESOL Conference.

Several instructors from the Language and Culture Institute gave presentations at the VATESOL Conference on Oct. 19 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Caitlin Capone discussed "Using PowerPoint to Inculcate Complex Grammatical Structures and Engage Students." Pinar Gurdal facilitated a discussion regarding "How Well Do Truly Multilevel English as a Second Language Classes Work?" Shelly Stoddard introduced "Guided Reading and Comprehension Strategies in the Adult ELL Classroom." Inge McKenney, from Northern Virginia, presented on "How a Stroll Through History Influences U.S. Academic Culture Today." And Mary Freday and Becky Etzler presented ideas for encouraging "Extended Oral Discourse in the ESL Classroom."

Freday and Etzler's presentation was one of a series selected to be livestreamed, and the video has also been proposed for use in a Teaching Excellence Achievement grant project in Pakistan.

Neelo Fer Anwar, an ESL teacher from Pakistan who had previously attended teacher training at the LCI through a TEA scholarship, is proposing to transfer skills learned at the LCI to teachers in the semirural Gujar Khan region.

If Anwar's grant proposal is accepted, this video will be shared with an audience that has "no exposure to activity-based learning and use of technology in the classroom."

LCI students get an inside look at the Supreme Court

In a timely field trip, students from the National Capital Region toured the Supreme Court recently. Below, several students recount their experiences.

By Seham Alqahtani

Last week, we visited Supreme Court. First, I went with professors and students on the
Metro. Second, when we arrived at Supreme Court, it was rainy and cloudy. Then, we saw paintings of the Supreme Court. It was very beautiful. Also, we entered a large hall together. There was someone talking about judges. Additionally, we a movie together. It was a lovely day,
and I enjoyed with my friends, and my professors.


Ashwaq Alhajri

I have been to many trip, in my life but I will never forget out trip to Supreme Court. It was amazing. First, the court consists of chief justice and eight justice and it looked they have good relation and care about people. Second, the design of Supreme Court was amazing and fancy. They told us it is Italy and Spain design. Third, when I saw the building I knew that it was different building it was big and the design was different from the other buildings and the colors of building  was amazing. Finally, I love when we went to Supreme Court as group and I did not see building like this because of that I love it.


Natalia Rodriguez

Can someone  imagine an unique place where the subjective art could be mixed with objective law? Certainly the temple of justice, the third power of the United States, the highest tribunal in the Nation, this is The Supreme Court of the United States. It was opened to the public in 1935. Visitors are welcome to receive a tour that include two stages.

At the beginning is notorious to see majestic art sculptures, figures and symbols outdoors and indoors to the building that express different meanings related to both American and legal themes. Its design detail represent an ancient history that brought shocking facts or events which ones marked and formed the nominated “Constitution”. Afterwards, is impressive to see across the Great Hall busts of former Chief justices, then the large landmark John Marshall statue, who made the Nation's longest serving Chief Justice from 1801-1835 and huge columns and pedestals along the side walls made of an exclusive marble from Spain and Italy.

The first stage of the tour is performance inside The Courtroom where the tour guide explain about who are the participants with their seating area assigned, the judicial functions of the Supreme Court and the building's history in a 30 minutes program. The participants in the Courtroom are: Justices, Clerk, Marshal, Marshal's AIDES, Attorneys, Law Clerks, Special Guests and News Media. The Supreme Court meets between October and June. The Court generally hears two one-hour arguments a day, at 10 a.m. And 11 a.m. And sometimes afternoon sessions are scheduled if is necessary. Arguments are held on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays in two-week intervals through late April.  An oral argument last one hour average, and attorneys are given 30 minutes each one to make a presentation and answer questions posed by the justices.


Jiyeon Shim

I’m a mother of 3 years old baby, however, I was so excited to go on a field trip like an elementary student because I wanted to be a fair and square judge when I was young. Thinking that I could have chance to meet justices whom I admire, I couldn’t sleep well the day before the field trip. It was an unexpected rainy day but I couldn’t calm myself down since Supreme Court is the place in charge of judicial power.

