We are a large service unit that facilitates international linkages, cultural exchange, global diversity, and the development of international expertise across all university sectors. GEO is responsible for international recruitment and admissions, creates opportunities to study and work overseas through exchange and education abroad programs, offers immigration, orientation, and co-curricular advising services for international students and scholars who study and work at UNM, provides intensive English language programs at the intermediate to advanced level, and develops short-term certificate programs for adult learners.Welcome to the Global Education Office (GEO)!
Global Highlights
UNM director receives 2025 U.S. Fulbright Scholar award
Linda Melville, the director of International Student and Scholar Services in the Global Education Office (GEO) at The University of New Mexico, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar International Education Administrators Award to Japan for June 2025 from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright-Japan Scholarship Board. “I am incredibly excited to have been selected for the Fulbright International Education Administrators Award,” said Melville. “As one of only seven U.S. international education professionals chosen to participate in this competitive seminar, I am honored to represent The University of New Mexico with my fellow Fulbright participants.”
2025 Inspiring Graduate | