Penn State Global 2021 Annual Report by Penn State Global

2021 ANNUAL REPORT

ENHANCING PENN STATE'S GLOBAL FOOTPRINT: TRANSFORMATION AND LEADERSHIP IN CHALLENGING TIMES

TABLE OF CONTENTS Vice Provost's Comments Refreshing Our Identity Penn State Points of Global Pride Global Impact of Penn State Retirement of Dr. Robert Crane Penn State Global Strategic Planning International Alumni Spotlight: Fiorella Otero Planning and Partnerships

01 02 03 06 08 09 13 14

Strategic Initiatives: Partner Updates | Penn State expands WEF nexus activities through Colombian partnership | Fulbright Program | Libraries' Mark Mattson Receives 2021 APLU Malone International Leadership Award | Global Safety | International, domestic students explore Gettysburg battlefields | Global Collaborations

Penn State awarded nearly $39M for global research on threats to crops Global Programs 2020 Awards Penn State, University of Split partner to identify nun's remains Education Abroad EDGE fosters virtual collaboration, in pandemic and beyond | Penn State partner Monash University honors Jenni Evans with fellowship | Back to the World

International Alumni Spotlight: Isam Al-Zadjali Penn State Harrisburg: An International Hub International Student & Scholar Advising

24 25 27 28

38 39 40

International Students | International Scholars | International Faculty

Global Learning

Global Outreach, Development, and Alumni Relations Global Outreach | Sponsor Relations | International Alumni Relations and Stewardship | Global Programs Development Funds | Student Ambassadors to Global Alumni (SAGA)

Social Media & News Stats Closing Remarks From Dr. Roger Brindley

59 60

VICE PROVOST'S COMMENTS Welcome to the Penn State Global Annual Report – our second annual publication and our first under the new name of Penn State Global. This document highlights some of the accomplishments and statistics for the global enterpriser across Penn State from the calendar year 2021. This year presented unique challenges in negotiating and navigating the realities of a global pandemic that manifests itself in very different ways both within and across countries around the world. Here at Penn State after a year when the whole institution has come together to maintain the health of our faculty, staff, and student communities, we now prepare for another semester of masking for spring of 2022, ever thankful for the research and practice of our colleagues battling to understand and mitigate this pandemic. This annual report affirms the remarkable work of Penn State in the global arena. In the fall of 2021, we were finally able to send a limited number of students on education abroad programs and we welcomed a new cohort of international students to the one-of-a-kind residential Penn State experience while simultaneously building our international student numbers in the World Campus. We even hosted our first delegation since the early weeks of 2020 when our partners from the University of Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Colombia, visited to expand joint research opportunities across the Water-Energy-Food nexus. While the global pandemic presented profound challenges, Penn State has not wavered from its commitment to global engagement. As you will read in this report, we used this time of transition to innovate across our new Penn State Global strategic plan, begin new initiatives, and reorganize our operations to enhance our collaboration across the institution. From an additional emphasis on pathways to global learning beyond Education Abroad (such as our EDGE program, which you can read about in this report), to a new group connecting current international students with our global alumni family, to exciting new programs which connect international and domestic students together to assist with global concerns in our local communities, Penn State Global is devoted to supporting pervasive global engagement at this Land-grant university. As you will read, we are taking a multi-pronged approach! This approach is best articulated in our new Strategic Plan, which was finalized in early 2021 and has already begun to be implemented. We are looking at the processes and procedures of the university, changing things that don’t work and supporting things that do; creating diverse and inclusive communities that build much-needed perspectives within our campuses; and supporting world-class international research and scholarship that makes impact locally and globally. The university’s international impact was celebrated again in 2021. Penn State placed 3rd in the United States and 34th in the world in the Times Higher Education’s (THE) Impact Rankings, and in collaboration with our partners at the University of Auckland, we hosted THE’s Innovation and Impact Summit in April, which was a rousing success. Then, during the fall semester, Penn State Global was the recipient of the Forum on Education Abroad Award for Advancing the U.N. SDGs through Education Abroad. I am delighted to share this report with you. It is a visual document - full of graphics and carefully curated stories that, together, paint a picture of Penn State’s global footprint. For those of you reading the digital version, I invite you to follow the embedded links for more detailed information. On behalf of my colleagues in Penn State Global, I hope this review illustrates and emphasizes the extraordinary year that was 2021 and the remarkable work of the globally engaged community across Penn State. We are joined in our efforts by many, many partners – around each campus, around the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, around the country, and around the world. It is you who lifts us up and allows us to fulfill our mission as a global land-grant university for the 21st century. Thank you. We Are!

2021 Annual Report | 01

REFRESHING OUR IDENTITY From "Global Programs" to "Penn State Global"

"Rebranding Penn State Global reflects the dedication of Penn State to our work as a global land-grant university for the 21st century. The globally-engaged work of the University can be found across every college and every campus. The rebranding demonstrates the core commitment and transformational impact of the institution as we seek positive societal change across local and global communities.” - Roger Brindley, Vice Provost for Global

As of Oct. 1, 2021, Penn State's Office of Global Programs officially has a new name. The unit, which houses 100 employees spread across the commonwealth, is now Penn State Global. “Rebranding Penn State Global reflects the dedication of Penn State to our work as a global land-grant university for the 21st century,” said Roger Brindley, vice provost for Global. “The globally-engaged work of the University can be found across every college and every campus. The rebranding demonstrates the core commitment and transformational impact of the institution as we seek positive societal change across local and global communities.” Penn State Global is responsible for supporting the global academic and research enterprise of the University. This work includes: international student and scholar advising supporting Penn State faculty, staff and students’ global engagement, such as education-abroad programming facilitating external partnerships with institutions around the world enhancing global learning in curricular and co-curricular campus life. Since 2010, the office has grown in scope and size as a result of the University's increasing global footprint.

Our operations at the University Park campus now include offices on the 3rd and 4th floors of Boucke, as well as at Innovation Park. We also employ 12 employees at the University’s Commonwealth Campuses where we provide direct support to international students and to curricular and co-curricular life. The brand refresh, spearheaded by Global Programs’ Marketing and Communications team alongside Strategic Communications, will allow for more effective communication on behalf of the University to external stakeholders worldwide. “The Penn State Global rebranding reflects the University’s integration of varied perspectives in support of its mission and commitment to enhancing global engagement,” said Nick Jones, executive vice president and provost. “This transition will help the office — and Penn State — meet the needs of individuals and communities worldwide through teaching, research and service.” Reflected Brindley, “The Penn State Global brand will be instantly recognizable and promote the global footprint and institutional profile of the University within the United States and around the world."

“The Penn State Global brand will be instantly recognizable and promote the global footprint and institutional profile of the University within the United States and around the world." Roger Brindley Vice Provost for Global 02 | 2021 Annual Report

PENN STATE POINTS OF GLOBAL PRIDE The Times Higher Education University Global Impact Rankings recognized Penn State for excellence in

Life on Land 2021 Global Rank: 16

Zero Hunger 2021 Global Rank: 12

Sustainable Cities and Communities 2021 Global Rank: 16

OVERALL

86.0

79.2

87.2

Impact Ranking 2021 Global Rank: 32

Partnerships for the Goals 2021 Global Rank: 32

Life Below Water 2021 Global Rank: 32

OVERALL

91.7

93.4

76.4

Ranked 32nd in the world

-Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2021

Tied for #4 US Producer of Faculty Fulbright 2020-2021

Tied for 20th among public U.S. universities 2021

Top Producer of Student Fulbright 2015-2021 Ranked 18th among public universities in the U.S. & 52nd in the world

03 | 2021 Annual Report

PENN STATE POINTS OF GLOBAL PRIDE Eight top-10 rankings Penn State World Campus

-U.S. News’ 2021 Best Online Programs

2019 Gold Award for Leadership and Pervasiveness in Global Learning, Research & Engagement -Association of Public & Land Grant Universities (APLU)

#1 institution in the U.S. for producing the best-prepared, most well-rounded graduates, who are most able to succeed once hired -survey by The Wall Street Journal

#2 in the U.S. for graduating CEOs

(#1 Stanford, #2 Penn State, #3 Harvard Business School) -LinkedIn survey 2018

2021 Recipient of The Forum’s Inaugural Award for Advancing the SDGs through Education Abroad -The Forum on Education Abroad

Top 100 Global Universities -QS Rankings, 2021

#54 among best universities in the world -Center for World University Rankings, 2020/21

Eight programs in the world top 20 rankings

-Shanghai Ranking, Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, 2021

#10 best online bachelor's programs -U.S. World and News Report Rankings 2021 #97 in the world

-Academic Ranking of World Universities 2019 2021 Annual Report | 04

PENN STATE GLOBAL RECOGNIZED FOR SUSTAINABILITY BY THE FORUM ON EDUCATION ABROAD The original version of this release was published on the Forum on Education Abroad’s website and can be found on the forum's website. The version below has been slightly modified.

Penn State Global has been selected as the recipient of The Forum on Education Abroad’s first Award for Advancing the U.N. SDGs through Education Abroad. Penn State Global partners with the University's academic units and the Sustainability Institute to implement curricular integration, programmatic updates and operational changes to continue its mission of advancing the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. “It has been a pleasure to work with the Penn State Education Abroad staff for all people’s and our planet’s health and happiness,” said Peter Buck, academic programs manager in the Sustainability Institute. “When we work together, we can accomplish beautiful things, and so can our students and faculty.” Penn State Global partners with many units across campus in pursuit of sustainability-focused programming. One such unit is Ag Sciences Global, in the College of Agricultural Sciences. “We are happy to be in collaboration with Penn State Global to advance the U.N. SDGs through study abroad programming,” said Ketja M. Lingenfelter, assistant director for student global engagement in Ag Sciences Global. “Our courses focus on specific SDGs and build these into the curriculum. We are partnering with our international hosts, Penn State Global and the Penn State Sustainability Institute to create carbon-conscious travel options and are providing students with project and volunteer opportunities both locally and abroad to lower their carbon emissions related to international travel." The Forum’s Award for Advancing the UN SDGs through Education Abroad honors member institutions and organizations whose education abroad programs promote economic, environmental and social sustainability. By recognizing members who have made significant progress towards the SDGs, the forum seeks to inspire the field to contribute to a more sustainable future for all. Penn State Global was selected by a subcommittee of the Advancing the SDGs Working Group, chaired by Natalie Cox of Campus France, and will be acknowledged as the inaugural award recipient during the forum’s 18th annual conference. “The U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals represent a powerful framework for learning about and empathizing with the safe, just and equitable advancement of our global society,” said Roger Brindley, vice provost for Penn State Global. “As Penn State strives to offer a breadth of accessible learning abroad opportunities, we’ve found it most important to establish clear linkages between our global educational experiences and the SDGs. This effort has also encouraged Penn State Global to find new and creative ways to weave sustainable practice and consciousness throughout our education abroad enterprise across the commonwealth.” Read the full article on Penn State News

2021 Annual Report | 05

GLOBAL IMPACT OF PENN STATE RESEARCH

$993.1M TOTAL $610M

Celebrating the remarkable profile of a worldclass, global, land-grant university.

2021 FUNDRAISING $4.61B

$306.6M

ENDOWMENT & SIMILAR FUNDS

ANNUAL FUNDRAISING

194,593

$10.6M

$93.1M

*THON

# OF DONORS

FEDERAL RESEARCH

INDUSTRY & PRIVATELY SPONSORED RESEARCH

*The largest student-run philanthropy in the world committed to enhancing the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer

2020 Research Publications with International Collaborators North America (non-US) 1510 Europe 4305

Middle East 642 South America 728

Middle East 214

Africa 160

South America 229

12,970

3,687

By # of publications

By # of institutions

Asia-Pacific 1294

Asia-Pacific 5380 Source: Publication data for 2017-2019 from SciVal, Elsevier. Individual publications may have collaborators in several countries and institutions

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

133 CHAPTERS INCLUDING 42 INTERNATIONAL 171,172 DUES PAYING MEMBERS

06 | 2021 Annual Report

707,000 ALUMNI WORLDWIDE

Europe 1632

GLOBAL IMPACT OF PENN STATE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT TOTAL ENROLLMENT FA21 TOTAL - 9303 FROM 140+ COUNTRIES

FA21 TOTAL GRADUATE ENROLLMENT -

15,438

*GRADUATE, LAW, & MEDICAL

FA21 TOTAL ENROLLMENT BY CAMPUS

FA21 ENROLLMENT Total Enrollment

World Campus 17.3% Other 1.7%

88,914

Undergraduate 73,476 Graduate

UP 53.4%

Commonwealth Campuses 27.5%

Medical Law

13,893 671

874

FA21 TOTAL ENROLLMENT BY GENDER F - 41,355 *Data from stats.psu.edu, Penn State Planning, Assessment, & Institutional Research, and the Office of Senior Vice President for Research

M - 47,373 07 | 2021 Annual Report

RETIREMENT OF DR. ROBERT CRANE Associate Vice Provost for Penn State Global, Dr. Robert Crane, officially retired in July of 2021

Dr. Robert Crane came to Penn State as an assistant professor of geography in 1985 and was promoted to professor in 1994. His early work was on sea ice-climate interactions and on the use of satellite microwave data for sea ice analysis. His was some of the earliest University work with satellite microwave data and from 1997 to 2000 he served on the NASA Earth Observing System Science Executive Committee. Soon after arriving at Penn State, Rob became interested in projecting future climate change and, with his then doctoral student Bruce Hewitson, Crane pioneered the concept of “statistical downscaling” global climate model projections for regional-scale climate change and published one of the first papers on climate downscaling in 1992.