When I first entered the court room, I was a little bit surprised because the size of the room was smaller than I thought. However, it was beautiful and dignified. According to the movie from the Supreme Court, as the building was built during the Great Depression, it was able to build a nice building at a low price. The pillars made up of European marbles and pretty flower-shaped ceiling were impressive. Every people in the room was curious about the meaning of the flower, but the docent said that it has no meaning. The docent introduced Chief Justice Marshall, whose term in office was the longest among all justices. He contributed the main foundation of the U.S. constitutional analysis system, including the principle of judicial review. I could also see his statue in the building.

After the docent introduced John Marshall, she explained about the process of decision making in the Supreme Court. Once case is selected, decision for the case is made through oral argument. I was impressed that every people could see oral arguments. Justices have the exclusive chamber which make them not to be interfered from anyone else for the fair decisions.

There were 8 seats for justices because of the retirement of Anthony Kennedy. Pointing to the chairs, the docent explained the order in which the judges sit down. Following the rule of seniority, justices have their own seat. The docent asked us who is serving the longest among current justices. Most of us surmised Justice Ginsburg, but the answer was Clarence Thomas. He sit next to the chief justice on the right side. I was astonished when I heard their ages. Unless there is impeachment, justices may serve for the remainder of their lives. I thought that this rule could strengthen the judicial power.

Leaving the Supreme Court, I acknowledge that the majestic building and process of decision means that the Supreme Court represented judicial power. Once again, I could recognize again the importance of the separation of powers for justice. I hope that the separation of the three powers of the United States can be maintained as the judicial sphere has been preserved.

Presentations point to the power of persuasion

Students in professor Mary Freday's class presented posters recently in which they "pitched" a product — either one they invented or an existing one — and explained the choices they made when designing their advertisement.

Students had to use persuasive language in their poster. But beyond that, creativity was encouraged!

In three-minute presentations based on the posters, students had to cover the following points:

• Why did they choose this product?
• What is great about the product?
• Explain why they designed the ad they way they did.

See more photos in our Facebook album.

Video: Meet some of Virginia Tech's international students

Here are just a few reasons why the over 425 new international students felt that Virginia Tech was the best choice for them.

No matter your reason, know that you're in the right place and #YouAreWelcomeHere.

Here are just a few reasons why our over 425 new international students felt that #VirginiaTech was the best choice for them. 👌 No matter your reason, know that you're in the right place and #YouAreWelcomeHere. 🧡 pic.twitter.com/CjyXIl9MbQ

— Virginia Tech (@virginia_tech) August 14, 2018

Photos: LCI welcomes 2nd cohort of Pakistani Fellows

The LCI hosted a welcome reception for our second cohort of remarkable Fellows from Pakistan.

They are participating in the six-week Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program for Pakistan.

See more photos on our Facebook page.

LCI welcomes CIS University Tour to campus

LCI Director Don Back welcomed participants from the Council of International Schools University Tour to campus on Monday evening with a picnic on Dietrick Lawn.

More than 30 representatives from schools around the world met with representatives from the Language and Culture Institute and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. 

Among those participating in the (nearly rain-free) picnic were AdvantageVT Director Elsie Paredes, Associate Director Bryan Ducote, Interim IEP Director Pamela Smart-Smith, and Senior Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions Tyler Oxley.

On Tuesday, participants took part in a walking tour of campus and then held brief sessions at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center.

Fairfax students take a trip to the money factory

Students and teachers from the LCI National Capital Region took a field trip recently to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C. The BEP designs and prints billions of dollars in paper currency each year for delivery to the Federal Reserve, the nation's central bank.

Below are essays written by several students, as well as photos from the trip.

Natalia Rodriguez

This was one of the most interesting places that I have visited in my life, because I could appreciate better how the money such as bills and are engraved, inked and printed.

We started to watch a video about the history of money, when the first engraving and printing was founded in 1862 just with six people. Then this company was growing with more people and it was totally formed in 1934. Since then the same company exists until now.

