UF International Students Represent Gators in Recent NASA Space Trek Academy
03/31/25

A group of University of Florida (UF) international students recently participated in the Space Trek Academy. In this program, UF  students joined as one large team, with smaller technical units to successfully launch and retrieve a weather balloon, with a payload that travels up to 100,000 feet. 

Students learned about subjects such as meteorology, telemetry and how NASA takes different variables into account to perform millions of calculations, very similar to these. They also learned about payload integration and how to plan and efficiently carry out a weather balloon launch.

Throughout the program, students collaborated in teams to design, build, and launch small-scale...

UFIC Hosts Successful Passport Office Event to Support Global Travel
03/31/25

The University of Florida International Center (UFIC) successfully hosted a Passport Office event on March 25, offering students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to apply for U.S. passports conveniently on campus. Held at the UF International Center, the event provided essential passport services, including first-time applications, renewals, and on-site passport photo services. Attendees were able to submit their applications with the required documents and make payments via check or money order. The event facilitated a seamless application process, ensuring that participants were well-prepared for their upcoming international travels. 

UFIC is grateful to Marshall Gray...

Universidad CEU Delegation Explores Academic Collaboration at the University of Florida
03/31/25

A delegation from Universidad CEU (Spain) visited the University of Florida from March 26-27, 2025, to explore academic collaborations, student engagement, and to continue adding institutional partnerships. Led by Alvaro Antón, Vice Rector for Internationalization & Campus Life at Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, the delegation included key representatives from Universidad CEU’s Valencia, Castellón, and Madrid campuses. 

During the Universidad CEU delegation’s visit to the University of Florida, meetings took place across various departments and colleges, fostering academic collaboration and institutional engagement. Discussions were held at the University of...

Stories from UF’s International Global Gators: Hadi Ghasemi
03/31/25

Hadi Ghasemi, originally from Iran, is a passionate graduate student in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the University of Florida (UF). Hadi grew up in a country renowned for its rich cultural heritage, including the Persian Empire, poetry, and innovations in various fields such as architecture and agriculture. His academic journey in horticulture began in high school, leading him to pursue an M.Sc. in horticultural sciences, focusing on both indoor and outdoor farming. Hadi’s experience as the CEO of a company that provided urban landscape management and agriculture services further enriched his expertise, fueling his passion for advancing agricultural...

New Coil For Staff Program In Collaboration With São Paulo State University (UNESP) In Brazil
03/24/25

The International Center is pleased to announce the start of a COIL for Staff program in collaboration with São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil.

Thirty participants from UF and UNESP will contribute their interests and professional experience in their fields, share best practices, and discuss creative ways to implement improvement projects at the end of the program.

This unique bilingual program stared on March 12h and will culminate on an online symposium on May 7th, 2025 in which participants will present their action plans.

A Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project, a type of virtual exchange or telecollaboration, is a technology-...

UF Faculty and Graduate Students Publish on Virtual Exchange
03/24/25

Dr. Samuel Martins, Assistant Professor in the UF Department of Plant Pathology, and two plant pathology students who completed the Virtual Exchange Training for Graduate Students with the Office of Global Learning last year, Sameerika Mudiyanselage and Jessica Velte, led a collaborative effort to produce a virtual exchange (VE) methods manuscript that has recently been published in the NACTA (North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture) Journal. The publication describes how Dr. Martins set up, carried out, and assessed his VE project, which requires his students to interview researchers working in plant pathology around the world. It also contains some key takeaways from the...

UF Community Gathers to Celebrate Fulbright Achievements
03/24/25

Despite ongoing challenges posed by the current U.S. funding freeze impacting the Fulbright Program, the University of Florida’s international community recently came together to celebrate the faculty, students, and staff strengthening UF’s global engagement.

The evening was a moment of recognition and appreciation. Thanks to the dedication of its scholars and administrators, UF has maintained its prestigious standing as the second-ranked Fulbright Top Producing Institution for two consecutive years.

The celebration also honored UF’s visiting Fulbrighters, whose research and contributions continue to enrich the campus and foster international collaboration...

NEW COIL FOR STAFF PROGRAM IN COLLABORATION WITH SÃO PAULO STATE UNIVERSITY (UNESP) IN BRAZIL
03/21/25

The International Center is pleased to announce the start of a COIL for Staff program in collaboration with São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil.

Thirty participants from UF and UNESP will contribute their interests and professional experience in their fields, share best practices, and discuss creative ways to implement improvement projects at the end of the program.

This unique bilingual program started on March 12h and will culminate in an online symposium on May 7th, 2025 in which participants will present their action plans.

A Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project, a type of virtual exchange or telecollaboration, is a technology-...

Congratulations to Raja Raymond Issa on Election as VP for North America of UPADI
03/17/25

Congratulations to R. Raymond Issa on being elected Vice President for North America of the Pan American Federation of Engineering Societies (UPADI), representing over 4 million engineers across the Americas. He was sworn in on March 7, 2025, in Bogotá, Colombia. Previously, he served as Chair of the UPADI Technical Council (2023–2025), coordinating the work of 24 technical committees. Issa is a UF Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Advanced Construction Information Modeling. Congratulations!

Fulbright Scholar Syeda Rida Rizvi Wins Best Poster Award at UF Health Cancer Center Research Showcase
03/17/25

Syeda Rida Rizvi is a Fulbrighter from Pakistan who is currently in her final semester at UF. She is pursuing her Masters of Science in Molecular Cell Biology from the department of Anatomy and Cell Biology. Rida is conducting her research that will conclude in thesis at the Zajac-Kaye lab, where her focus of research is Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors(PanNETs) She participated in the UF health Cancer Centre Research showcase 2025, held on 12th February. On this occasion, over 190 posters were displayed and judged. Rida presented her work on Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors which revolved around establishing a novel relationship between Thymidylate Synthase (an essential enzyme for DNA...

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