Rob led that effort until he was appointed associate vice provost for Global Programs in 2017. He also served as interim vice provost from January 2019 to April 2020. Rob was awarded the University’s LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award in 2013. “Throughout his long and successful career at Penn State, Rob Crane has championed the need to situate his research and academic discipline in the global context. His legacy to all the students who he has taught and advised is extraordinary, and faculty and staff consider him a knowledgeable, inspiring and gracious colleague,” reflected Roger Brindley, vice provost for Global.

During his tenure in the Department of Geography, Rob taught 19 different courses in geography and earth science and co-developed and co-led 15 embedded or short-term courses to South Africa, the Bahamas and Curacao. He won the Earth and Mineral Sciences Mitchel Award for Innovative Teaching in 2013.

Brindley continued, “In recent years he has become a critical voice as Global Programs worked to enhance global engagement within the values and goals of the University. His thoughtful but always calm and caring demeanor is respected across the commonwealth and around the country, and Global Programs will miss an exemplary leader and a good friend when Rob retires.”

Rob served as associate director of the EMS Earth System Science Center from 1990 to 1993 and associate dean for education in EMS from 1993 to 2007. He served as interim dean of the college from 2006 to 2007. After stepping down from the associate dean position he served as director of the Alliance for Education, Science, Engineering and Development in Africa (AESEDA) from 2007 to 2015.

“I am grateful to have spent my career at an exceptional university and working with some incredible people,” Rob said. “The memories I will cherish the most are those times spent with colleagues taking students on field programs abroad, while working with a wonderful group of colleagues in Global Programs to further enhance Penn State’s reputation and engagement around the world.”

Early during that tenure, AESEDA moved to the Office of Global Programs, which began his more formal association with the office.

Thank you Rob for all of your service, your leadership, and your vision throughout your time at Penn State!

08 | 2021 Annual Report

PENN STATE GLOBAL STRATEGIC PLANNING Vision Statement Penn State Global will lead the transformation of Penn State into a truly global University where global perspectives and global engagement are integrated across the entire University community—faculty, staff, and students—and in all components of the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service. In 2021, Penn State Global launched the implementation of its fiveyear strategic plan. Our three strategic goals aspire to uphold global engagement as a foundation of the University and integrate global dimensions into all its functions: Goal 1: Establish globally aligned institutional structures and systems that extend and support Penn State’s societal impact in communities at home and abroad. The purpose of this goal is to promote binding policies and procedures that embed global engagement and accentuate institutional strategies that integrate global perspectives.

Goal 2: Build a globally engaged community that thrives from diversity and inclusive perspectives. This goal is designed to create opportunities for students to develop global competencies and accelerate the intercultural competence of faculty and staff, all in an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Goal 3: Promote and support focused, high-impact research and scholarship that link campus, local, and global partners. This goal seeks multi-layered and interdisciplinary world-class university partnerships with targeted research initiatives that include higher education and business/industry/government entities in intentional locations.

09 | 2021 Annual Report

PENN STATE GLOBAL STRATEGIC PLANNING

Goal 1: Establish globally aligned institutional structures and systems that extend and support Penn State’s societal impact in communities at home and abroad.

This goal is built around four objectives: 1.1. Develop interdisciplinary policies and procedures that are conducive to global learning and research. 1.2. Design a user-friendly and accessible monitoring system for global data at Penn State. 1.3. Enhance all aspects of global marketing and communications. 1.4. Implement a dedicated strategy alongside Development and Alumni Relations to reconnect with international alumni and engage current international students.

Select Accomplishments 1.1. Policies and Procedures Creation of two new advisory committees: The Global Academic Leadership Council and Global Operations Taskforce involve twenty academic and administrative leaders across the University and will provide guidance on policies and practices to support global activities. 1.2. Monitoring System Completion of a needs assessment outlining the required features and functions of the future database. Integration of international data about enrollment, degree awarded, and graduation and retention in the Penn State Data Digest, which is publicly available. 1.3. Marketing and Communications Rebranding of the office: Known now as Penn State Global, the office will leverage the newly created brand to strengthen the institutional profile of the University. 1.4. Alumni and Development Creation of the Global Outreach, Development, and Alumni Relations unit led by Anna Marshall (Director of International Alumni Relations) and William Shuey (Director for Global Outreach). Launch of the Student Ambassadors to Global Alumni program (SAGA) which connects students to international alumni: fifty SAGA mentors started their new roles in October 2021 10 | 2021 Annual Report

PENN STATE GLOBAL STRATEGIC PLANNING

Goal 2: Build a globally engaged community that thrives from diversity and inclusive perspectives.

This goal focuses on providing global learning opportunities for the Penn State community and is built around three objectives: 2.1. Provide global learning experiences accessible to all students by infusing international perspectives into curricular and co-curricular programs, developing virtual learning activities, and expanding our study abroad portfolio. 2.2. Encourage faculty and staff to consider and integrate global perspectives in their teaching, research, and service to students. 2.3. Advocate for the well-being of our international population and promote a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive environment that provides a platform to continuously strengthen and apply global knowledge and that supports a prospering dialogue across local and international communities.

Select Accomplishments 2.1. Students Organization of two virtual engagement workshops: In June 2021, seventy faculty from Penn State and Monash University (Australia) attended a three-day program. Eight teams were formed and are expected to launch joint classes. Following a similar workshop with Paris Nanterre University (France), eight Penn State faculty have identified partners for future collaborations. Redesign of the Customized Programs Development Grant (CPDG): This faculty travel grant will now prioritize projects that incorporate at least one UN Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 2.2. Faculty and Staff Implementation of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) which was administered to four units and more than five hundred employees across the University. 2.3. Local – Global Communities Appointment of an Enrollment Management task force responsible to identify trends and practices to increase enrollment and grow diversity among students. A report was drafted in October 2021 and is being reviewed by the leadership of the University. Collaboration with Admissions and Pre-Arrival Advising to enhance the communication with incoming international students and their parents.

11 | 2021 Annual Report

PENN STATE GLOBAL STRATEGIC PLANNING

Goal 3: Promote and support focused, high-impact research and scholarship that link campus, local, and global partners.

This goal is built around three objectives: 3.1. Elevate several bilateral partnerships to a long-term consortial relationship that builds close ties between members who have common research priorities, joint academic programming, and high level of faculty and student mobility. 3.2. Collaborate with the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research to develop additional highly focused bilateral research partnerships that are driven largely by the priorities of the interdisciplinary research institutes.

Select Accomplishments

3.3. Create novel partnerships with public and private sectors (including developmental and humanitarian organizations) focused on direct community impact—a global extension of Penn State’s land-grant mission.

3.1. Global Consortium Confirmed interest of three partners: Freiburg University, Monash University, and the University of Auckland. The leadership of these institutions is strongly supportive. Completion of a draft framework describing the mission, vision, structure, and expected outcomes of the future consortium. The document is being reviewed by the partner institutions. 3.2. Bilateral Partnerships Creation of the Joint Innovation Partnership committee (JIP). The committee includes representatives from Penn State Global and the Office of the Vice President for Research and is responsible for promoting bilateral research projects with international partners. Identification and prioritization of research focus areas: A proposal was recently submitted to establish a seed grant program based on those priorities. 3.3. Local Communities and International Land-Grant Collaboration with the Sustainability Institute to explore projects involving communities across the Commonwealth to address local challenges that have a global impact. Analysis of strategic opportunities for institutional partnership in Latin America and the Caribbean: This detailed data-driven model will be used to develop strategy in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions.

12 | 2021 Annual Report

INTERNATIONAL ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: FIORELLA OTERO Readers will note that throughout this Annual Report we spotlight our inspiring, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. We hope you enjoy their extraordinary stories of our international graduates.

Fiorella Otero’s path hasn’t always been the most direct. “A lot of people in university stress about not having everything figured out yet or changing majors,” Otero said. “But it’s OK to be unsure.” Otero knows all about winding paths. She joined Penn State in 2006 without declaring a major. “I was born in Peru and grew up there until I was 9, when we moved to Indiana,” she said. “Indiana did not have as much diversity as Penn State. I really wanted to experience something new.” Otero ended up choosing to major in print journalism with minors in international studies and French, but it wasn’t necessarily the University's academics that were the most impactful for her. Almost as soon as she arrived, she auditioned for — and was accepted to — the Penn State International Dance Ensemble (PSIDE). “I’d always loved dance, since I was a little girl,” Otero said. “My dad would play music around the house and I would always dance to it. I wasn’t classically trained, but wherever I would go, I would try to join dance clubs or classes. It’s a part of my culture.” Otero’s participation in this club would end up being life-changing for her career path. Otero also met her husband, Peter, a 2008 alumnus of the College of the Liberal Arts, at Penn State. After graduation, they decided to move to Doha, Qatar, where Otero began her post-Penn State life working for a magazine and then a public relations firm.

“I create all of our marketing materials and written materials and I run our website. I learned all of those skills from Penn State and the jobs I got as a result of my degree.” When she returned to Qatar, she and her husband Peter discussed what it might look like to open a dance studio. “The dance scene in Doha isn’t as developed as New York City or London,” Otero said. “We really wanted to expose the community to dance and performing arts in general.” This idea came to fruition with the founding of Brava Studio, a dance and aerial arts education center in Doha. The studio spreads the “transformative power of the performing arts and its ability to engage and inspire people of all ages,” according to its website. The creative side is run by Otero, while her husband handles the business side. Otero wanted to make sure that she professionalized dance in Doha. She only hires professional dance instructors — many of them internationals. Right now, Brava employs six instructors, an assistant manager and a receptionist — eight employees from seven different countries. Though opening a dance studio isn’t a traditional route for a journalism major to take, Otero credits her time at Penn State with much of her success. “I learned so much in journalism and PR,” she said. “I create all of our marketing materials and written materials and I run our website. I learned all of those skills from Penn State and the jobs I got as a result of my degree.” Read Fiorella's full International Alumni Spotlight on Penn State News

2021 Annual Report | 13

PLANNING AND PARTNERSHIPS An Introduction by Mel White Senior Director of Planning and Partnerships

Dear dedicated partner, The year 2021 was an important one for Planning and Partnerships. While we became a single unit on October 1, 2021, the people and offices within Planning and Partnerships had long contributed within Penn State Global before that date.

The Global Safety Office manager Natasha Soulé worked with her team to provide health and safety guidance to an ever-increasing volume of international travelers.

This has been a year of transition. Like much of the rest of the Penn State community, we began the year working remotely and marked the oneyear anniversary of remote work in March. Around that time, we also learned of the restructuring and rebranding plan for Global Programs.

Siela Maximova brought to Penn State her Colombian counterparts for the Colombia WEFNexus conference and Alexandra Persiko coordinated activities to strengthen Penn State’s bonds with key partners in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

The new structure would reflect our strategic plan, aligning people and units in a way to best support the plan. And our new name, Penn State Global, would reflect a growing emphasis within Penn State aimed at achieving the University’s foundation of “Enhanced Global Engagement”.

Similarly, Sylvester Osagie worked with Penn State counterparts to create a plan for enhancing engagement with sub-Saharan Africa while Esther Obonyo made several international trips aimed at resuming partnership activities.

Under Vlad Likholetov’s leadership, the Global Collaborations office implemented process changes and reviews to begin “rightsizing” the quantity of our international agreements leading to 3.5% decline in active agreements. As head of Applications Development, Phil Brannen led a combined effort to transition the Education Abroad and Travel Safety Network databases to a hosted environment with Terra Dotta.

Within Penn State Global, no transition has been more significant than our implementation of the strategic plan, ably guided by Aisha Nabe in her role as Strategic Planning and Analysis Manager. This transition is taking us to our vision of a globally engaged university—a “global” land-grant university.

Visit global.psu.edu/engagement to learn more about our Strategic Partners

14 | 2021 Annual Report

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

PARTNER UPDATES: MONASH & AUCKLAND

Penn State is eager to expand the newest partnerships - Monash University & the University of Auckland - building stronger connections through thematic initiatives.