After we watched the video, the tourist guide showed us the steps how the bills are created and processed. The first step is they start to engrave the security marks on the bills and then they ink the bills with the colors green, yellow, black and blue. The second step is they print the bills with their denomination number, correlative serie and the year which it was created. This company changed the new design on the bills every seven or ten years. The people who design the new bills work in front of this company. Finally they package the bills in bricks. For example each brick has $80,000 in denomination of 20’s. In total the company produce from $900,000 to $1,200,000 per day.

One important data is the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Company has a customer that is The Federal Treasury Reserve (FTR). When the FTR receive the money it is distributed to all the national banks. 95% of all the produced money is exchanged for damaged money from the Federal Treasury Reserve, and just the 5% is placed in circulation, that it means “the national inflation” of The United States of America.

Victoria Cheng

This is my first time to see money printing out from machines. The tour guide said each type of notes will change their designs in 7 to 10 years. The water print designs are to make sure that notes are real. Those designs can not be easily reproduced. The paper used to print the notes is also special. Those trees are from the central of the United States. Moreover, notes are basically printed in green in the back and black in the front. Each notes print in different color. One dollar notes do not have special color. However, the rest of notes are printed in specific color. For example, ten dollar notes are printed with yellow and hundred notes are printed with blue.

Those machines used to print 1.5 billion dollars per day. Due to people who are changing their way to pay by credit card, now those machines reduce the amount to 900 million per day. The 95% of notes are used to replace the notes that are seriously damaged. The rest is used to keep the currency demand balancing. Before the notes are public to the market, the notes will check by machines to make sure the notes are correct. If there is an error, that note will be replaced with a special note whose number has a star. These notes for replacement are rare. If I get the note with a star, I will keep the note and do not use it. Meanwhile, I know there was a mistake happened. And this is what I have learned during the tour in Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

It is important to know how notes are being printed and how the government design notes to be protected. Also, I would like to know how people who work in Bureau feel because they company with million dollars. Even I just walked through in front of the window, I could smell the money.

Ayman Alhammad

Long time ago, money was important thing in our life. However, is not easy to have or to create it. Yesterday, I visited bureau of engraving and printing one of the effect place in global economy and take general idea about the dollar printing process.

Firstly, me and my friends take the metro from Dunng Louren to Smithsonian station that located on 14th St at DC, which the edifice at the there. It was old building.

Next, we walk up the stairs and it was surprised me that no unusual security pressure. After passed the check point. We sat at the lobby to watch a short film about the bureau.

After that, the guide women took us throw the corridors to explain how print money and how much the print every day. In addition the explanation was very deep and the questions that my friend asked our guide were smart.

In sum, I enjoy of the trip to bureau of engraving and printing. Absolutely it is a good place that any one will come to D.C have to visit. 

Listen as Argentine students reflect on their time at Virginia Tech

Andy Morikawa, host of Trustees Without Borders and executive director emeritus of the Community Foundation of the New River Valley, talks with the visiting Argentine students about their time at Virginia Tech.

The students were part of the Friends of Fulbright Undergraduate Exchange Program hosted by the Language and Culture Institute this year.

Creating pathways to partnerships with Jordanian universities

Written by Patricia Parera

Patricia Parera, second from left, talks with the president of The Hashemite University in Jordan, Kamal Bani-Hani.

Virginia Tech was invited by the Eurasia Foundation (EF) to join a consortium of universities from the U.S. and Jordan. This consortium is being established under EF’s Creating Pathways to University Partnerships project with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Jordan. The project’s aim is to strengthen strategic and long-term institutional cooperation between U.S. and Jordanian universities and develop new mechanisms for bilateral cooperation that enhance the productivity and impact of university linkages.

Patricia Parera, associate director for partnerships at the Language and Culture Institute, was invited to participate in a mission to Jordan in March. She was accompanied by Venkataramana Sridhar, assistant professor of biological systems engineering in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering.

This visit marked a critical step in the formation of the network and helped to refine our priorities and strategic directions. In addition to research collaboration, we highlighted the need for joint capacity building and professional training to enhance the skills of faculty and staff to deepen and sustain international cooperation through collective action. We also acknowledged the need to diversify partnerships with key stakeholders in the community to elevate the visibility and impact of our work. We identified several concrete activities to advance these priorities as we continue to seek out opportunities for larger-scale funding and resources. 

