SARASOTA, Fla. (May 19 2017) – Dr. Jody McBrien is no stranger to travel, having visited dozens of countries, including Japan this summer to teach at Sōka University in Tokyo.
Soon, she’ll head to another destination. The education specialist, who has written about refugees and efforts to resettle them, was recently selected by publisher John Wiley & Sons Inc. to receive its first Women in Research Travel Award. “As I recall, I saw the call back in January. I didn’t think I had any chance at it, but I chose to apply anyway,” Dr. McBrien said. “So I was very surprised when I received an email from Wiley congratulating me.” Selected from among 200 applicants, Dr. McBrien said she intends to use the award’s $2,000 cash prize to present her work internationally at the July 2018 International Association for the Study of Forced Migration Conference in Thessaloniki, Greece. “After that, I hope to spend two weeks volunteering at a refugee camp in Greece,” she said. “As I did not expect to receive this award, I am certainly very pleased that I received it!” USFSM to host academics from around the world USF Sarasota-Manatee next week is set to host two back-to-back conferences that together are expected to draw hundreds of academics and students from around the world. The first event, the Global Conference on Education and Research (GLOCER), scheduled May 22-25, will focus on teaching methods and research. The second, the Graduate Student Research Conference in Business and Economics, May 25-26, is concerned with business practices and economic theory. Between the two, about 200 academics and graduate students are anticipated representing 40 institutions in 24 countries, co-organizer Dr. Cihan Cobanoglu said. Dr. Cobanoglu, McKibbon Endowed Chair and director of the M3 Center for Hospitality Technology and Innovation at USFSM, planned the events with Dr. Waynne James, a professor of adult education at the College of Education at USF in Tampa, starting a year ago. Also helping organize the event were USFSM students, including graduate student Akash Mehta, who called the experience enjoyable and instructive. The Association of North America Higher Education International (ANAHEI) helped get the word out and USF and USFSM faculty issued calls for papers to attract scholars, including from overseas. Although academics often travel abroad for conferences, it’s rare for graduate students to do the same. “My hope is that these conferences create an atmosphere for interdisciplinary cooperation and research ideas,” Dr. Cobanoglu said. “I also hope that we can network to learn more about each other.” Keynote speakers will include Dr. Terry Osborn, interim regional chancellor at USFSM, and Dr. Roger Brindley, who leads USF World, which oversees system-wide global engagement for USF. Dr. Karen Holbrook, senior advisor to the system president, will serve as a keynote speaker at the Graduate Student Research Conference. To learn more about that event, visit gradconference.org/schedule/. For information, visit conference.anahei.org/schedule/. Grads report success at finding jobs Some Class of 2017 graduates are reporting back that they’re having success finding jobs, including a couple of alums who’ve chosen to stay local. Michasel Kletschke, a 23-year-old business management graduate, says he’s looking forward to joining Enterprise Holdings’ management program this summer. “It’s nice, first off, to find a job right out of college, but secondly their management program is very well known and highly regarded,” he said. “It’s a huge opportunity for me and I’m really excited.” He heard about the program through USFSM’s Career Services Office and expects to start the eight-month training in mid- to late-June. A transplant from Zurich, Switzerland, Kletschke said he couldn’t help but notice that Enterprise has a European presence, including in Germany. Kletschke came to the United States as a 16-year-old and happens to speak fluent German, however he says his focus right now is on the management program. After that, he’ll work wherever he’s needed most. “We’ll see. I still have lot of training to get through,” he said. Also remaining in the area is Taylor Greenan, 21, who landed a job at Sarasota County as a mosquito management aide. The biology major started her new job the day she graduated, May 8. She said she was excited at the prospect of working in her field right out of college, but she hasn’t ruled out the possibility of enrolling in graduate school in a few years. “I want to work for a little while, but at some point I’ll probably go back to school,” she said. Congratulations to both. ### |
About USF Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) USF Sarasota-Manatee is a regional campus of the University of South Florida system, offering the prestige of a nationally ranked research university with the convenience of a hometown location, including classes in Manatee County, Venice and online. Separately accredited, USFSM is ideal for those interested in pursuing a baccalaureate or master’s degree, professional certification, or continuing education credit in a small, personal setting with distinguished faculty and a dynamic curriculum of over 40 academic programs. Website: www.usfsm.edu. |