The University of Colorado at 麻豆影院's Office of International Education has named two new program directors who will promote ongoing efforts to expand study abroad opportunities for students and forge partnerships with faculty, staff and scholars who can share their global experiences with others.
The Office of International Education, or OIE, has named Mary Dando as director of the university's study abroad programs and Kim Kreutzer as associate director of international education. The OIE, which oversees 165 programs and manages the enrollment of more than 1,100 study abroad students each year, promoted both longtime CU-麻豆影院 employees from within.
"These appointments say something about the high quality of staff members in our office," said OIE Director Larry Bell. "There were some very good external candidates, but we are confident that Mary and Kim bring the experience needed to strengthen all of our programs."
Enrollment in CU-麻豆影院's study abroad programs has increased significantly over the past decade, rising from 432 in the 1996-97 academic year to 1,114 in 2006-07. Study abroad programs in Australia, Italy and Spain and the Semester at Sea voyage are among the most popular.
Bell said increased demand for study abroad opportunities at all U.S. colleges and universities has created a greater need for professionals with the worldwide connections necessary to choose the right programs for students based on their academic and extracurricular interests.
Dando has worked in the study abroad field for the past 18 years at CU-麻豆影院 and the University of Kansas. In her new capacity she will manage day-to-day activities in CU-麻豆影院's Study Abroad Office, work with staff on program development and innovation, and continue to nurture longstanding ties to national and international study abroad organizations.
"CU-麻豆影院 is known for having one of the top study abroad offices in the country," said Dando, who has worked for OIE for 10 years. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue CU-麻豆影院's decades-long legacy of offering students a wide variety of opportunities to study abroad. Twenty-five percent of students who start at and graduate from our campus have studied abroad. We look forward to the coming years as we work strategically to further increase the international opportunities available to all of our students and faculty."
Meanwhile, Kreutzer, who lived in Japan for a year and spent a summer in Germany, will work with CU-麻豆影院's academic departments to help address the curricular and programming needs that can be met through study abroad and exchange programs. She also will support the OIE's strategic plan to turn CU-麻豆影院 into a campus with an even greater awareness of international news, events and activities.
In addition to its study abroad programs, the OIE provides services for more than 1,200 international students. Kreutzer hopes to build more partnerships between these aspects of OIE and the rest of the campus.
"Part of the reason that I'm in this field is that my time abroad changed my outlook about the world and made me realize how important it is for all of us to understand other cultures, other philosophies, other ways of doing things, other political systems - and everything else out there in the world."
For more information about the CU-麻豆影院 Office of International Education go to .