In the pictures is our visit to one of the universities in the program. The Hashemite University (HU) is named after the Jordanian royal family — the Hashemites — and was established by a royal decree in June 1991. Over the past 20 years, HU has expanded its academic and research profile to reach 13 faculties and one institute with more than 225 laboratory in different colleges, all equipped with the latest technological equipment. Even more impressive is the university's increase in the number of admitted students, which has exceeds 26,000 students enrolled in 53 undergraduate programs and 27 master's programs at the beginning of the 2016-17 academic year.

HU’s comprehensive strategy for environmental management is directed toward a green campus and mitigating climate change. The university's environmental sustainability strategy is currently the leader in Jordan public- and private-sectors' institutions (especially in photovoltaics), and is one of the leaders in the region, with many of its expertise being transferred to several projects in Jordan and in the region.

Some of the areas for possible collaboration with Virginia Tech include renewable energy, arid lands, public health and nursing, and capacity building. HU’s focus on its students as ambassadors of change who can carry the message of environmental social responsibility in their careers and future jobs is very much aligned with Virginia Tech's motto, Ut Prosim, as a way of life and Virginia Tech's Destination Areas.
 
Sukaina Al-Zyoud, HU's dean of academic development and international outreach, who visited Virginia Tech in March as part of the State Department’s International Visitors’ Leadership Program, was our main host. She is a force behind the university internationalization effort. 

The Jordanian universities would be excellent partners for Virginia Tech and for the broader Consortium of universities. Initially, the Consortium has identified the following main research clusters:

1. Water and natural resources.
2. Infectious diseases and public health.
3. Refugees.
4. Food security.
5. Education and market linkages.  

It is important to note that gender is a key constraint to achieving shared prosperity in Jordan. Gender disparities underlie a variety of issues, including poverty, inequality, and labor market dynamics. The U.S.-Jordan university consortium will strive to mainstream gender in its initiatives and propose solutions on key obstacles to women’s agency. In addition, a youth crosscutting theme will be incorporated in the consortium strategy. This could take the form of piloting a youth project; conduct analytical work on youth to inform policy dialogue, and foster youth inclusion.

Finally, we will continue to explore opportunities through Fulbright and other U.S. government programs to keep abreast of opening competitions in support of public diplomacy and leadership programs. The United States has few allies in the region, and Jordan is an island surrounded by many hostile nations to the U.S. in the region. Therefore, any effort that can promote broad-based engagement in research, professional and graduate training will go a long way.

Proposed initial collaboration with Virginia Tech and/or through the consortium of universities:

1. Supporting strategic research and partnerships.  The University of Jordan’s Water, Energy & Environment Center (WEEC/UJ) and VT’s Center for International Research, Education, and Development (CIRED) are interested in research aiming at improving the livelihoods and raise standards of living in developing countries (i.e. refugees’ issues) in connection with water, energy, and food nexus.  WEEC/JU is interested in VT’s in the Graduate Certificate in Natural Resources (GCNR) offered by the Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability (CLiGS). Such certificate program for students and professional seeking graduate-level education and training in environmental and natural resource management is of utmost importance for Jordan.  WEEC/UJ would like to participate in any executive training (certificate programs) to be offered to government policy and decision makers, NGO's officers and private sectors executives.
2. Helping Jordan cope with the impact of refugee inflows.  According to a recently concluded census, the total number of Syrians refugees in Jordan has reached about 1.3 million, representing 19 percent of the population.   Twenty five percent of the Syrian youth [between 18 and 24 years old] were in higher education when the war started . We are eager to support the displaced and their host communities, working in complementary ways with the Consortium partners by conducting research that would contribute to Jordan’s development agenda.  There is an opportunity through research and eventually investment projects to design a multi-faceted response, helping Jordan cope with the impact of refugee inflows on its economic and social fabric and turning this shock into a development opportunity.  The Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) multi-disciplinary and multi-agency project on international refugee research  could be an ideal resource for this research cluster.    
3. Train Jordanian faculty in data techniques, program evaluation, and randomized control trails. VT is in a position to organize short courses on these topics in Washington DC, by webinars or in country in partnership with the Department of Economics (Pamplin) and facilitated by the LCI.
4. Equipping Jordanian youth and refugees with vocational skills is important for both economic and security reasons. The Department of Statistics of Jordan reports that 51 percent of youth between the ages of 15 and 24 were unemployed in 2016.  In addition, women are over represented in higher education institutions, but underrepresented in the labor market.  Al-Hussein Bin Talal University (HTU) occupies a unique niche in Jordan’s higher education market – one that aligns the skills they teach with tangible employment opportunities in a more direct way than other institutions.  HTU pursues this goal by integrating employers, in the form of large corporations, into the fabric of the school and tailoring educational paths – from the two-year technical certification to an associate’s degree to a four-year bachelor’s degree. A partnership between HTU and VT’s TVET and positive youth development program designed and implemented by Virginia Tech’s Center for International Research, Development and Education (CIRED) could serve both Jordanian and refugees youth.  