MONASH>

PENN STATE STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Twenty-six Penn State undergraduates presented their research alongside hundreds of others across the world at the virtual 2021 International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR), held Sept. 28-29. ICUR is supported by Monash University, Australia, and the University of Warwick, England. Participating students represented 14 higher education institutions from 12 countries. This was the first year that Penn State students participated in ICUR. "This entire process really educates and empowers students and prepares them well for events such as scientific conferences organized by associations in their respective fields, public presentations of their work to wider audiences and asking critical questions and different viewpoints on particular topics and problems,” said Brian Brubaker, Assistant Vice Provost for Global Learning. AUCKLAND>

MONASH>

LIBRARIES PROGRAM WINS AWARD A friendly baking competition with Monash has garnered Penn State University Libraries a shared firstplace spot in the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) PressReader International Marketing Award competition for 2021. The Great Rare Books Bake-Off, a joint effort with Monash University Library last summer, provided an enjoyable, creative outlet during the pandemic by inviting the community to bake featured recipes from the universities’ rare cookbook collections and post the results on social media.

CO-HOSTING A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Penn State and the University of Auckland co-hosted the Times Higher Education Innovation and Impact Summit on April 19-22, 2021.

"I am so pleased that this collaborative project has been recognized in such an important international venue,” said Mark Mattson, the University Libraries’ head of global engagement initiatives and international partnerships.

15 | 2021 Annual Report

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES PARTNER UPDATES: FREIBURG

Penn State is so excited to share such a closely aligned partnership with a world leader in materials research. The partnership is one of a consortium of four, strategically- aligned universities within the Global Engagement Network. Through such partnerships, Penn State Global continues to support interdisciplinary networks of research around the world.

VIRTUAL CLASSROOM

A PILOT PROGRAM IN VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT In 2020, Penn State and the University of Freiburg launched a pilot program to create collaborative, integrated virtual classroom courses by providing development and implementation money to faculty teams. The first project, “Global Perspectives in Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management (IPPM) Weekly Webinar Series,” was co-led by Natalie Boyle, assistant research professor in entomology at Penn State, and Professor Alexandra Klein at Freiburg. It ran in the fall and early spring semester 2021. The second project, “Solar Energy Integration and Economics,” was conceived and organized by Mark Fedkin, assistant teaching professor in the John Dutton E-Education Institute/Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State, and Professor Anke Weidlich at Freiburg. The project included 12 weekly class sessions.

2021 Annual Report | 16

RESEARCH

IN THEIR OWN WORDS "It would have been impossible to perform such cuttingedge and crossdisciplinary research without the opportunity and seed funding from the Penn State / Freiburg Partnership." -Dr. Manching Ku, University of Freiburg, who collaborated with Dr. Tak-Sing Wong of Penn State on early cancer diagnostics

Martin’s Gate, or Martinstor, Freiburg, Germany

KEY ACTIVITIES

STUDENT-LED VIRTUAL RESEARCH EVENT The Convergence Center for Living Multifunctional Material Systems (LiMC2), in partnership with the University of Freiburg’s Cluster of Excellence for Living, Adaptive and Energyautonomous Materials Systems (livMatS) hosted a graduate student-focused interactive workshop and poster session in June 2021. Elena Vazquez and Denise Widdowson, both doctoral students at Penn State, and Paula Straub and Jan Büttner, doctoral students at University of Freiburg, co-organized the event, which focused on fostering scientific exchange between graduate students at University of Freiburg and Penn State; building a student community with a focus on peer mentoring and networking; and exploring opportunities for exchange visits.

PENN STATE EXPANDS WEF NEXUS ACTIVITIES THROUGH COLOMBIAN PARTNERSHIP

Penn State's impactful work in the area of Water, Energy, and Food is expanding in geography. Our WEF Nexus in Africa project is well underway, and now we are proud to work with partners across campus and across the globe in this area.

It involved 34 participants from Penn State, including faculty, students and staff; 13 faculty from UTadeo; and one participant from Fundación Alpina, Colombia.

Roger Brindley, vice provost for Penn State Global (center), stands with the visiting delegation from UTadeo (La Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano)

The Penn State Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus community is focused on understanding the complex challenges associated with waterenergy-food systems, developing sustainable solutions, and promoting sustainable development and capacity building at local and global levels. The nexus began in Africa with The Convening in 2017, but has now expanded to South America under the leadership of Siela Maximova, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. The collaboration between Penn State and UTadeo was initiated in 2018 with a grant from the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund. Since then, the partnership has grown into a WEF-Nexus Colombia Program supporting projects addressing community level challenges in the departments of La Guajira, Magdalena and Cundinamarca in Colombia. The projects are supported through a seed-grant program with funds provided by the U.S. Embassy in Colombia, Penn State Global and Ag Sciences Global. The 1st annual partnership meeting in October 2021 brought together collaborators from Colombia and U.S. to share their experiences, discuss their results from current projects and chart the next phase of the collaborations.

In his opening remarks, Roger Brindley, vice provost for Penn State Global, emphasized that WEF-Nexus programs like the one in Colombia — with focus on transdisciplinary research, global learning and development — are strategic for Penn State. Brindley opened the week’s events with a presentation on the University’s vision for global engagement. The week was spent getting the collaborators familiar with Penn State and the Penn State system; updating each other on the status of each project under the WEF umbrella; and figuring out the most effective ways to push the program forward. “The WEF Nexus initiative has shown its power to develop research projects with a direct impact in communities and the environment,” said Andres Franco, vice rector of UTadeo. “Our collaborative work for the last three years has shown the potential of our relationship and the challenge we have ahead in turning this initiative into a formal program, not only with local impact, but also into a regional initiative.”

The visiting delegation visited the Nittany Lion Shrine on the University Park campus.

Read the full article on Penn State News 17 | 2021 Annual Report

FULBRIGHT PROGRAM CREATING FULBRIGHT LINKAGES>

PENN STATE CO-HOSTS COLOMBIAN FULBRIGHTER EVENT On Wednesday, Sept. 29, Penn State co-sponsored an event titled “Becoming a Colombian Science Ambassador.” The event, which took place via Zoom as part of the Fulbrighter Week, had about 40 attendees, mostly current or former Colombian Fulbright recipients in the U.S., many who have studied or worked at Penn State. The event focused on the important role of the scientific diaspora in contributing to the development of the science agenda in Colombia. The overarching theme: Colombian Fulbrighters are agents of change who have the opportunity and responsibility to contribute to the world. Specifically, the presenters referred to the concept of "science diplomacy."

From Pennsylvania to endless possibilities

FULBRIGHT IMPACT>

AG SCIENCES FULBRIGHTER MAKING AN IMPACT IN GHANA In rural Ghana, women carry a hefty workload because they are responsible not just for child-rearing and household tasks but also for farm chores. Though their contributions often leave women with less free time than men, their work is undervalued, and most women are not equal partners in financial decision-making, according to Kaitlin Fischer, a doctoral degree candidate in rural sociology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Fischer wants to give these women a voice, so she is spending the next several months in Ghana to advance that aspiration, thanks to a Fulbright Research Award and Africana Research Center grant. “My research is designed to employ feminist research methodology that is implemented with and for women and is attentive to my role as a researcher and the research process itself on the study’s participants and findings,” she said. “I am grateful for this opportunity to expand my knowledge while supporting women in Ghana.”

FULBRIGHT: BY THE NUMBERS>

#4 Penn State was tied #4 producer of Fulbright Scholars in the United States in 2019-20

Penn State faculty received highly competitive Fulbright Scholarships

75th Anniversary

2021 marks the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright program - Penn State will be celebrating in Spring 2022!

2021 Annual Report | 18

Kaitlin Fischer, a doctoral degree candidate in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, left, facilitates a farmer field school in Ghana with Bernice Wadei, Savanna Agricultural Research Institute gender officer, center, and Salamatu Mohammed, interpreter. Photo Credit: Kaitlin Fischer

Since arriving in the country in early September, Fischer has studied the effects of two ongoing interventions to assist Ghanaian farmers. The first, which is led by the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, introduces various technologies and production techniques intended to advance women’s participation in the peanut value chain by saving time and reducing labor needs. Fischer came to Penn State in the fall of 2019 on a University Graduate Fellowship, having earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy, institutions, and behavior, and a certificate in American politics and public policy from Rutgers University in New Jersey. She also holds a master’s degree in food systems and society from Marylhurst University in Oregon. Original Story by Amy Duke. Read the full article on Penn State News

LIBRARIES' MARK MATTSON RECEIVES 2021 APLU MALONE INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD Penn State Global is thrilled to work with partners across campus to promote Global Engagement. One of our most active partners is the University Libraries, whose global efforts are led by Mark Mattson. Mark got some well-deserved recognition for his efforts by the APLU, and we are thrilled to share it in this report.

Mark Mattson, head of global engagement initiatives and international partnerships for the Penn State University Libraries, has received one of two 2021 Michael P. Malone International Leadership Awards from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). The award annually recognizes individuals who advance international education at public universities in the United States. “Those familiar with Mark’s work are aware of his many efforts to strengthen and raise the visibility of Penn State’s Global Engagement Network,” said Faye A. Chadwell, dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications at Penn State. “This award is a well-earned achievement and wonderful recognition for his role in championing of one of Penn State’s strategic initiatives, and I’m grateful for his leadership and enthusiasm to support and connect both students and academic librarians from around the world.” In his role at the University Libraries, Mattson has played a vital part in efforts to make its locations at Penn State’s 24 campuses more inclusive for international populations. Through his outreach work, he promotes the use of the Libraries’ many international resources, including databases of government documents and international literature, films and newspapers. These and other efforts help to create a more welcoming environment for all patrons of the University Libraries.

“The Penn State Libraries work across our whole community and we are thankful to Mark and his colleagues for ensuring international students have full access to their world-class academic support,” said Roger Brindley, vice provost for Global. "We offer our congratulations to Mark on this well-deserved national recognition and our grateful appreciation to all his colleagues.”

The Malone Award honors the legacy of the late Michael P. Malone, a champion of international Mattson has helped advance Penn State’s Global education and one-time chair of the APLU Engagement Network by establishing Commission on International Education. Malone international sister-library partnerships in served as president of Montana State University support of larger institutional collaborations. from 1991 until his death in 1999. Under his leadership, the Libraries has Original story by Beverly Molnar, public relations specialist, developed intercultural programming events to foster global citizenship. Penn State Read the full article on Penn State News 19 | 2021 Annual Report

GLOBAL SAFETY OFFICE The Global Safety Office is a vital part of the Penn State commitment to prepare and support students, staff, and faculty when traveling abroad. We are pleased to summarize the work of this office in 2021.

TRAVEL AFTER COVID This year brought new challenges and opportunities for the Global Safety Office in its lead role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to international travel. While university-affiliated international travel remained suspended during the first half of 2021, we remained busy launching an upgraded Travel Safety Network system with a number of improved features to support our travelers, while also carefully reviewing travel exception requests to provide the highest level of health and safety support to mission critical international travel during such a turbulent time before vaccines were widely available. Global Safety was nimble in developing review processes for Education Abroad programs that accounted for COVID risks, which allowed our first study abroad programs to successfully resume during Summer 2021. Over the course of the summer, Global Safety worked closely with university stakeholders to formally lift on August 16 the university-wide international travel suspension that covered all faculty, staff and students put in place in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Complementing this step, the university also instituted a requirement for employees and students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to international travel, in line with the CDC’s guidance. The change in international travel reflected the positive impact of COVID-19 vaccination efforts worldwide and the reduced risks for vaccinated international travelers. As welcome as these changes are, heightened health, safety, and security concerns will remain, which is why certain countries continue to be restricted for international travel and require additional forms, health and safety review, and approval in advance.

COVID-19 Vaccination Rates

90% of students living on-campus

83.8% of students living off-campus

89.8% of Penn State employees

*all stats are as of December 16, 2021

2021 Annual Report | 20

INTERNATIONAL, DOMESTIC STUDENTS EXPLORE GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELDS

Penn State's global reach does not only come from University Park! Our campuses across the Commonwealth engage globally in many ways, from hosting students, to sending students abroad, to creating new programs for global collaboration. One such story came from a collaboration between a Global Engagement Coordinator and an instructor at Penn State Altoona.

Over 100 students from seven Penn State campuses signed up for a tour of the Gettysburg battlefields in October. The international students were accompanied by students from a Penn State Altoona course titled HIST 161: Gettysburg in History and Memory. Students in this class are required to give oral presentations about the battle to their peers. In this case, though, their instructor, Jared Frederick, saw a new opportunity. “I’d been working with Ryan [Geiger] in our American Studies courses, and he had asked if there were any possibilities for including international students in new experiences,” Frederick said. “I reached out and he seemed intrigued by the idea.” Geiger, who represents Penn State Global at Penn State Berks as an International Student Advisor and Global Engagement Coordinator, had been looking for ways to increase international student engagement at the campuses.

Local Impact Frederick decided that, instead of having his students present to each other, that each of them would act as a tour guide for a group of international students at the actual battleground. “They did a fantastic job,” he said. “They made it very engaging and interactive." Students watched the film on the battle and looked at the exhibits before departing on a two-and-a-half hour tour, separated into four busses. The day concluded at the cemetery, where Frederick showed the international students something they may not have expected. “There was actually a Chinese immigrant who fought in the battle,” said Frederick. “When I lifted up the picture of him, I felt like it became real for them...I think when we convey human stories like that, it shows a bigger, more global picture that connects with anyone.” “It was an amazing experience getting to know about the great Battle of Gettysburg and how it plays a crucial role in Pennsylvania and the United States history,” said Arya Samarth, an international student from Penn State York. “What better way of engaging students in history than field trips! We Are!”

