New Year, New Start to the Blog

Okay, look.....writing about a Ph.D. is really hard. It's really just a lot of reading most of the time. Sometimes I have an idea and write it down, but...that's pretty much it. I haven't posted anything since October 2021.

Mea culpa.

​Now, let's get back in the swing of things.

This post is going to cover (1) updates on the past year, (2) a check-in regarding the Ph.D, and (3) some articles that I think are worth reading if you're the sort of person interested in virtual exchange, COIL, etc.

(1) First thing's first - let's do some updates.

At the end of 2021, I wrapped up my time with UC Santa Cruz and after a short holiday break, started a new role at the University of Michigan School of Information (UMSI) as their Global Engagement Program Manager. I've now been there over a year (well, a year tomorrow as I write this!). I'm absolutely loving my job and the team that I'm a part of. Probably more on that at some point down the line, but let's move on for now.

​The team at the Michigan Association of International Educators (MAIE) served up a top-notch in-person conference in March 2022. Even though it was smaller than usual, there was great energy among all the attendees, and it was a blast to serve as Chair, rotating out into my current mentoring roles as Past Chair. Our 2023 conference is in March as Hope College, by the way. Be there or be square.

Lastly, not not leastly (is this a word?), my wife and I bought a house in June last year! I spent most of the summer redoing hardwood floors and painting...everything, but now it's a cozy little lakeside cottage. Most importantly, there's plenty of room for our dog to run around. He's now 90 pounds and is yet to realize it.

​(2) The Ph.D. 

Yes, it's still happening!

I've moved into what is called the "Applicant" phase, where I need to work up a formal research proposal and submit it to the university for admission as a Ph.D Candidate. In fact, I met with my supervisor just today, and things are looking pretty good (according to him). 

The topic has changed a bit since my last post, so I'll have to update you all fully on that at some point, but for now, suffice it to say that there's a sizable gap in the COIL literature that I'm trying to address directly. As COIL-coiner Jon Rubin puts it in The Guide to COIL Virtual Exchange, "there is...no single, clear path to programmatic success (in COIL)".

I ship back over to Italy at the end of March to present on my research proposal. I'm also doing some presenting at conferences regarding virtual exchange, COIL, and existing research - look for me at the MAIE Conference in March and the NAFSA National Conference in Washington, D.C., assuming my proposals there are approved.

Other than writing my research proposal, I've been reading a TON of papers and books. That brings us to...

(3) Recommended Articles

Frankly, I think people don't read enough research. So, in the hopes of sparking your interest, I'm going to shout out a few papers at the end of each blog post. Read them or don't, but don't come crying to me when you don't know what the heck is going on.

Here are my current recommendations:

Why the Digitalization of International Education Matters 
by Shanton Chang & Catherine Gomes
It's an introductory editorial for a JSIE special topics issue on the subject, and it's worthwhile reading. Take a good look at the papers in the special issue as well, but don't skip over this introduction.
DOI: 10.1177/10283153221095163

Preparing Students for Successful Online Intercultural Communication and Collaboration in Virtual Exchange
by Gutiérrez, Glimäng, Sauro, & O’Dowd
In my opinion, this should be mandatory reading for anyone directly facilitating virtual intercultural programming. Not sure how to scaffold student interactions across cultures through tech? This is a great place to start.
DOI: ​10.32674/jis.v12iS3.4630

Conceptualizing Internationalization at a Distance: A “Third Category” of University Internationalization
by Mittelmeier, Rienties, Gunter, & Raghuram
This paper lays out IaD as an emerging contexual conceptualization of internationalization that captures our moment in time perfectly. Grounding international distance education firmly within existing internationalization literature, the authors lay out a new understanding of mobility of knowledge in a way that is sure to impact future research (as it is mine!).
DOI: ​10.1177/1028315320906176