Video: Creative Minds in the Grammar Class

Students in professor Monica Mulholland's Grammar, Listening, & Speaking 450 class in Fairfax showed off their work last term in this video:

LCI Fairfax students tour Air and Space Museum

Students and faculty from the Language and Culture Institute in Fairfax took a field trip recently to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The museum maintains the world's largest and most significant collection of aviation and space artifacts, encompassing all aspects of human flight, as well as related works of art and archival materials.

Below, read two students' essays about the trip.

Saud Alhokiar 

As usual, LCI provides every new season's field trip to please that seems interesting as U.S. museums or pike neck. On 7 February 2018, we went to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum that please present old things such as airplane and who old people create this airplane. I get a lot of important information it was very useful. The place was crowded because many people want to see something related to the previous centuries however I had a great time. It was a good time with my friends. In conclusion, I like places that related to the past because I like to think how these people can create something even though they do not have an ability like the ability which in the modern life. Overall it has pretty and amazing please and I hope to visit this place again with my family in future.

      

Marta

My experience during the field trip was amazing. It was my first time, I saw the Air and Space Museum before I did not had enough information about Airplane and Moon rockets and the machines that were used in the world. All the machines that we saw were in their original form which was interesting for me especially I had chance to touch the moon stone. Special representative was assigned for us to give the detailed information about the background and history of the machines which I really liked. Now I am interested to take my friends to this Museum. Using metro was also great experience, I learned how to recharge my SMART card for future trips and I will be able to travel next time by myself and can see more Museums in DC because all of the Museums in DC are free, which is great. I learned a lot and had fun with my classmates in this trip.

Hokies women's soccer coach visits LCI

Follow us on Facebook to see more photos from Coach Adair's visit.

Thanks to Chugger Adair, head coach of the Virginia Tech Women's Soccer team, for speaking this morning at the Language...

Posted by Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute on Wednesday, January 24, 2018

LCI faculty, staff lauded at OIA banquet

At the Outreach and International Affairs annual Celebrate Success banquet, a number of LCI faculty and staff were nominated by their peers for awards. Congratulations to all our deserving colleagues, and thank you for dedication!

Bonnie Sumner

Nominated for: Maroon & Orange Award

Bonnie Sumner exemplifies what it means to be a Hokie. As an instructor at the LCI, Bonnie imbues her students with her love of Hokie Nation. Beyond simply helping her students in the classroom, Bonnie makes sure that her students feel welcome in their new community. That means not only helping these international students make the most of their time in Blacksburg, but also helping Blacksburg get to know these wonderful students. For example, Bonnie routinely arranges for guest speakers such as Del. Sam Rasoul, Rep. Morgan Griffith, and VT football star Terrell Edmunds to come speak to her classes. She opens these classes up to the entire institute so all students can benefit. And benefit they do! You can see it means a lot to them to hear from these pillars of our community. Creating such a sense of pride in being here helps the LCI stand out among its competitors and helps spread what it means to be a Hokie worldwide.