International students and American History students stand on the steps of the Lincoln Speech Memorial in the Soldiers National Cemetery to recite the words and comprehend the meanings of the Gettysburg Address.

Read the full article on Penn State News

21 | 2021 Annual Report

GLOBAL COLLABORATIONS International agreements are a key tool in Penn State’s globalization efforts. The types of agreements range from specific contracts that govern programs with international institutions to ceremonial documents expressing an intention to discuss possible areas of cooperation.

Global Collaborations manages a portfolio of nearly 300 agreements, from the initial inquiry, to contract processing, to expiration of and archiving records in accordance with University policies. These agreements support partnerships with 221 international institutions in 70 countries. In addition, nearly 50 drafts were in development as of our last report in 2020. Almost 40% of the international agreements are Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) and support a variety of activities that usually reflect longer-term and more established research or educational relationships. Half of these MOAs are related to study abroad programs and set forth details such as the number of students that may participate in a particular program per semester or academic year, eligibility criteria, what types of courses the students may take, and logistics and student support services each university must provide. Another quarter of the MOAs establish programs for graduate students. The remainder are a mix of internship programs, articulation agreements that allow students to start their degree at one institution and finish at the partner university, joint research centers, and other initiatives that require written contracts.

Some examples of these types of agreement include:

• Direct enroll undergraduate program with University College Dublin (UCD) in Ireland • • Dual degree programs with Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) School of Law in Taiwan • • An internship program with the Institute for Field Education (IFE) in France & Belgium • • Summer undergraduate program with the University of Limpopo in South Africa • • Undergraduate reciprocal exchange agreement with Jönköping University in Sweden • • A research partnership in biosensing with National Taipei University of Technology (MOU) •

BY THE NUMBERS

The remaining agreements include Letters of Intent or general Memoranda of Understanding that establish inter-institutional relationships or support individual faculty collaborations around the world. These agreements acknowledge intentions to work together with researchers at an international university or provide a broader framework for an emerging partnership. Sometimes, they are used to demonstrate to funding agencies that a relationship exists.

22 | 2021 Annual Report

GLOBAL COLLABORATIONS Education Abroad faced significant challenges over the past year due to travel restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Students could not participate in Education Abroad programs from March 2020 until the end of spring semester 2021, and faculty could not travel to visit potential locations in which to develop new programs. Accordingly, the portfolio of Education Abroad international agreements remained rather stable, with eight (8) agreements signed during the last ARIA cycle. Of those, half were renewals of existing agreements and half represented new programs. The distribution of EA agreements remains consistent, with the top five (5) countries with the most agreements located in Europe and Oceania. One area of growth has been in the international internship programs that Education Abroad offers. Four (4) agreements have been signed with third party providers that run international internship programs, and two (2) more agreements are in development. These reflect new opportunities that Education Abroad has been developing due to expressed student interest for such experiences. Originally taken from the 2021 Annual Report of International Agreements

North America Canada (1) USA (10)

Education Abroad Agreements

Europe United Kingdom (9) Germany (5) Italy (5) Czech Republic (2) France (2) Ireland (2) Spain (2) Denmark (1) Sweden (1)

Asia Latin America

Africa & Middle East Israel (2)

South Korea (3) Hong Kong (2) China (1) Japan (1) Singapore (1)

Australia (4) & New Zealand (5)

23 | 2021 Annual Report

PENN STATE AWARDED NEARLY $39M FOR GLOBAL RESEARCH ON THREATS TO CROPS Penn State research has real-world impact. The work of David Hughes in identifying and predicting pests has been estimated to save the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of lives in Africa. Dr. Hughes and his team have taken a giant step to pushing his work forward in conjunction with USAID.

Reducing the negative effects of pests, diseases and weeds on crops in a climate-changed world is the goal of a multi-institution team led by Penn State and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of the organization’s initiative to end global hunger. The award was announced Nov. 6 by Administrator Samantha Power of the United States Agency for International Development at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. The grant — up to $39 million total over five years — will establish the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops at Penn State. David Hughes, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Global Food Security and professor of entomology and biology in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Eberly College of Science at Penn State, will serve as the program director. “Pests, diseases and weeds are chronic burdens that prevent smallholder farmers from achieving economic prosperity,” said Hughes. “Increased trade and climate change are increasing this burden, which necessitates innovative research for development that is rapidly deployed into farmer fields.”

Dr. David Hughes will serve as program director of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab.

A major focus of the Innovation Lab will be to increase the pace of research related to new and emerging threats to crops, which will require the participation of a broad community of researchers in the U.S., Feed the Future countries and the CGIAR system, a global research partnership. “This Innovation Lab will have inclusion and diversity at its core,” said Rimnoma Serge Ouedraogo, associate director for the Innovation Lab, who is from Burkina Faso. “It is for this reason that we are making historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions key partners and focusing strongly on capacity building in universities and research centers in Feed the Future countries.” Annalyse Kehs, organizational director for the Innovation Lab, added, “Along with inclusion and diversity, youth and women are included as a core focus for this Innovation Lab. This is a powerful model that we have proven to be successful in relation to enabling smallholder farmers, mostly women, to adopt and use new technologies to improve their yields while combating youth unemployment.” "Along with inclusion and diversity, youth and women are included as a core focus for this Innovation Lab. This is a powerful model that we have proven to be successful in relation to enabling smallholder farmers, mostly women, to adopt and use new technologies to improve their yields while combating youth unemployment." -Annalyse Kehs, organizational director, Innnovation Lab

Penn State will partner with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Michigan State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, the International Potato Center, the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Dream Team Agroconsultancy (Kenya), Shamba Shape Up (Kenya), iDE (Nepal), Zamorano (Honduras) and INERA (Burkina Faso). Read the full article on Penn State News Original story by Sara LaJeunesse, Strategic Communications

24 | 2021 Annual Report

PENN STATE GLOBAL 2021 AWARDS

Advancing a Global Penn State Awards Read about the award announcement at Penn State News

OUTSTANDING PROGRAM AWARD EXPERIENTIAL DIGITAL GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT (EDGE) This award was given to the Experiential Digital Global Engagement program. The EDGE program's collaborative projects, which are often interdisciplinary in nature, group Penn State students with students from different international universities to work together on a specific project.

OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION AWARD

TIFFANY MACQUARRIE

ASSIS TEACHING PROF, ENGLISH This award honors and recognizes exemplary leadership by a faculty or staff member who has demonstrated leadership, innovation, and creativity in developing and/or enhancing international education opportunities for students.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

JENNIFER ELYSE GLICK

PROF IN SOCIOLOGY DIRECTOR, POPULATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE This award recognizes one individual who has demonstrated outstanding achievement towards furthering the vision of a Global Penn State.

OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AWARD

SIELA N. MAXIMOVA

RESEARCH PROFESSOR OF PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY This award honors and recognizes innovative research projects and initiatives that can be shown to be advancing progress towards one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION ABROAD AWARD

KETJA LINGENFELTER

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR STUDENT GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT This award honors and recognizes exemplary leadership, innovation, and creativity in developing, implementing or enhancing education abroad opportunities for members of the Penn State community.

25 | 2021 Annual Report

PENN STATE GLOBAL 2021 AWARDS

The Office of Penn State Global celebrates and honors global engagement of students, faculty, and staff through several annual awards programs. We are so proud of our 2021 recipients! Please celebrate these global leaders with us.

W. LAMARR KOPP INTERNATIONAL FACULTY AWARD The W. LaMarr Kopp International Faculty Award is designed to recognize faculty members who make extraordinary contributions to the advancement of the international mission of the University including leadership and support for international education, service to the international community, and research with a significant international component.

CATHERINE CUTTER

PROF OF FOOD SCIENCE ASSIS DIR OF FOOD SAFETY & QUALITY PROGRAMS IN THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

ARDETH & NORMAN FRISBEY INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AWARDS This award honors and recognizes outstanding contributions to international understanding by graduate/undergraduate international students (holding non-immigrant status) enrolled in full-time resident instruction or its equivalent.

UNDERGRADUATE:

ANG CHEN, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, SHC

LEADERSHIP:

UNDERGRAD, NAUFAL MURTADZA PENN STATE HARRISBURG

GRADUATE, HAZEL VELASCO COLL. OF AG SCIENCES

GRADUATE:

FRANCISCO REYES ROCHA, COLL. OF AG SCIENCES

2021 Annual Report | 26

From Pennsylvania to Croatia

PENN STATE, UNIVERSITY OF SPLIT PARTNER TO IDENTIFY NUN'S REMAINS Left to right: Dragan Primorac; Sister Dobroslava Mlakic, who is a postulator in the process of beatification of Sister Marija Krucifiksa Kozulić; and Archbishop Ivan Devcic, in a photograph taken immediately after the identification of Sister Marija's remains.

Penn State and Croatian faculty, including from the University’s partner the University of Split, recently collaborated on the identification of the remains of Sister Marija Krucifiksa Kozulić (1852–1922), a Croatian nun who is in consideration for beatification by the Vatican. The team of researchers consists of colleagues who have collaborated in the forensic sciences for years, including members of the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory in the United States. Mitchell Holland, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and forensic science in the Eberly College of Science, and Dragan Primorac, the former minister of science, education and sports of The Republic of Croatia and the first Penn State global ambassador, appointed in 2016, have been friends and colleagues for decades. Their friendship has led to collaborative projects between the two universities in a diverse area of fields, supported by seed grants from Penn State Global.

Sister Marija Krucifiksa Kozulić was a pious and generous nun from Croatia who dedicated her life to helping the poor and less fortunate, including running an orphanage on the island of Krk during World War I. Upon her death, Sister Marija was buried in a tomb belonging to the Society of Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rijeka, along with other nuns, including her sister, Tereza. A total of 52 individuals were known to be buried in the tomb based on historical records. On Feb. 20, 2011, these remains were exhumed for the purposes of Sister Marija’s identification.

Forensic science in particular has been an area of strong collaboration and has resulted in completion of the Sister Marija project.

Despite challenges, the researchers were successful due to the application of a new technique that allowed them to capture small fragments of the recovered DNA for sequence analysis. Even though the DNA findings could not tell the Kozulić sisters apart, as reference sources from each sister were unavailable, modern science proved to the researchers that the remains of the siblings were indeed found in the tomb, as they were matched to a reference sample from a distant paternal niece using a broad genomics approach.

"I am grateful to the Office of Global Programs at Penn State for the continuous support of the collaboration between scientists from Penn State and the University of Split, resulting in a historical identification of Sister Marija and her biological sister Teresa almost 100 years after Sister Marija's burial,” said Primorac.

“[My students and I] were delighted to have been a part of this project with our partners in Croatia and here in the United States,” said Holland. “This was a textbook example of the collaborative work required to identify historical human remains. Sister Marija dedicated herself to a life of service, so her consideration for Sainthood is well deserved.”

Read the full article on Penn State News 27 | 2021 Annual Report

EDUCATION ABROAD A Letter from Kate Manni, Director of Education Abroad

I am honored to serve as director of Education Abroad after over 10 years of commitment to Penn State Global and its mission of providing global learning opportunities to all Penn State students. The past year has continued to present challenges to our Education Abroad staff, our faculty and staff colleagues across the Commonwealth, our prospective study abroad students, and our colleagues around the world who host outstanding education abroad programs. And yet, in the face of onceunimaginable global challenges, the creativity and resilience of faculty, staff, and students have made study abroad programming possible for our students once again. We celebrated the victory of a small cohort of Penn State students studying abroad in summer 2021 - our first outbound cohort in nearly 14 months. Those students shared photos and written reflections of their experience that have been tremendously impactful in helping future students understand the realities of daily life abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fall 2021, we reached another milestone by sending over 40% of our typical fall semester enrollment abroad. This steady growth in student participation in education abroad was made possible by dedicated staff performing enhanced health and safety reviews of all program locations and working diligently to help prepare students for an ever-changing international travel environment. We anticipate sending over 500 students abroad

28 | 2021 Annual Report

for spring 2022 semester and several hundred more to participate in short-term programs during the semester break. One exciting addition to the Education Abroad portfolio is the integration of Penn State Experiential Digital Global Engagement - or EDGE - into our collection of global learning opportunities. We are pleased to welcome Tiffany MacQuarrie, Assistant Professor of English and Professor in Charge of EDGE, and Tracy Coleman, EDGE Program Associate, to our team. Their wealth of knowledge and experience in collaborative digital learning projects and curricular development are an asset to Penn State faculty members across the Commonwealth and to our partners abroad seeking to link their course with a Penn State course for a joint student project. We are thankful for the investment of additional scholarship funds to support students who plan to study abroad in the near future. Our “Back to the World” scholarship campaign highlights Penn State’s dedication to opening global learning opportunities to all and includes unique options such as obtaining a free passport or earning the distinction of ‘sustainability scholar’ through education abroad or virtual global engagement paired with environmental action and service. It is our hope that hundreds of students will benefit from the “Back to the World” scholarship program over the next two years. With gratitude for the patience and resilience of our students and colleagues, I remain hopeful for the continued expansion of our education abroad offerings and an increase in safe and responsible student mobility abroad. “We Are” wishing our outbound education abroad students well in their academic and cultural pursuits!

