UCEAPulse Summer 2023

UCEAP SPOTLIGHT

UCEAP Celebrates 60 Years of Bringing the World to UC Students

UCEAP turned 60 years old during the 2022-23 academic year.

To honor the occasion, a modest celebration was held in Bordeaux, France—the first UCEAP study abroad location—last September. UCEAP will host another small event in Barcelona next October. Additionally, in recognition of the 60th anniversary of UCEAP, a new fundraising campaign launched.

Launch of a New Fundraiser  Spearheaded by Elizabeth Janis Perl, the Alumni Engagement and Development director at UCEAP, the fundraising campaign began May 1. 

“We’re looking for 60 new recurring donors to give $5 a month, which adds up to $60 a year,” Elizabeth said. “We are raising money to give back to Guardian scholars as well as for the museum pass program. When donors open our donation form, they can choose which program they want to donate to.”

A Look Back at the Roots of UCEAP

Over the past 60 years, UCEAP has undergone “significant transformation,” in the words of Vivian-Lee Nyitray, UCEAP associate vice provost and executive director. 

For instance, back when the organization was first created, under the leadership of Bill Allaway, students only had the option to go abroad for less than a full year, and they were expected to be fluent in the language spoken at their destination.    “When UCEAP began, there was almost nothing done in English, and there was no support for international students,” Vivian said. 

Over time, that changed.

“Increasingly, coursework in English has been multiplying and faculty at those institutions [abroad] are no longer 100% local citizens,” Vivian said. “As a result, there’s a lot more understanding and support for people who are not local. Also, our students now can study abroad and have easier access to medical care, psychological counseling, and other support services.”

Envisioning the Future 

Throughout her years at UCEAP, Vivian has made it her goal to push for greater transparency and consistency and to “take us back to that initial vision of the world—not little region by little region with a very specific knowledge base. We need to be as collaborative, transparent, and consistent as we possibly can be. And I think we are.”

Going forward, Vivian is dedicated to seeing UCEAP continue to help UC students understand that study abroad is not only possible, but can also be a crucial part of their education. 

“We live in a global world, and even if you go to the UK or Canada, it helps,” Vivian said. “You get a different perspective looking back at the US. And I would love to see as many UC students as possible graduate with that perspective. In 10 years, I believe it is entirely possible that we could be sending out 8,000 to 10,000 students a year and welcoming in 2,500 students a year. I think that's a good number for us to aspire to. It makes UCEAP a small campus, and I guess, in a nutshell, I would like to have UCEAP positioned as a sister global campus.”

Redesigned UCEAP Alumni Website  The UCEAP alumni team has launched a redesign of its website. If you work with recent returnees or alumni, please share this news. Among the many website updates, the process for adding and updating contact information has been made easier. Creating a login and password is no longer needed and has been replaced with a simple web form. 

If you have any feedback on the new alumni website, email alumni@uceap.universityofcalifornia.edu.

To honor the occasion, a modest celebration was held in Bordeaux, France—the first UCEAP study abroad location—last September. UCEAP will host another small event in Barcelona next October. Additionally, in recognition of the 60th anniversary of UCEAP, a new fundraising campaign launched.

Launch of a New Fundraiser  Spearheaded by Elizabeth Janis Perl, the Alumni Engagement and Development director at UCEAP, the fundraising campaign began May 1. 

“We’re looking for 60 new recurring donors to give $5 a month, which adds up to $60 a year,” Elizabeth said. “We are raising money to give back to Guardian scholars as well as for the museum pass program. When donors open our donation form, they can choose which program they want to donate to.”

A Look Back at the Roots of UCEAP Over the past 60 years, UCEAP has undergone “significant transformation,” in the words of Vivian-Lee Nyitray, UCEAP associate vice provost and executive director. 

For instance, back when the organization was first created, under the leadership of Bill Allaway, students only had the option to go abroad for shorter than a full year, and they were expected to be fluent in the language spoken at their destination.    “When UCEAP began, there was almost nothing done in English, and there was no support for international students,” Vivian said.