Stephanie Ayala

Nominated for: Maroon & Orange Award

Stephanie Ayala, program coordinator at the Language and Culture Institute (LCI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) clearly exemplify the characteristics of the Maroon and Orange Award. The NCR location has increasingly taken on billing responsibilities for the entire LCI. In September, due to unusual circumstances, Stephanie was obliged to handle all the LCI Fall I billing on her own, in addition to her regular program coordinator duties. She performed this vital function perfectly, on time and without error, typical of her detail-oriented and careful work. 

In October the LCI/NCR began an evening English as a second language program to benefit the surrounding community. Stephanie provides the sole administrative support for this program, in addition to her LCI billing and program coordinator duties.
 

Beth Loar

Nominated for: Pylon Impact Award

Over the last year, Beth has demonstrated exceptional service and teamwork. This past year, she took on primary DSO responsibilities and assisted with conditional admission duties for the LCI due to two lengthy position vacancies.  She did this all while completing her regular LCI admission duties. Although performing all of these duties became hectic at times, Beth was always able to provide a superior level of customer service to all, continued to complete all of her work quickly and accurately, and was the first person to offer assistance when other LCI staff needed help or assistance. Her dedicated efforts often go unseen but have been critical to the overall operations of the organization this year.
 

Pamela Smart-Smith, Pedro Santiago, and Stephanie Ayala

Nominated for: Maroon & Orange Award

The billing and collection functions of the Blacksburg and Fairfax locations of the LCI were an area of concern following the sudden departure of an LCI employee on leave.  Yet this area of concern quickly transformed into an area of great achievement due to the collaborative efforts of Pedro Santiago, Stephanie Ayala, and Pamela Smart-Smith.  Over multiple terms, they have quickly enrolled students in courses & produced accurate invoices for numerous students & sponsoring organizations.  Pedro, Stephanie and Pamela have quickly addressed all billing & class issues & ensured that financial and academic records are updated.  They have gracefully & professionally worked with students or organizations failing to pay to bring their accounts up to date.  Their dedicated and collaborative team efforts have resulted in bringing all student & sponsoring organizations accounts current & serves as an example of great teamwork.
 

Andrea Todd, Elsie Paredes, Guennadi Bratichko, Aniseh Ghaderi, Liz Bowles, Rich Mathieson, Bryan Ducote, Pedro Santiago

Nominated for: Hokie Stone Team Award

Specially developed for international students who wish to matriculate into Virginia Tech, the development of Advantage VT (AVT) has engaged undergraduate admissions, enrollment management, as well as advisors and senior administrators in the Colleges of Business, Science and Engineering.  

This “AVT development team” refined the program concept, conducted market analyses, created and piloted curriculum, developed marketing materials, and assisted in presenting the program to college and department administrators.  

The most comprehensive effort ever undertaken by the institute, AVT would not have been possible   without the hundreds of combined hours dedicated by these team members to a common goal.
 

Stephanie Bailey, Patricia Parera, Rich Mathieson

Nominated for: Hokie Stone Team Award

Virginia Tech aspires to be a global university.  Over the past year, the LCI has undertaken five missions abroad, engaged a number of embassies, and welcomed three senior delegations to campus.  Three individuals have been key to the success of these activities, which have engaged over 50 VT faculty members from departments across campus.   

Rich Mathieson has created and/or contributed to web blogs, press releases, news items, brochures, pamphlets, banners and other materials, forwarding the VT brand in many ways and languages.

Patricia Parera has organized missions, promoted VT abroad, fostered contacts with senior officials, networked abroad and mobilized faculty support here at home.  

Stephanie Bailey, responsible for logistics for missions and delegations, has worked tirelessly to ensure that activities are planned and executed to the finest detail.  

These employees “walk the talk" of international engagement.
 