2021 EDUCATION ABROAD FAIR LD R O W E H T O T BACK Penn State Global’s first hybrid Education Abroad Fair took place from October 12-14, 2021. The theme of this fair focused on welcoming students “Back to the World” and incorporating the Back to the World initiative through additional funding opportunities presented at the fair, such as the Back to the World Education Abroad Fair Award for attendees to the Education Abroad Fairs hosted virtually on October 12 and 14, and at the University Park, Altoona, and Abington campuses.

Students interested in education abroad were invited to meet with returned students, education abroad staff, and 82 registered exhibitors via Zoom webinar, in-person tabling event, and Brazen virtual expo across the three days. Each day highlighted a different type of experience.

Students peruse the booths at the in-person Education Abroad Fair at University Park

Students speak with a representative at the in-person Education Abroad Fair

The hybrid nature of the fair allowed 791 students from 13 campuses to participate in the events of the fair.

ATTENDEE STATISTICS BY YEAR 400 300 200 100 0

First-year Sophmore

Junior

Senior

Day 1 focused on learning about the education abroad process while learning from returned students. Day 2 highlighted Penn State offerings such as faculty-led programs, internship opportunities, and customized education abroad programs that are integrated into curricula. Day 3 brought together our partners from around the globe to meet one-on-one with Penn State students on Brazen despite immigration challenges caused by the pandemic.

Graduate 29 | 2021 Annual Report

STUDY ABROAD ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: CLAIRE JABLONSKI Readers will note that throughout this Annual Report we spotlight our inspiring, faculty, staff, and students. We hope you enjoy their extraordinary stories.

Claire Jablonski is a Penn State student who studied abroad in Vienna, Austria as a study abroad student. During her exchange program she also had the opportunity to travel to places like Switzerland, Greece, Germany, and Hungary. Currently Claire is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and minoring in Statistics and Applied Economics. She will be graduating in May 2022 and plans to teaching secondary math in Colorado Springs through Teach for America after graduation. What made you choose to study abroad? Going into college, I always knew that I wanted to study abroad. My mom was a traveling nurse before having kids and loved it. She always talks about the different adventures she had and all the people she met. She inspired me to want to travel more and explore the world. One of the first things I did when I came to Penn State was looking into the Education Abroad office and research study abroad programs, I was interested in.

What skills did you develop from studying abroad? How have you integrated these skills into your overall academic and social life? I learned how to be independent. Now I am not afraid to travel and explore on my own. If I find something that I am passionate about, I will go and explore it myself. Other than that, I realized I needed to say yes to more things and take in every moment. This has helped me coming back to school to take in all opportunities and experiences.

Tell us a memorable moment from your experience that you carry with you now. While in Vienna, I loved exploring the Cafés seen throughout the city. I would hop on the Viennese subway, known as the U-Bahn, and travel to investigate new places. Taking public transportation gave me the freedom to explore a big city on her own. My goal while in Vienna was to find the Café with the best Appelstrudel. From talking to my professors and various locals, I was able to take in Vienna and find some of the best local places to eat and study. Getting to know the Vienna landscape inspired me to travel to other countries to experience their cultures. Some of my favorite trips were to Switzerland, Greece, Germany, and Hungary. Going to new places with the people I met from my IES Vienna program was thrilling as we were experiencing different cultures for the first time together. To this day, I continue to talk to my friends from the program about the adventures they had together. Studying abroad was a great educational experience, along with being an opportunity of a lifetime that I will remember forever.

What are your two pieces of advices to our current students at Penn State? Firstly, say yes to everything! Life is so short not to say yes. Learn and experience from different people. We all can teach each other so much. Secondly, study abroad in college. It was single handily the best decision I made coming to Penn State. Even though my experience was cut short due to Covid-19, I made the most of it. When else would you ever get to live and study in another country.

2021 Annual Report | 30

EDUCATION ABROAD BY THE NUMBERS

EDUCATION ABROAD BY REGION SU21-FA21 LAT AM & CARIBBEAN 3%

ENROLLMENT BY TOP 5 MOST POPULAR DESTINATIONS AY 2019-2020

MIDDLE EAST 1% VIRTUAL 5% EUROPE 84%

AUSTRALIA 4%

AFRICA 1% ASIA 7%

ITALY 21% GERMANY 4%

U.K. 8%

SPAIN 13% # OF STUDENTS WHO WENT ABROAD ON EDUCATION ABROAD PROGRAMS SU21-FA21*

*TOP 5 LOCATIONS REPRESENT 64% OF ALL EDUCATION ABROAD EXPERIENCES. REMAINING 36% IS DISPERSED GLOBALLY

116

*THESE NUMBERS DO NOT REFLECT THE 6 PERREAULT FELLOWS WHO COMPLETED NON-PENN STATE INPERSON INTERNSHIPS DURING SU21

TOTAL BY SEMESTER STANDING AY 2020-2021

First-Year Soph Junior Senior Grad 0

31 | 2021 Annual Report

EDUCATION ABROAD BY THE NUMBERS

TYPES OF EDUCATION ABROAD EXPERIENCES

BY GENDER SU21-FA21 67% 33% IIE's Open Doors Report: Nationally, 67.4% women & 32.6% men (2019-2020)

THE PENN STATE COMMITMENT TO ASSISTING STUDENT EQUITY AND ACCESS TO WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION ABROAD

SUMMER 2021 STUDENTS AWARDED 22

AWARD TOTAL 28

$1,211

AVERAGE AWARD *awarded 2020-2021 AMOUNT

60% STUDENTS AWARDED 48

AWARD TOTAL 70

FALL & AY 2021 2021 Annual Report | 32

$957

AVERAGE AWARD AMOUNT *awarded 2020-2021

OF STUDENTS WHO STUDIED ABROAD IN 2020-2021 RECEIVED FUNDING

PENN STATE PARTNER MONASH UNIVERSITY HONORS JENNI EVANS WITH FELLOWSHIP B: Vice Chancellor Margaret Gardner; Richard Niall, Honourable Justice, Supreme Court of Victoria; Ms Carolyn Creswell, Founder of Carman’s Fine Food; Mr Ian Carson AM, Chair of Markets, PwC Reinsurance, Co-founder SecondBite, MCG Trustee; Chancellor Simon McKeon AOF: Professor Catherine Crock AM, Professor at Deakin University, Royal Childrens’ Hospital Physician; Ms Aggie Maisano, Lawyer, PwC; Professor Jenni Evans

Dr. Jenni L. Evans, director of Penn State’s Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, professor of meteorology and atmospheric science, and faculty associate of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, has been recognized as a university fellow by Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Evans is an alumna of Monash, one of Penn State‘s strategic partners. Since 2010, the Monash University Council has named a small number of Monash alumni as fellows, in recognition of distinguished service or attainment in the arts, sciences, professions or civil society for the benefit of the community. Evans is the Penn State faculty liaison for development of a university-level partnership between Monash and Penn State, collaborating closely with Penn State‘s Office of Global Programs. The two universities share strategic, research, intellectual, and cultural synergies, which Evans has tirelessly fostered and pursued.

“The close collaboration between the two universities would have never been possible without Jenni,“ said Alexandra Persiko, strategic partnerships manager in Penn State Global. “We are vicariously happy for her to have received this significant and well-earned recognition.“ Evans was the centennial president of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) in 2019. She is a fellow of both the AMS and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She has served on numerous national and international committees and has long been a meteorologist on an interdisciplinary team of scientists and actuaries advising the State of Florida by auditing catastrophe risk models for hurricanes and flood. Evans’ research spans tropical climate, climate change, hurricane lifecycles from deep in the tropics to the far North Atlantic (like Hurricane Sandy in 2012) and sonification – the “music of hurricanes.” Her research has taken her to many countries and opened doors to collaborations and opportunities across the globe.

“Over the last few years, I have committed to building a university-level partnership between Penn State and Monash University, my alma mater “I am honored by being named a Monash in Australia. The intellectual vibrancy and the Fellow,” Evans said. culture of these universities are so well aligned Read more about Strategic Initiatives at that I feel at home in both, and building this global.psu.edu/engagement or by contacting Alexandra partnership is natural,” Evans said. Penn State and Monash University have enjoyed multi-faceted connectivity between faculty and students for many years. Seeing this level of engagement, the two universities agreed to work toward a true strategic partnership in late 2017.

Persiko, Strategic Partnerships Manager, at axp1225@psu.edu.

Read the full article on Penn State News

2021 Annual Report | 33

EDGE FOSTERS VIRTUAL COLLABORATION, IN PANDEMIC AND BEYOND One of the initial EDGE participants

EDGE began in 2018 with one EDGE collaborative project between Claudia Tanaskovic at Penn State Beaver and the University of Split, Penn State’s strategic partner in Croatia. Since then, 18 EDGE projects have been delivered between Spring 2018 and Fall 2020, offered by faculty across five Penn State campuses. What is EDGE?

EDGE collaborative projects groups of students from Penn State together with students from different international universities to work on a specific project together. It was adapted from SUNY’s Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) approach. EDGE collaborations happen virtually — neither group leaves their home country during the duration of the project. EDGE and Global Engagement

At Penn State, the name EDGE emphasizes its connection to Penn State's strategic priorities, specifically “transforming education,” “enhancing global engagement” and “empowering through digital innovation.”

Tiffany MacQuarrie, Professor in Charge of EDGE

EDGE provides students opportunities to engage with the world — especially during times of limited, unpredictable mobility — regardless of student resources. When travel resumes, EDGE projects can still be a way to engage lesser-resourced students who may not be able to study abroad. EDGE collaborations can also serve as a precursor to study abroad and be connected to Penn State’s embedded programs. “Statistically, only about a quarter of Penn State students will go abroad during their academic career,” said Brian Brubaker, Assistant Vice Provost for Global Learning. “We’re always excited to support new and innovative ways to engage students globally, even if they never physically leave Pennsylvania.” “Our students learn how to interact with people who are different from them and work with them on projects over a distance,” said MacQuarrie. “They develop their intercultural competence as well as their digital skills, intercultural interaction, project collaboration, and distance collaboration.” “It’s ambitious, but my goal is that every Penn State student, at some point in their academic career, will have been able to participate in an EDGE project,” said MacQuarrie. “The time is ripe for this type of collaboration, and we’re only looking to grow from here.” 2021 Annual Report | 34

Read the full article on Penn State News

Penn State Global’s Education Abroad office is starting a new initiative called “Back to the World.” Students are encouraged to get back out into the world by taking advantage of funding opportunities available through the program. As international travel resumes, the hope is that the University can return to and even exceed pre-pandemic numbers in student mobility. This is the crux of the idea behind Back to the World — to get back to the level of participation pre-pandemic. Academic year 2019-20 would have seen the highest number of education abroad participants ever in a single year at Penn State. In March 2020, the pandemic hit, forcing students to rush to return to the United States or keeping them from participating at all. For the next 15 months, everyone would stay in lockdown and international travel would be severely restricted. While students were still able to complete some experiences digitally, such as EDGE programs or virtual internship programs, physical study abroad could not take place.

The Education Abroad team worked together to create a proposal, which was ultimately accepted, and the “Back to the World” initiative was born. The initiative will last through academic year 2022-23, providing funding in different ways — and for different purposes — for students studying abroad. “Most of these scholarships are planning scholarships,” says Sara Paliga, education abroad adviser — meaning that students are selected for awards now that they can use in future education abroad programs. “They’re available to anyone, on any campus, going on any type of program.” The initiative has six major funding opportunities, with more in the works. For the majority of these awards, no additional application is needed beyond the initial application for the education abroad program. Head to the next few pages to read more about the exciting funding opportunities offered by Penn State Global this year.

With the return of in-person instruction and the possibility of international travel, the Education Abroad office felt inspired to try to recapture some of the pre-pandemic travel energy. “Assistant Vice Provost Brian Brubaker came to our team and asked, ‘What could we do with more funding for study abroad?’” Briana Casey, academic services manager in Education Abroad, recalled. “He challenged our group to come up with creative ideas to help reach more students through increased funding opportunities.”

Students pose inside the "photo booth" at the Education Abroad Fair 2021

35 | 2021 Annual Report

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES Penn State Global is committed to increasing access to study abroad opportunities for all students. It's a myth that transformative academic experiences overseas are unaffordable and unattainable. Education abroad programs vary in both length and cost so there something exciting and affordable to offer to all students.

Back to the World Customized Program Award Students participating in a Penn State approved faculty-led freestanding or faculty-led embedded program will have the opportunity to earn a $500 scholarship toward their experience. This award will be based on both financial need and academic merit. Students will be selected by the Education Abroad scholarship committee.

