Four University of Virginia students pursued research opportunities in Germany this summer, taking advantage of the German Academic Exchange Service’s Research Internships in Science and Engineering to expand their studies.
As the new academic year begins, UVA stands at an exciting crossroads in its global journey as we welcome new members and leaders to our community and prepare to expand our global presence. This moment of renewal reflects both resilience and growth: resilience, as we celebrate the arrival of students who overcame barriers to join our community, and growth, as we strengthen our programs and partnerships to ensure that every member of the UVA family can engage with the world in meaningful ways.
From sport to social movements, global health to global humanities, our initiatives in South Africa developed in an abundance of directions this summer.
Dr. Kathryn Quissell (global studies, public health sciences) has been selected for the Global Challenges Teaching Award by the US-UK Fulbright Commission. She will work with her UVA team including Tina Mangieri, director of global initiatives, and Sarah Cochran, senior director of learning experience & digital innovation, in collaboration with a team at the University of Leicester to co-design teaching modules on health inequity for a virtual exchange course to be taught in Fall 2026.
Greatness Olaitan is a fourth-year PhD candidate in chemistry. Originally from Nigeria, Olaitan graduated with first class honors from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, in 2018, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in chemistry. His early research experience in Nigeria working with Professor Wesley Okiei to design electrochemical sensors for in vitro measurement of biomolecules laid the foundation for his current work at UVA.
The University is renowned for taking its students far and wide — academically, professionally and, well, literally. This summer alone, various study abroad programs welcomed a whopping 1,080 Wahoos, 82 percent of whom participated in University faculty-led or partner programs.
PhD candidate Robert Sanchis-Álvarez (Spanish, Italian & Portuguese) describes his discovery of a Spanish colonial-era newspaper from the Philippines at a flea market. With funding from the Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation, Sanchis was able to start a two-year process of preservation and repatriation.
Chris Colvin has been selected as the new director for the Global Studies Program. Colvin is a professor in the Department of Anthropology and has taught in the global public health track since 2017. He is a medical anthropologist with extensive experience researching HIV and masculinity; health activism and community health governance; trauma, subjectivity and narrative; and the interface between communities and health systems in the context of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and maternal and child health.
Tessa Farmer is newly returned to the University of Virginia to teach anthropology and global studies after spending the last 5 1/2 months in Egypt through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.
