Arcadia’s College of Global Studies is delighted to sponsor Fulbright Schuman Scholar Maria Gomez-Ortueta, who will be joining us until mid-June. Ms. Gomez-Ortueta is the head of the International Office at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain which has been The College’s partner for its Toledo Program since the 2009 Transatlantic Dialogue organized by European Association for International Education (EAIE).

Ms. Gomez-Ortueta was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship for her project, which focuses upon bringing European and US institutions of higher education closer together. She will be conducting research into internationalization processes at US institutions and comparing US and European office structures in international education. She will also be attending conferences and writing articles for publication and hopes to develop new ideas for academic collaboration between US and European universities.

Ms. Gomez-Ortueta’s impressive work with Professor Harriet Turner of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) in developing the Harold E. Spencer Exchange Program in Teacher Education has won international acclaim. In 2011 the Institute of International Education (IIE) awarded the program the Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education, recognizing the program as a best practice model in international partnerships among cooperating U.S.-Spain academic programs.

The Fulbright program combines intensive immersion in the language and culture of the host country with academic research and scholarly activity, and aims to strengthen cross-cultural ties between the U.S. and partner countries.

The College of Global Studies extends a warm welcome to Ms. Gomez-Ortueta and looks forward to an exciting period of research and innovation.