Back to the World General Award Students participating in any Penn State approved education abroad program (including embedded programs, internship programs and research abroad programs) will have the opportunity to earn a $1,000 scholarship toward their experience. This award will be based on both financial need and academic merit. Students will be selected by the Education Abroad scholarship committee.

Back to the World Passport Award Students applying for any Penn State approved education abroad program (does not include virtual programs or embedded programs) will have the opportunity to opt-in for a chance to receive a free passport. Students will be selected on a first come, first served basis and will be notified via email if they have been selected. Those selected will receive $150 towards a passport and will be invited to join information sessions where they will be guided through the process.

2021 Annual Report | 36

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Give Back to the World Sustainability Scholars Program Students interested in sustainable practices and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are encouraged to apply to this scholars program, which includes funding towards an approved Penn State education abroad experience. Students will need to apply to this program outside of their education abroad application, indicating how they plan to implement sustainable practices while abroad and upon returning "home." Those selected will participate in a series of sustainability related events, in partnership with Penn State's Sustainability Institute, including a symposium where they will present on their education abroad experience upon returning.

Back to the World Writing and Video Contest Award Penn State Education Abroad will be hosting a writing and video contest for students interested in studying abroad in any future term. Students will be selected and notified by the contest committee via email. The scholarship will be applied at the time of the student's education abroad program. First place will receive $1,500 and second place will receive $1,000. Please note: Students do not need to have an open application to an education abroad program at the time of the contest.

Education Abroad Fair Registration Raffle Additionally, students who attended the 2021 Education Abroad Fair in October were automatically entered to a chance to win $500 towards a future Penn State approved Education Abroad experience. This applies to students who attended any of the online or virtual events, University Park in-person fair, and the Penn State Altoona or Penn State Abington Education Abroad Fairs. 35 students were selected for this award, with nearly a third of them coming from campuses other than University Park. Overall, five campuses were represented in the selections. Education Abroad is planning to offer the same incentive for next year’s Education Abroad Fair. For more information on Back to the World Scholarships, Visit global.psu.edu/article/back-world-scholarships

37 | 2021 Annual Report

INTERNATIONAL ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: ISAM AL-ZADJALI His Excellency Isam Al Zadjali (Engineering ’92) is currently the Head of Muscat Municipality based on royal decree in October of 2019. Previously in his career he served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oman Oil Company Exploration & Production LLC, Duqm Refinery & Petrochemical Industries Company LLC, Takatuf Oman LLC. Isam holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from Penn State.

Isam Al Zadjali loves Penn State. “This university is not just a place where I got my education,” Al Zadjali said. “It’s a part of me.” Al Zadjali’s Penn State journey began in 1986, when he was sent to the United States as part of the 2nd-ever cohort of Omani students sent to Penn State. There were only five universities approved for government scholarships at the time, and Penn State was among them. “I originally got a scholarship to a local Omani university, but I turned it down,” he said. “I wanted to study internationally – my father was a diplomat, and he always stressed the importance of being international.” He got into Petroleum Engineering, and the Omani government matched him to Penn State to continue his education. When the opportunity came, he jumped at the chance to broaden his global perspective.

“I would do it all over again,” he said. “I wouldn’t blink – I would choose Penn State in an instant. Al Zadjali began his classes and was immediately impressed with the diversity on campus (he calls it a “mini-United Nations”), the quality of the faculty, and all of the facilities available to students on campus. Penn State taught Al Zadjali a lot, both in the classroom and in the community. He credits Penn State for preparing him to interact with people of different and diverse backgrounds, a skill which he found essential in his former position as CEO of Oman Oil and again as the current Head of Muscat Municipality. Not only that, but Penn State had a personal touch which stuck with him to this day. “My father passed away while I was at Penn State, and everyone was so supportive and kind,” he said. “Faculty worked with me to make sure I could make up tests and other work, for example.” Al Zadjali ended up graduating with a degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering in 1992. He moved back to Oman and began working in the industry. “Penn State not only gave me the educational tools in terms of my degree, but it gave me a broader perspective,” he said. “I learned that essentially, everyone just wants to be happy. I learned a lot of cultural tools at Penn State to help me connect with others.” In 2019, he was appointed the chairman of Muscat Municipality, with a rank of Minister. Al Zadjali describes it as a “huge responsibility.” He never cared about the prestige of the appointment but is glad that he is able to serve. “It’s the highest position you can reach to serve your country and your people,” he said. Al Zadjali also gives back to Penn State by serving on the university’s Global Advisory Council. “I want to do my part to help the university become truly global,” he said. “I love Penn State and want to help spread the word about it across the world, and to help put it in areas where it can be useful.” Al Zadjali’s memories of Penn State are fond, and he highly recommends it to everyone he meets. 2021 Annual Report | 38

Read the full Global Alumni Spotlight on Penn State News

PENN STATE HARRISBURG: AN INTERNATIONAL HUB Penn State Harrisburg is home to over 650 international students, making it the second-largest home for such students in the Penn State system outside of University Park. Led by Wendy Moynihan and Cindy Domingo, international outreach efforts at Harrisburg have created many connections with international alumni in the area. We are so excited about the incredible international work being done at every Penn State campus.

Penn State Harrisburg was honored to host Penn State Global delegation for a campus visit on October 28th, 2021. As this was Vice Provost for Global, Dr. Rodger Brindley's first visit to the Harrisburg campus, the morning opened with coffee, conversation and a campus tour with International Student Advisor, Cindy Domingo and Global Engagement Coordinator, Wendy Moynihan. A meeting with the Chancellor's Leadership Team gathered to learn about Penn State Global's current strategic plan presented by each member of the delegation (Masume Assaf, Brian Brubaker, and Mel White). To broaden the understanding of the dynamic support for international students at the campus, the delegation gathered for an international lunch with supportive campus staff, student leaders and long-standing invested members of the local community. The lunch opened with a guitar performance by Rishi Garg, a second-year international student from India. A presentation on the Global Ambassador Program was given by Student Coordinator, Naufal Murtadza, Civil Engineering senior from Indonesia and also a recipient of the 2021 prestigious Frisbey Undergraduate Leader Award. Additionally, student leader and mentor, Hamdi Dewdi, a Fulbright graduate student from Tunisia studying Engineering Management, presented on the Global Lion Mentor Program. These two programs provide the structure and leadership to offer extensive opportunities for campus-wide global engagement and are coordinated by GEC, Wendy Moynihan.

Penn State Harrisburg has nurtured long-term connections within the surrounding American, Indian, Chinese and Korean communities. As such, these local community groups were both represented and appreciated at the luncheon. Mr. Deep Gupta from the Asian Indian Americans of Central Pennsylvania (AIACPA) gave touching final words and again offered support to provide a "home-away-from-home" for international students studying locally. The local community has tangibly shown its support over the years by providing homemade cuisines, activities for students, invitations for holiday gatherings, airport pickups, internship opportunities and countless hours of friendship and support to our international students. All present were appreciative of the visit and of the ongoing investment of Penn State Global to the commonwealth campuses.

Student leaders, UP delegation, and Dr. Todd Clark (Senior Director of Student Affairs-Harrisburg) Wendy & Cindy

39 | 2021 Annual Report

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT & SCHOLAR ADVISING A Reflection by Masume Assaf Assistant Vice Provost for International Student & Scholar Advising (ISSA)

As we slowly move out of the COVID-19 pandemic and as the University returns to normal operations, ISSA is working hard to keep up with the changes. As we learn to live with the COVID-19 virus, we are hopeful that we can return to normal operations soon. However, we continue and will continue to advise students, scholars, and faculty on immigration expectations and provide accurate information and support, even on a virtual basis. International students, scholars, and faculty are part of a rich mosaic across our commonwealth. They enrich and diversify our student body and distinguish themselves in every aspect of University life. Not only do international students, scholars, and faculty contribute to our community, but all of us here at Penn State are also enriched by interacting with their many cultures, perspectives, and languages. The role of International Student and Scholar Advising is to help our international student and scholar populations by processing their immigration paperwork for benefits, translating regulations that oversee them, providing information and consultations to faculty and staff, and advocating on their behalf. All advisers have worked tirelessly to provide the best service to international students, scholars, and faculty on a remote basis during these challenging times.

40 | 2021 Annual Report

The job of advisers in ISSA has shifted over the past two decades since 9/11/2001. Beyond advising, there is more required monitoring and compliance in a federal database. This requires a balancing act to welcome and advise students while assuring regulations are upheld. ISSA has to make sure our international community feels welcome and cared for while safeguarding the ability to bring international students, scholars, and faculty to Penn State by following laws and regulations.

2021 - PROVING RESILIENCE

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS International students contribute to the vibrant global communities at Penn State - the communities around our 24 campuses, and the lives of all Penn State faculty, staff, and students. Each international student brings a unique perspective to the classroom and personal lives of those at Penn State.

After the astounding year of 2020 and the global pandemic, the faculty, staff, and students in ISSA have had to learn to adapt their learning and support resources in new and innovative ways. International Student Advisers continued their work with students remotely in 2021, offering advising sessions online and taking time each week to check in with international students in quarantine for COVID-19.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BY THE NUMBERS FALL 2021 Penn State School of Medicine

Dickinson Law

Penn State Law

9303

226

The Graduate School 3208*

To boost morale and show our international students and scholars we care, ISSA hosted workshops via Zoom and Microsoft Teams that helped them navigate things such as employment and career strategies, travel, life after graduation, wellness and selfcare, and important legal information to ensure their success.

TOTAL

In March 2021, there was finally a resumption of issuing documents to visiting international scholars for arrival in July 2021, so during the spring ISSA was busy preparing for the arrival of our newest scholars.

FROM

140+

COUNTRIES

Undergraduate Studies

5847*

SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) also temporarily allowed institutions to issue digitally signed 1-20's via electronic means in 2021 to help streamline the process of getting our students and scholars to campus. We look for this allowance to continue through 2022.

*Includes World Campus

1,000 750

COMMONWEALTH & SPECIAL MISSION CAMPUSES FALL 2021

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS -

500 250

Yo rk

W ilk es -B ar re W or ld Ca m pu s

Sc hu ylk ill

Ke ns in gt on

N ew

M on tA lto

Co ll of M ed ici ne Le hi gh Va lle y

H az le to n

H ar ris bu rg

Va lle y G re at

Ca rli sle

Br an dy w in e

Be rk s

Be hr en d

Be av er

Al to on a

Ab in gt on

Excluding University Park campus

2021 Annual Report | 41

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

*TOP 10

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS PER COLLEGE FA21

Agricultural Sciences Earth and Mineral Sciences Div of Undergraduate Studies Engineering Health and Human Development Information Sciences and Tech Donald P. Bellisario College of Com The Liberal Arts Smeal College of Business Eberly College of Science 0

42 | 2021 Annual Report

500

1,000

1,500 2,000 Includes World Campus

2,500

INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS A J-1 Scholar is a visiting researcher, professor, or specialist from a country outside of the United States who has been approved to enter the country for a specific purpose and for a limited amount of time. Penn State has a diverse academic environment, with J-1 Scholars from every part of the world becoming essential components of the University by contributing unique perspectives in classrooms, labs, our communities, and life on campus.

414

ACTIVE J-1 SCHOLARS

Typically, Penn State hosts between 900-950 international scholars annually. While we saw an increase in J-1 Scholars from other areas of the world, most of the incoming J-1 Scholars are from China. However, due to the unprecedented global pandemic and significant government imposed travel bans, our ability to host scholars was significantly impacted. Remarkably, despite these challenges Penn State was still able to welcome 414 scholars who enriched our communities and classrooms.

INTERNATIONAL FACULTY

Penn State has a diverse academic and research community with faculty from every part of the world, representing important scholarship and teaching components of the University. International faculty are broadly defined as academics who hold appointments in countries where they were not born.

Since 2020, Penn State's number of international faculty has increased from 175 to 185, which is an exciting trend for us, especially considering the legal challenges that many of our international faculty members have faced due to COVID-19 this last year and a half. Our international faculty bring important knowledge, perspective, and expertise to our Penn State campuses.

185

INTL FACULTY

2021 Annual Report | 43

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS Along with transitioning all international student and scholar advising to a remote method of delivery, ISSA also made it a priority in 2021 to create and present virtual workshops via Zoom and Teams. These workshops ran the gauntlet of covering topics such as employment and career strategies, what comes after graduation, transferring their SEVIS record from Penn State, wellness, and self-care. It was important that students were not only given an opportunity to learn about professional development topics, but to also ensure their personal and mental wellbeing during this difficult year. Learning how to handle legal documentation for the immigration process while remote was also a high priority for ISSA. Because many students needed to extend their original length of stay or ended up not being able to travel to the U.S. for multiple semesters after their paperwork was complete, it was important that students be walked through the legal process of gaining and maintaining their J-1 scholar status.