In time, that changed. “Increasingly, coursework in English has been multiplying and faculty at those institutions [abroad] are no longer 100% local citizens,” Vivian said. “As a result, there’s a lot more understanding and support for people who are not local. Also, our students now can study abroad and have easier access to medical care, psychological counseling, and other support services.” Envisioning the Future  Throughout her years at UCEAP, Vivian has made it her goal to push for greater transparency and consistency and to “take us back to that initial vision of the world—not little region by little region with a very specific knowledge base. We need to be as collaborative, transparent, and consistent as we possibly can be. And I think we are.” Going forward, Vivian is dedicated to seeing UCEAP continue to help UC students understand that study abroad is not only possible, but a crucial part of their education.  “We live in a global world, and even if you go to the UK or Canada, it helps,” Nyitray said. “You get a different perspective looking back at the US. And I would love to see as many UC students as possible graduate with that perspective. In 10 years, I believe it is entirely possible that we could be sending out 8,000 to 10,000 students a year and welcoming in 2,500 students a year. I think that's a good number for us to aspire to. It makes UCEAP a small campus, and I guess, in a nutshell, I would like to have UCEAP positioned as a sister global campus.”

The Redesigned UCEAP Alumni Website Has Launched  The UCEAP alumni team has launched a redesign of its website. If you work with recent returnees or alumni, please share this news. Among the many website updates, the process for add and updating contact information has been made easier. Creating a login and password is no longer needed and has been replaced with a simple web form. 

If you have any feedback on the new alumni website, email alumni@uceap.universityofcalifornia.edu.

AWARD news

UCEAP Students Honored with Internship Awards

Six students received Fall Internship Awards in recognition of their exceptional internship experiences on study abroad with UCEAP.

Rebecca Chang, UC Santa Barbara, Virtual Internship Program with Calima Solutions, Spain.

"I have always thought of language as a superpower, a way of bringing distinct worlds together. At Calima Solutions, I was given the opportunity to work with clients that have real data and computer science problems to solve. By the end of my summer internship, I had developed strong collaboration skills by working closely with people of many cultural backgrounds. I learned the importance of communication and understanding every person's perspectives."

Jerry Cheung, UC Riverside, Field Research & Internship, Strasbourg with Institut de Biologie Moluculaire des Plantes, France.

"My decision to intern abroad at the Ritzenthaler Lab was very intentional. I wanted to prioritize an internship over a typical study abroad program to gain experience applying what I learn in university classes going into my fourth year. This internship gave me a chance to do exactly that while also supporting my dream to live abroad in France."

Sarah Chun, UC Santa Barbara, Yonsei University Summer with Prain Global, South Korea.

"I challenged myself academically, professionally, and personally while studying abroad in South Korea. Much of the growth I was able to achieve during this unforgettable time abroad is attributed to my internship at Prain Global. The personal and professional skills I gained from the internship perfectly complemented my academic experience. I am eternally grateful for UCEAP, Yonsei University, and Prain Global for making this all happen."

Brea Spencer, UC Santa Barbara, Yonsei University with Actibrain in South Korea.

"It's funny that the reason I dreamed of going to Korea is to experience Korea’s hybrid of traditional culture and their hyper-modern technology, and that I was able to interact with it first-hand through my internship. During my time in Korea, I was able to explore Korea's Irish history and culture while working on a highly technical project that challenged my design and problem-solving skills. It opened up an entirely unique experience of the country."

Gillian Varnum, UC Los Angeles, Field Research & Internship with Organization Centre de Recherche sur L'Inflammation in France.

"My internship, on a team led by Alain Couvineau, Ph.D., connected closely with my academic plan and coursework, allowing me to directly apply the concepts I have been learning in classes to real-world research in a lab. Now that I have returned and started a new quarter at UCLA, I see how the lab work I completed in Paris is based on the foundational material I am learning in classes. The ability to explore multiple facts of a complex research program expanded my intellectual horizons."

Alicia Yu, UC Santa Barbara, University of Chile with Organization Área de Idiomas in Chile.

"My internship with the Área de Idiomas became an unexpected highlight of my time in Santiago, and confirmed my passion for linguistics. I was able to connect what I learn in the classroom to personal experiences, and I return home with a deeper passion and understanding for my major."

The Spring Internship Awards application will open in mid-July.

Learn more about the Internship Awards on the Scholarships web page.