Meet Charlie Hochfelder: UF’s Peace Corps Campus Recruiter
09/02/25

The University of Florida International Center is excited to introduce Charlie Hochfelder, UF’s Peace Corps Campus Recruiter. Charlie brings a wealth of international experience, passion for service, and a commitment to helping students discover their own path to global engagement. Learn more about Charlie here.

Charlie’s journey began at Cornell University’s ILR School, where he first became interested in global systems and the people within them. A formative experience came through an engaged...

Dean Wayne Earns Graduate Certificate in Latin American Studies
09/02/25

During Spanish immersion in Oaxaca, Mexico (2023)

The UF International Center is proud to recognize Dean Marta L. Wayne for completing the Graduate Certificate in Latin American Studies this year. Offered through the UF Center for Latin American Studies, this program provides an interdisciplinary understanding of the region through coursework that integrates cultural aspects, history, politics, and development.

Earning this certificate highlights Dean Wayne’s deep commitment to the mission of the International Center—strengthening global engagement, fostering collaborative skills, and preparing students to thrive in an interconnected world. By ...

Get to Know Us! - Sharon Brown
08/25/25

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!

Sharon Brown

Sharon Brown is our International Agreements Coordinator in the Office for Global Research and Exchange, here at UFIC. Sharon’s role is managing international agreements between the University and international institutions around the world. “There are over 300 that are all in certain stages—coming up for renewal, under negotiations, or...

F-1 Undergraduate & J-1 Exchange Student Orientation Held at UF
08/25/25

The International Center hosted the F-1 Undergraduate and J-1 Exchange Student Orientation and Tabling at the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. The program included a welcome from Dean Marta, presentations from campus partners, important information on F-1 and J-1 regulations, and tabling by partners, including SSA and ACTC. 

UFIC is always excited that students from around the globe have chosen UF as the place where they will enhance their academic and professional backgrounds.  Our international students represent 150+ countries, effectively bringing the world to our campus!  In turn, the International Center aims to assist students as they transition from their...

UFIC Announces Call for Nominations for Two Important Awards: International Educator of the Year and Global Learning Excellence Awards 2025! 

The UF International Center is pleased to invite nominations for the 2025 International Educator of the Year (IEY) and the Global Learning Excellence (GLE) Awards. These awards embody the mission of the International Center and support UF’s preeminence as a global leader.

Both awards will be presented at a reception at the Keene Faculty Center on Monday, November 17, 2025, during International Education Week. Nominations for both awards must be received by Friday, October 10th at 4PM.

The International Educator of the Year Awards are made annually in recognition of the outstanding contributions of faculty and staff to the internationalization of the University of Florida....

Helping his hometown, a UF grad opens an independent pharmacy in Puerto Rico
08/18/25

Source: UF College of Pharmacy

Nestled on the northwestern coast of Puerto Rico, the Lagunas sector of the Aguada community has always lacked something essential — a local independent pharmacy. For years, residents traveled 10 miles to a nearby town for medications, a major hurdle for those without reliable transportation. 

That changed when David Mendoza Soto, Pharm.D., a 2022 graduate of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, opened Aguada’s first independent pharmacy last fall. Now, medications and even vaccinations are available in the pharmacy or delivered to residents’ doors, improving access to care and...

UF Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Swiss Partners to Advance In-Space Research and Workforce Development
08/18/25

Source: UF Astraeus Space Institute

By Emily Hinds. 

The University of Florida (UF), through a coalition of space-focused initiatives including the Astraeus Space Institute, the In-Space Biomanufacturing Innovation Hub (In-Space Bio Hub), and the Center for Science, Technology, and Advanced Research in Space (C-STARS), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with two prominent Swiss institutions—the Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein (CSA) and Switzerland...

UF PhD Student Represents Nepal at United Nations Human Rights Summit

 

Ashra Kunwar, a PhD student in Environmental Sociology at the University of Florida, recently represented Nepal at the 19th International Youth for Human Rights Summit held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. She was the only Nepali delegate and speaker at the event, which brought together Nobel Peace Prize laureates, permanent UN representatives, global activists, artists, and leaders of international organizations.

From the UN stage, Kunwar addressed urgent issues facing Nepal, including the impacts of...

Global Fellows Program Supports International Residency Professor Christopher Scanlon
08/18/25

Christopher Scanlon, D.M.A., Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Florida College of the Arts, recently returned from an impactful guest artist residency at the Festival Internacional de Música Alfredo de Saint Malo in Panama City, Panama, from July 20–26. His participation was made possible by a Global Fellows award from the UF International Center (UFIC).

During his residency, Dr. Scanlon significantly contributed to the festival, performing as a featured soloist with Panama’s prestigious National Youth Concert Band. He provided intensive educational experiences for young musicians through trumpet masterclasses, private lessons, orchestra sectionals, and chamber...

Hanyu Luo - International Student Council
08/18/25

Hanyu Luo is an undergraduate student from Chongqing, China, a vibrant city known for its mountainous landscapes and spicy hotpot. At the University of Florida, she is majoring in Food Science through the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, with plans to double major in Statistics. Hanyu is passionate about the intersection of food, health, and data, and she’s especially interested in how scientific research can be applied to improve public well-being. Before coming to UF, Hanyu attended an international high school in China, where she was exposed to both Western and Chinese educational systems. Since arriving in Gainesville, she has immersed herself in volunteer work, joined...

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