WEEKLY QUARANTINE CHECK-INS When our international students were required to complete a 10-14 day quarantine during 2021 due to contact tracing, our International Student Advisers called to check in with them weekly to ensure their wellbeing and that they were receiving proper accommodations from their classes. This was an important part of creating a sense of belonging for our students.

SEVP PROCESS MODIFICATIONS Because of the outstanding circumstances that the COVID-19 global pandemic placed onto the immigration and documentation process this year, SEVP temporarily allowed the distribution of I-20 documents electronically, including via email. This began during 2020 and has continued throughout the first portion of the 2021-2022 academic year. While there is no hard guidance from SEVP yet, we anticipate that this exception will continue throughout 2022. SEVP also allowed all students who were enrolled full-time during Spring 2020 to continue to enroll in online courses in 2021, as long as they maintained full-time status. This rule did not apply to new students beginning their studies post-Spring 2020.

STUDENT EMERGENCY FUNDING Dr. Roger Brindley, Vice Provost for Penn State Global, offered $55,000 in funding to assist international students in the summer who were not able to return home due to COVID-19 related reasons. Just under 550 international students applied and almost 150 of them were awarded funds to help them over the summer months.

44 | 2021 Annual Report

GLOBAL LEARNING Global Learning supports the critical, student-focused teams that facilitate global competency development through engagement both at home and abroad

A letter from Brian Brubaker, Assistant Vice Provost of Global Learning

EDGE, as you’ll read elsewhere, is a facultyinitiated course enhancement pedagogy 2021 has had the mark of a transitional year for engaging students in project-based work with many of us for so many reasons. As I reflect on the peers abroad – all supported virtually. And, within spring and summer, in many respects we have Global Engagement, we will steadily build out been learning how to live with the COVID-19 virus our support for faculty to help them amplify and develop strategies for continuing our work global learning opportunities in their courses with students while being mindful of the global taught on Penn State campuses while impact COVID-19 has had on operations and lives continuing our outstanding student around the world. engagement work. While we have been making strides in returning to work on our campuses and in facilitating student learning abroad, we are well aware that the global landscape is not as we knew it. We find ourselves in a constant state of transition. This work, while tiring, has enabled us to hone our skills and focus our collective outlook in the areas of resilience, empathy, creativity and adaptability. Amidst this era of transition, the emergence of Penn State Global Learning, a newly created unit that brings together teams of dedicated and student-centered global education professionals marks a significant advancement for Penn State. Global Learning fosters synergy among the Education Abroad and Global Engagement facets of Penn State Global. In both of these key focus areas, the new structure invites and supports new initiatives that amplify global awareness among students, staff, and faculty. Education Abroad has expanded its Customized Programs team (formerly Faculty-Led Programs) to embrace EDGE – Experiential Digital Global Engagement.

Our Global Engagement Coordinators, spread across the Commonwealth, have worked more closely than ever before in the pandemic-driven virtual space. This cooperation has enabled them to develop and deploy student-focused programming and support that brings Penn Staters together regardless of campus of study or country of residence. It also leverages their strengths as a team. We’re excited to carry forward some of the advancements we’ve made in serving our international students and their families prior to their arrival in Pennsylvania even as we return to in-person learning and engagement across the Commonwealth. Transitions indeed! It gives me deep satisfaction and pride to work with such a dedicated group of colleagues. I look forward to the amazing impact we can have – working as one Global Learning team – for the benefit of all of Penn State. We Are!

To Penn State from 140+ Countries

2021 Annual Report | 45

PENN STATE UNIVERSITY COMMONWEALTH CAMPUSES

Behrend

Scranton Wilkes-Barre Shenango Dubois

Beaver

New Kensington Altoona Greater Alleghany

Hazleton University Park Carlisle

Berks

Lehigh Valley

Harrisburg

York Fayette

Schuylkill

Abington Great Valley

Berks

Brandywine

Mont Alto

This map of Penn State campuses across the Commonwealth shows the wide reach of our university across the state. Each campus is color coded to match their Global Engagement Coordinators listed on the following page.

Our GECs are dedicated to bringing global engagement opportunities to all of our students across the Commonwealth. Check out what they have to say about their roles!

2021 Annual Report | 46

MEET OUR GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT COORDINATORS Ryan Geiger "I advise international students on immigration and a wide variety of other concerns. I develop programs to acclimate international students into the university community. I work to develop global perspectives and intercultural competence among all Penn State students, faculty, and staff."

Riki Hay “I have the privilege of getting to know many of my students on a personal level, seeing those students grow and blossom in different ways. I have seen the shift in many students after attending GELE – a shift in their leadership on campus, openness, and willingness to engage on campus."

Dana Brem "My favorite part of my work is listening to students. Hearing about their experiences and opinions, where they’re from and how they’re adjusting to school, and their goals for the future. I also enjoy working with my student engagement colleagues and thinking up new ideas for the future."

Olga Moskaleva "My most favorite part of my job is, of course, our extraordinary students who inspire and empower me daily. Having experience as an international student and being an immigrant myself gives me a lot of insight and helps me to connect with our multicultural students."

Johnny Marcolini "I continue to advocate for the commonwealth campus experiences to ensure that the amazing work that happens at does not go unnoticed. Advocating for the students in providing quality global learning and leadership opportunities will always be a top priority of mine as well."

Wendy Moynihan "I lead both the Global Ambassadors Program and the Global Lion Mentor Program. These include cultural festivals, international lunches, collaboration across campus, community connections, peer support for new international students, and fun, shared experiences to promote a strong sense of belonging." 2021 Annual Report | 47

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH (ICUR)

Penn State students participated in the ninth International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR) for the first time on September 27th through the 29th. ICUR is the largest student-run conference focusing on undergraduate research in the world. It’s held virtually and continuously for about 72 hours to accommodate hundreds of students across five continents. Begun in 2013, ICUR is the result of the Monash-Warwick Alliance and now spans across thirteen institutions worldwide. Monash University in Melbourne, Australia is a strategic partner of Penn State. Students present their research at their home university campus in video-linked sessions to our partner universities around the world. Twenty-six Penn State students from numerous disciplines presented at both panel and poster presentations at the 2021 ICUR. Their participation was supported through collaboration among Penn State Global Education Abroad, University Research and Fellowships Mentoring, and the Office of Undergraduate Education, in addition to the many faculty advisers who guide their students through research each and every year.

2 DAYS

12 COUNTRIES

5 CONTINENTS

GLOBAL CONSERVATION: ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES FACING THE DANUBE RIVER (ROMANIA) Two students from the Global Conservation: Environmental Challenges Facing the Danube River (Romania), Tehreem Syed and Jared Griffin, presented on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Dynamics within the Neajiov River of the Danube, Romania. Their program is a part of the CHANCE (Connecting Humans and Nature through Conservation Experiences) initiative founded and directed by Dr. Jacqueline McLaughlin (Penn State Lehigh Valley). CHANCE is a Penn State accredited interdisciplinary environmental education program whose overarching goal is to teach conservation biology and global sustainability at the front line. To do this, CHANCE creates unique learning environments through its short-term study abroad international field courses that immerse participants, students and teachers in real-world environmental research and conservation efforts. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the CHANCE program in Romania was unable to run in summer 2021; however, Dr. McLaughlin and her students completed the course virtually through partnership with their peers on the ground in Bucharest.

48 | 2021 Annual Report

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROGRAMS ABROAD INTERNSHIPS AND RESEARCH According to Open Doors trends regarding experiential learning, in 2018/2019 academic year, about 10% of students participated in some type of experiential learning program abroad, for academic credit and non-credit as well.

Penn State trends in experiential learning abroad participation are similarly following the national trends, with about 7% of Penn State students participating in experiential for-credits programs during the last pre-pandemic semester (summer 2019). The first pandemic summer that our students were participating in abroad experiences, we had 13 students enrolled in experiential learning programs, in-person and virtual programs together, which was 45% of all students enrolled in summer abroad experiences (total number was 29).

Number of Experiential Learning Abroad (2017 -2022) 30

2017/2018

2018/2019

2019/2020

2020/2021

2021/2022

The growth of student interest in experiential learning over the years is parallel to the growth of experiential programs abroad in the Education Abroad portfolio. Since 2017/18 academic program when we had 12 programs of this type offered to students, in academic year 2021/22 students have a choice of 27 experiential learning abroad programs.

PERREAULT FELLOWS PROGRAM The Perreault Fellows Program, is an international internship program funded by an endowment given by Paul and Beverly Perreault. Established during 2018/19 academic year, It is entering its third year at Penn State and preparing to welcome its third cohort of students. The Perreault Fellows Program is a competitive global leadership and internship program that prepares students from multiple disciplines for personal and professional excellence through learning in cross-cultural leadership, ethics, community service, personal-mentoring, and an internship abroad related to the field of health and betterment of human condition in general. My attraction towards the Perreault Fellows Program is catalyzed by the potential to explore the world and shape me into a better public servant through an enhanced international internship experience. - Yuna Choi, Perreault Fellow

Perreault Fellows Program is unique experiential learning and leadership development program, that puts emphasis on global awareness and citizenship, while preparing students for careers that will enhance human condition globally. The Perreault Fellows Program has been an innovative and much needed addition to Penn State’s learning abroad options. - Brian Brubaker, Assistant Vice Provost for Global Learning.

Read about the Perreault Fellows 3rd Cohort on Penn State News

2021 Annual Report | 49

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ORIENTATION Penn State Global continued to work with its campus and University collaborators throughout 2021 to ensure that international students had a robust and safe welcome to Penn State. As with past years, the Global Engagement team hosted several English and Mandarin language webinars. These webinars provided useful information for new and continuing international students and their families as they prepared to come to Pennsylvania for in-residence instruction – many of them for the first time. Given the myriad of international travel restrictions and concerns around personal health and safety, these conversations gave many of our global communities time to ask questions and receive information unique to their needs.

In light of Penn State’s return to in-person instruction for Fall 2021, our International Student Orientation (ISO) was also held in a hybrid format. New international students were able to receive vital information virtually through online sessions with our fabulous Orientation Leaders prior to arrival. However, once on campus, our Global Engagement team at University Park also gave students the option of joining small-group, outdoor orientation sessions or virtual online sessions. This approach offered students a customizable orientation experience and demonstrated Penn State Global’s commitment to understanding and responding to international students’ needs and comfort levels. Across the Commonwealth, our Global Engagement team took care to deploy meaningful, student-centered orientation engagement experiences that reflected the "personality" and flavor of each Penn State campus.

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In the past, most nations or societies could stand alone and be self-sufficient. Today almost all nations and almost all people are part of an interdependent global community whether they realize it or not. Although there is no singularly agreed upon definition of the word globalization, it is often understood as the process through which products, people, ideas, culture, and capital, are transferred around the world creating a system of global integration. With advances in telecommunications and transportation, the world has become an enormous and inviting landscape for exploration and engagement. If we have the means to do so, we can travel to nearly every inch of the earth in person or virtually, we can communicate and mobilize with people from foreign cultures, and we can even pursue new opportunities for professional or even personal growth. With Penn State University as one of the top research institutions in the world, WE ARE transforming the world each and every day. Whether you are a world-traveler, have never left your home country, or are curious as to where you see yourself in the evolving world, all students were invited to join Penn State Global for a “Taste of GELE” to immerse themselves in an experience unlike any other! There were four Taste of GELE experiences held in mid-October: Saturday, October 16 University Park, Mont Alto, and York campuses Altoona, DuBois, and Harrisburg campuses Saturday, October 23 Abington, Berks, Brandywine, Hazleton, Lehigh Valley, Schuylkill, Scranton, and Wilkes-Barre campuses Beaver, Behrend (Erie), Fayette, Greater Allegheny, New Kensington, and Shenango campuses

130 students, including 38% commonwealth campus students

The full weekend GELE will be returning in Spring 2022! Participants in Taste of GELE will be eligible to attend the Spring 2022 GELE.

20212021 Annual Annual Report Report | 47 | 51

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK 2021 PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS

Student: Emma Schmitt

Title: Northern Lights Hunt Succ Location: Levi, Finland

This year for our International Education Week photo contest, we had more than a dozen entries and gave away gift cards to the winners, with the top prize being $75

Student: Triw ik Kurniasari Title: The beau ty of Indonesia Location: Wae rebo Village in Indonesia

ess

Student: Md Abu jafar Rasel Title: The Water Caught Fire Location: Saint Martin, Bangladesh

S tu d e n t: R e b ekah L 0 Shad ong es of G reen in Locatio Wicklo n: Wic w klow, Ireland

Title: 5

52 | 2021 Annual Report

Loca

ily Shiels Student: Em n Hour Title: Golde Rico an, Puerto Ju n tion: Old Sa

AND THE WINNER IS...

