UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Global Programs recently named two Global Faculty Fellows for 2019: Tiffany MacQuarrie, assistant teaching professor of English at Penn State Beaver; and Tanya Furman, professor of geosciences in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at University Park. Each was selected for their specific proposals for improving the internationalization efforts of the University.
MacQuarrie’s proposal is centered around the use of Experiential Digital Global Engagement (EDGE) programs to improve global engagement. These programs can be implemented at any campus, and MacQuarrie plans to use her fellowship to educate others on how to create such programs and courses.
“I thrill at the challenge of merging 21st-century learning practices with global strategies to best equip and prepare our students to live and work in a global society,” said MacQuarrie. “This is especially important for our Commonwealth Campus students, many of whom have not had global learning opportunities.”
Furman’s proposal is focused on assessing the level of globalization across the University. She will create assessment tools and implement an assessment protocol for the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, looking at the level of globalization in both the types of courses and programs offered as well as the content within the curriculum of the college. She plans to work with the Office of Planning and Assessment, as well as Global Programs.
“My goal through the fellowship is to explore the offerings and enrollments [in the College of EMS], and to map them against the tremendous potential of the International Learning requirement [in the college],” Furman said. “If there are areas where we can improve, let’s improve. If there are areas where we can celebrate our achievements, let’s celebrate … I’m so excited to be a Faculty Fellow!”
The Global Faculty Fellowship program seeks to provide fellows with a greater understanding of the University’s strategic goals for internationalization and the role of the office of Global Programs as the coordinating unit for implementation. In turn, the faculty fellows provide Global Programs with faculty and academic units’ perspectives on internationalization initiatives in general.
The program is intended to advance Penn State’s global engagement goals. The primary objectives of the program are promoting faculty understanding and engagement in the University’s global strategy; advancing this strategy through faculty-led efforts; and cultivating international leadership across academic units.
“Both Professor MacQuarrie and Dr. Furman are planning to work in areas vital to the University’s global strategy: developing global competency for students and assessing the effectiveness of international programming in the curriculum,” said Robert Crane, interim vice provost for Global Programs. “We couldn’t be more excited to have them aboard as fellows.”