After Uliana Gabara helped build and lead Richmond’s now esteemed Office of International Education for almost 30 years, the office is entering a new age with Martha Merritt replacing Gabara.
Merritt, who comes to Richmond from University of Chicago, took over an office that is often highly ranked for the services and opportunities it provides students. More than 60 percent of undergraduate students study abroad, according to the university’s website.
“The fact that we have so many programs distinguishes Richmond in many ways,” Gabara said. “People choose the University of Richmond because it is on its way to becoming an international university.”
Ronald Crutcher, the university’s president who is new to Richmond, said Richmond was delighted to have Merritt join the community.
“Working with colleagues across campus, [Merritt] will help us build on our existing strengths,” Crutcher said, “and as a newcomer myself, I look forward to hearing from community members about the best opportunities to do that.”
A lot has changed since Gabara came to Richmond in 1987. Incidentally, Gabara was not actively searching for a job when Richmond found her.
“Actually I wasn’t on the open market,” Gabara said. “I was teaching at the University of Virginia and getting my doctorate in Russian Language and literature, I moved from teaching Russian language and literature to creating the office of international education.”
Gabara, who is fluent in Polish, Russian, and English, was born in Poland and was there when the Nazis attacked the Soviet Union. She spent much of her childhood as a refugee in Uzbekistan.
“I knew from deep personal experience how important it is to experience international cultures in life,” Gabara said.
Gabara stressed the importance of understanding the global culture as globalization continues to bring people closer together.
“The world is right here; it’s not out there,” Gabara said.
Global learning extends well beyond study abroad, said Joseph Hoff, who served as interim dean over the past two years in addition to working as associate dean, his current position.
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”Global learning is something that happens in all parts of the university,” Hoff said, “and I think what [Merritt] is going to do is see where she can expand those opportunities for faculty, staff, and students.”
Merritt, who is also fluent in Russian and specializes in Russian politics, is looking to build different arenas of international education around campus.
“One of my hopes is to help the campus integrate more tightly around a common sense of purpose in international engagement,” Merritt said.
One of the things that the Office of International Education has been working on with a few departments is a collaborative online international learning course. For example, Mary Finley-Brook, professor of geography and the environment, is teaching a local in global living and learning community to students on campus this semester who will go abroad in the spring. She will use technology to keep in touch with the students. The students will create a capstone project on water sustainability the following fall, Hoff said.
“We really do live in a global culture,” Gabara said. “If you think of the lines students pursue after graduation, there will be people from around the world acting as students’ colleagues.”
Contact news assistant Caroline McNamara at caroline.mcnamara@richmond.edu.
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