Student: Charity Hipple Title: Snorkeling in the Yucatán peninsula Location: Playa Del Carmen

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GLOBAL OUTREACH, DEVELOPMENT, AND ALUMNI RELATIONS Early in 2021, Penn State Global began to stand up a new office charged with increasing global outreach efforts with partners, sponsoring organizations, alumni and other international stakeholders. Although several staff and long-standing programs were already in place in Penn State Global, we are broadening outreach efforts to also include alumni relations, development, and fundraising through this new office structure. Global Outreach, Development and Alumni Relations, or GODAR, is expected to be fully staffed in 2022 with a Director of Development and additional professional staff focused on fundraising, alumni relations, and global outreach. In the interim, GODAR is advancing current programming in Global Outreach and new programming in International Alumni Relations.

Community Engagement Community Engagement seeks to connect members of the Penn State and State College local communities, connecting global to local, through three cultural programs, Conversation Partners Program, Annual Tax Workshops, and International Speakers Bureau. Conversation Partners Program offers an interactive opportunity for native Englishspeaking volunteers and international participants to practice the English language and share their cultural backgrounds in an informal environment. With local community volunteers’ support, Annual Tax Workshops provide general U.S. tax information to international students and scholars every spring and to help them understand the basic tax knowledge in America. International Speakers Bureau connects international volunteers with university and community organizations to promote and enhance intercultural awareness by sharing their home cultures through dynamic perspectives.

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

Bill Shuey, Director of Global Outreach

Penn State’s global reach is vast. Indeed, it is nearly impossible to travel internationally in Penn State gear without someone introducing themselves or simply shouting “we are!” It is for this reason that Penn State Global’s activities abroad cannot have a singular focus, but rather we must represent all of Penn State. With the goal of broadening our global engagement, Global Outreach is working to expand the scope of current programs and partnerships in sponsored relations and community engagement. This year Global Outreach established two new programs. In March 2021, Penn State Global submitted a proposal to the Indonesia government along with hundreds of universities world-wide. Shortly after, Penn State won the bid to host a cohort of 10 students under the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards, or IISMA. ISSMA is the Government of the Republic of Indonesia’s premier scholarship program, supporting short term study at the world’s top universities. Students will develop intercultural communication and leadership skills and an international network. Global Outreach will welcome our first cohort of IISMA students this Fall 2021. Penn State is honored to partner with the Republic on Indonesia on this extraordinary program. Additionally, Global Outreach won a competitive bid to host a group of exceptional students supported by the King Abduallah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The KAUST Gifted Student Program aims to foster a new generation of Saudi Arabian scholars within the scientific and technological fields. As a fully funded foundation year scholarship program, KGSP supports the Kingdom’s top high school graduates in science and math and prepares them for admission into the world's most elite universities. Global Outreach is partnering with the Intensive English Communication Program in the College of the Liberal Arts and the College of Engineering to deliver a comprehensive foundation year program to a cohort of KGSP scholars beginning in Fall 2021. Looking to the future as the world begins to open up, Global Outreach will pursue opportunities in new program development, alumni engagement, and transnational education with all global stakeholders.

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SPONSORED RELATIONS Sponsored Relations is committed to serving international sponsored students at all Penn State University campuses and is dedicated to providing the highest level of service to our international sponsored student population, ensuring that the needs of both our sponsored students and sponsoring organizations are met.

Penn State’s sponsored student enrollment is among the

TOP 5

largest in the U.S.

BY THE NUMBERS

*In-person sponsored student recruitment events prior to COVID-19 pandemic

SPONSORS 24.4% Other Sponsors

20%

Corporate Sponsors

55.6%

Government Sponsors

SPONSORED STUDENT ENROLLMENT Graduate 16.3%

TOTAL # OF STUDENTS ENROLLED FALL 2020

637

TOP SPONSORING ORGS

Undergraduate

83.7%

TOP SPONSORING COUNTRIES

Embassy of Sultanate of Oman

SAUDI ARABIA

Embassy of the State of Kuwait **United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission Aramco Americas

**United Arab Emirates More than any other university in the United States 56 | 2021 Annual Report

THAILAND

KUWAIT MALAYSIA

OMAN

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

SPONSORED RELATIONS SUPPORT DURING COVID-19 In March 2020, Global Programs led outreach efforts to foreign Ministries of Education and other governmental entities with the purpose of establishing a communication channel to address challenges presented by the COVID-19 global health crisis. These communication channels have helped Global Programs address challenges in student mobility, academic delivery, and other student support, in partnership with foreign governments. During the Spring 2020 semester, Penn State was home to 9,839 international students from 136 different countries. Many Ministries of Education around the world do not authorize or authenticate foreign online learning. Thus, Global Programs led special outreach to Ministries of Education to assist with their regulations during the COVID pandemic. Ministries of education around the globe were well informed regarding the enhanced modes of course-delivery to all students completing their semesters remotely. Through these efforts, key global stakeholders approved remote delivery and ensured our international students did not have to delay their academic progress during the pandemic.

"I am not surprised to see Penn State step forward to meet the challenges of the Corona Era with determination & hard work. I am proud of my friends at Penn. State." -UAE Embassy

"Penn State again has set the bar high... We are glad that our students continue to study with you.” -Aramco

STUDENT OUTREACH AND SUPPORT Beginning in the Fall 2020 semester, Sponsored Relations partnered with Student Engagement and Intercultural Learning (SEIL) to hold virtual check-in appointments with new international students. The purpose of this outreach was to check-in with sponsored students individually to learn more about how the students were doing with their classes, connect students to campus resources and involvement opportunities, and discuss their plans for the Spring 2021 semester. This outreach also allowed us to give students a direct staff connection, so that as concerns arise, they had a direct contact to reach out to for assistance. Sponsored Relations made it a priority to keep all sponsored students and partners informed about the changes taking place during the transition period and beyond. Invitations to the virtual Town Halls were regularly sent and advertised to all sponsored students and sponsoring organizations. Sponsored Relations and Health Promotion & Wellness partnered to deliver a mindfulness workshop aimed at supporting sponsored students. MINDFULNESS: in the era of Zoom University a virtual program was designed for sponsored students to guide them through understanding stress and its effects, identifying specific causes of stress in their own lives, and learning how to use mindfulness to manage it.

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INTERNATIONAL ALUMNI RELATIONS AND STEWARDSHIP Penn State is proud to have the largest dues paying Alumni Association in the world. With more than 727,000 alumni around the globe, the Penn State alumni network is a powerful way for alumni to stay connected with one another and with the University.

Anna Marshall, Ph.D., Director of International Alumni Relations & Stewardship

727K Alumni around the globe

The Penn State global community includes more than 124,610 living international Alumni from around the world. There is power in numbers, and international alumni are currently underutilized resources at Penn State. The mission of International Alumni Relations and Stewardship is committed to building a community of support through establishing lifelong connections and partnerships between the Penn State community and it's global alumni and friends, and stewarding donations to advance Penn State’s global development mission. Many Penn State international alumni, both in the United States and in their home countries, have expressed their strong desire to serve and give back to the Penn State community. During the pandemic, alumni chapters in China have actively supported more than 400 offshore Penn State freshmen in Shanghai. From the Pre-Departure Orientation, to various festival celebrations, to hosting students to visit their firms, to alumni workshop and panel discussions. Over 100 alumni have participated in one or more programs during the student life cycle of Penn State First, and 22 alumni received awards at the end-of-year award ceremony for their incredible contributions. During fall 2021, five global alumni who are currently working in the United States, travelled to the University Park campus to provide an interactive workshop for students to prepare for a globalminded career workshop. This alumni involvement demonstrates that with proper channels of engagement, alumni are remarkable in supporting their alma mater and engaging with prospective and current students. Stay connected with Penn State Global Alumni Relations & Special Initiatives:

GIVE

PSU ALUMNI

Support the Penn State Future Fund

Join an international alumni chapter

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GLOBAL PROGRAMS DEVELOPMENT FUNDS 2021 saw continuing efforts to support our international students during a global pandemic, and plan for increased access to Education Abroad, as we prepare to continue to travel later in 2021. Below we describe two of the most important development funds.

We Are All Penn State Fund for International Students Each year, Penn State welcomes more than 9,000 international students from 140 countries to study at this world-class and globally engaged land-grant University—and many face unique challenges that can hamper their academic success, such as food insecurity or anxiety for the challenges their families are experiencing back home. Most of these pressing concerns involve financial barriers that prohibit students from taking advantage of all the meaningful opportunities that epitomize the quintessential Penn State experience.

The We Are All Penn State Fund for International Students provides emergency grants to students facing financial hardship that often results in housing and food insecurity. It also supports innovative professional development opportunities and cultural programs that foster a critical sense of belonging and community. Gifts to this fund allow international students to experience everything that makes Penn State such a special University. Penn State Education Abroad Fund Penn State was ranked tenth in the nation for the number of students it sent abroad in the 2018-19 academic year. While more than 3,000 students across the entire University typically participate in an education abroad experience every year, many more miss out due to the cost. Through the support of the Education Abroad Fund, an increasing number of students can travel to parts of the world that they never thought they would see—and have experiences that inform what they set out to accomplish with their careers and in their lives as global citizens. This fund allows Penn State Global to increase access for all our students.

Being exposed to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences not only provides Penn Staters with a well-rounded education but also shapes them into well-rounded people. And providing transformative opportunities is exactly what Penn State’s Education Abroad Fund is designed to do. Although the global pandemic prevented us from sending students abroad this academic year, Penn State's Office of Education Abroad is diligently preparing and making plans for doing so as soon as it is safe to resume international travel. Expanding students' global perspectives and immersive international experiences is a cornerstone for preparing our students to be responsible global citizens and leaders. Gifts to the fund help make life-changing experiences possible for students looking to learn about our world and their place within it. For more information contact Anna Marshall at awm15@psu.edu.

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STUDENT AMBASSADORS TO GLOBAL ALUMNI (SAGA) Our global alumni are an important part of our mission and a fantastic resource for students. We're proud to connect them!

International alumni at Penn State have gone on to do incredible things. Bhutan’s first prime minister was a Penn State graduate, for example. Professor Judi Wakhungu, a Penn State graduate, became minister of environment, water, and natural resources in Kenya and implemented a groundbreaking ban on single-use plastic bags in the country. Penn State is also the No. 2 producer of CEOs in the United States, according to Bloomberg.com. For every breathtaking story of alumni success, there are more out there that the University is not aware of, because they’ve lost touch with them. “I worked with an alumna who is president of an international alumni association chapter,” Anna Marshall, Director of International Alumni Relations and Stewardship, remembered. “I thought, ‘She is extremely supportive in volunteering for many Penn State global engagement and loves Penn State. I know she wants to stay connected.’ So I went to look her up in our development database and [realized] all of her contact information was outdated. "If someone that responsible and dedicated does not have good information, then how many other people are we missing?” Marshall asked herself. “And how do we connect with them?” This led her to come up with the idea for SAGA — Student Ambassadors to Global Alumni. The conceit is to connect current Penn State international students with alumni from their heritage countries. The initial call for applications saw more than 50 applicants submit over the course of two weeks. Of these, 39 were chosen — a diverse mix of doctorate, master's, and undergraduate levels representing about 20 countries. These students meet biweekly to check in on progress. Their main goal is to reconnect with alumni from their heritage countries. Marshall gives them lists of names to reach out to, then they try to set up Zoom meetings or phone calls to connect, she said. “People only spend a few years on campus, but they are alumnus for their entire lives,” Marshall said. “We want to make sure that they feel like they are a part of the Penn State family — because they are!” The first cohort of SAGA is spreading the word in various ways. One such way is the team’s website, where they post weekly blogs and updates on their meetings. Follow along with their progress here. “We want our alumni community to know that we care about their presence and build long-term relationships with them,” Marshall said. “That’s crucial for what we are doing.”

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Penn State Ranks High on the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings

54 stories were published by Global Penn State in Penn State News.

Top Performing Posts of 2021 Partners from Saudi Aramco Visit University Park

Pre-Departure Orientation Sessions take place in china

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CLOSING REMARKS As I reflect on the 2021 Penn State Global Annual Report, I am once again struck by the extraordinary ongoing work here at Penn State, and with our collaborative partners around the world. The fundamental truth is that the work of this office could not be accomplished without our extraordinary partners, and I hope that you have seen your successes reflected in this document. While I am proud of the expertise and skills of the dedicated staff in Penn State Global, I have learned that global engagement takes the collective efforts of the entire community. It is, by its very nature, work that cannot be completed alone. As the old adage goes, “it takes a village.” That is the philosophy of Penn State Global. The more we can work together to create impactful new knowledge, to ensure that students are getting the global learning they will need as they become the next generation of leaders and to create diverse, inclusive, and healthy communities locally and globally, the more Penn State will remain a world-class globally engaged Land-grant university for the 21st century. This year was, in many ways, a year of transition, but we are committed to the idea that we are moving forward, and post-pandemic will not be going back to the way things were before. In last year’s report I shared that one of my favorite adages is from Wayne Gretzky - arguably the greatest ice hockey player of all time – who once said, “Don’t skate to where the puck is; skate to where the puck is going.” This year, 2021, confirms that Penn State will absorb the lessons we have learned from this global pandemic and use our academic and research excellence to apply new knowledge to a new, brighter future. We thank you for your passion, dedication, skill, and expertise as we continue on this journey.

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