Get to Know Us! - Zoe D’Alessandro
02/23/26

Get to Know Us!

A monthly showcase of the amazing staff who make the International Center a place where the UF community meets all its international goals!

Zoe D’Alessandro

Newly promoted to Immigration Advisor II, Zoe D’Alessandro is the newest member of the Exchange Visitor Service (EVS) team here at UFIC, helping with the advising load for our J-1 visa holders. “Talking with scholars about their programs, their options, and helping them to maintain their immigration status is a key aspect of my work,” explains Zoe.

Born in Melbourne Beach, Florida, Zoe started her journey to UF in an unlikely place—FSU! The interview almost ended abruptly...

A Study Abroad Opportunity Puts CJC Students in Milan for the Winter Olympics
02/23/26

Source: UF News

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games are here, and as athletes and spectators around the world gather in Italy for the big event, a group of students from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications are stationed in Milan to join coverage teams for the games, giving them unparalleled real-world experience in sports journalism at the highest levels.

For the next six weeks, the students will work to create media content surrounding the Winter Olympic...

UF Faculty Receives Honorary Professorship from University of Aberdeen
02/23/26

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Madan Oli has been appointed Honorary Professor at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, UK.

Dr. Oli’s research interests are broad and include population ecology and modeling, disease ecology, population viability analysis, population cycles, human–wildlife interactions, carnivore ecology, and wildlife conservation and management. He also serves on the Editorial Board of Ecology, the flagship journal of the Ecological Society of America.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Oli on this outstanding achievement.

Congratulations to Professors Ana Porras and Daniel Suarez Venegas on their recent publication!
02/23/26

Professor Ana Porras of the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and Biomedical Engineering Department along with her collaborative partner, Professor Daniel Suarez of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia, partnered to create a 6–7‑week international virtual exchange project between biomedical and bioengineering students. Students worked in cross‑national teams and identified pressing health needs in each other’s countries to propose engineering solutions through synchronous and asynchronous collaboration.

Course activities included video summaries, short solution pitches, reflective writing, and pre and post assessments using the IntCRIT and IntCOMM instruments...

Thank you for Supporting UFIC on Giving Day 2026!
02/23/26

On February 19, 2026, the University of Florida proudly celebrated its eighth annual Gator Nation Giving Day—a day dedicated to uniting alumni, students, and supporters in giving back to UF. The UF International Center was thrilled to participate, raising awareness and contributions to advance our mission of expanding global opportunities for the next generation of Gators.

As part of our three-year strategic plan, this year’s focus was increasing access to study abroad and making it an integral part of every Gator’s experience. Your support helps turn these life-changing opportunities into reality.

There’s still time to make a difference! For additional giving options,...

Global Fellows Program: Dr. Samuel Martins Builds International Collaborations on Plant-Microbe Interactions
02/16/26

For Dr. Samuel Martins, assistant professor in the UF/IFAS Department of Plant Pathology, the University of Florida International Center’s Global Fellows Program provided the foundation to expand his research network across Europe and strengthen collaborations in the field of plant-microbe interactions. With support from the Global Fellows seed grant, Dr. Martins visited three leading institutions: Utrecht University in the Netherlands, the University of...

Global Fellows Program Workshop Series: Finding Funding for International Research
02/16/26

 

Global Fellows explore funding tools and strategies to support international research.

The University of Florida International Center (UFIC) continued the 2026 Global Fellows Program workshop series with Workshop 1: “Finding Funding to Support International Research,” a session designed to help faculty fellows move from seed funding to sustainable, long-term support for international research and scholarship.

The session featured Dr. Kalene Johnson and Alex Barnett, Research Development Strategists with UF Research’s Strategic...

UFIC New Website Design Launching Soon!
02/09/26

We’re excited to share that the UFIC website will be launching a refreshed design later this month— same URL, no need to go anywhere!

The updated T4 site improves navigation, accessibility, and how we share international programs and resources with students, faculty, staff, and partners.

We’ll share the official launch announcement soon. Stay tuned!

Alexandra Rodriguez serves as international U.N. Peace Summit delegate
02/09/26

Alexandra Rodriguez (in foreground) was among 400 early career scholars who gathered for the U.N. 5th Global Peace Summit of Emerging Leaders in Bangkok, Thailand.

Source: UF College of Public Health & Health Professions

Efforts to bring about peace don’t always have to be on a global scale. Small, incremental changes can have a big impact over time.

That was one of the lessons Alexandra Rodriguez, M.P.H., a doctoral candidate in public health with a ...

Aline Fares selected for international lung cancer mentorship, research program
02/09/26

Source: UF Health | Cancer Institute

Thoracic oncologist Aline Fares, M.D., a clinical associate professor in the UF Division of Hematology & Oncology, has been selected for the highly competitive 2026 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Academy.

...

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