Stephanie Bailey

Nominated for: Ut Prosim Award

Stephanie Bailey was hired as my assistant one year ago.  Over that time, and for extended periods, she effectively did two full-time jobs.  When Stephanie was hired, the immediate need arose to back-fill her former position at the institute’s main desk.  The unexpected departure of a second office assistant created a void in both people-power and knowledge at our main desk.  For a period of many months we struggled with filling and training her former position.  Stephanie stepped in to not only fulfill my needs as her supervisor, quite demanding on their own, but also the responsibilities of managing the front office and, eventually, training a replacement.   When I was traveling, a frequent occurrence, Stephanie also juggled making last-minute changes to my itineraries with a demanding home life managing two young children.  Stephanie did all of this conscientiously and without complaint, making her my Ut Prosim hero.
 

Adil Bentahar

Nominated for: Maroon & Orange Award

Adil Betahar is very admired by his students.  He makes students believe in their own abilities and possibilities for the future.  Adil goes above and beyond for his students and all students at the LCI.  Adil has served as a translator and resource for students in need. He never hesitates to help a student or colleague regardless if he has previous plans.  He volunteers with the conversation program at the public library and works with the Blacksburg Refugee Coalition as a tutor and as a trainer.   Additionally, Adil volunteers with the VT Saudi Club and works with LCI Student Services to give ongoing orientation sessions to our students. Adil’s work ethic and leadership stand out. He is one of our most dedicated instructors, and for this we think he deserves recognition. 
   

Aniseh Ghaderi

Nominated for: Pylon Impact Award

Aniseh Ghaderi has given many years to the LCI.  In that time she has worked as an instructor and now serves as the Advisor for conditionally admitted students.  Aniseh has worked tirelessly to establish systems for advising students.  She has created all the materials we now use and has shared these within the institute and nationally at conferences.  Aniseh seeks to know about not only students’ academic lives, but also their personal likes and possible areas of difficulty.  She is kind and guides students to achieve their goals.  When a student is not successful, she tries to help them succeed even if the path they envisioned must be a different one.   In addition to her advising duties, Aniseh works with her colleagues for the good of the organization.  She works as an instructor, serves on the Assessment Committee, and is active with the Toastmasters.
 

Mary Freday

Nominated for: Maroon & Orange Award

Mary Freday is an innovative force in the classroom and outside of it.  Mary spends countless hours seeking new ways to reach her students.  Students always request to be in Mary’s classes as she pushes them to excel and makes them feel valued.  In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Mary assumed a strong leadership role in the institute by leading the curriculum committee.  She has worked tirelessly revising and, at times, completely rewriting curriculum for the Intensive English Program.  Throughout the last year, Mary has exceeded her job requirements and has made valuable contributions to the LCI. Additionally, she has volunteered to work on the Joint Curriculum Committee (Blacksburg and NCR locations) as a faculty representative to advise in decision-making.
 

Rich Mathieson 

Nominated for: Invent the Future Award

Rich Mathieson is not just a good all-around communicator, but he also brings immeasurable added value to OIA because of his facility with graphic design. He does many of the visuals for Save Our Towns, and each year he designs the annual OIA wall calendar with originality, flair and elegance. (And without complaint!) His designs are tasteful and stack up with the best coming out of Virginia Tech's art departments. What's more, he's an excellent colleague, sharing his skills in photography workshops and other less formal trainings. When any job requires extra graphic-arts skills, such as fitting OIA's department names within the new Virginia Tech logo, Rich is always the one there to help everyone make it work. (I'm not sure Rich has ever been recognized before, and if so it's long overdue!)

Language and Culture Institute/National Capital Region Instructors

Nominated for: Hokie Stone Team Award

The faculty of the Language and Culture Institute adheres to the highest standards of instruction while projecting warmth and empathy to all our English language learners. Our current teaching staff has been with us for multiple terms, most for multiple years! They bring enthusiasm into the classroom while encouraging and facilitating student learning. The LCI/NCR instructors effectively prepare English language learners for admission into and success during their future undergraduate and graduate degree programs. In addition, they assist students as advisors and work closely with them to ensure their future academic success. 

Congratulations to Allie Shamsaei, Monica Mulholland, Lily Jaffie, and Inge McKenney.on a job well done. Thank you for all that you do!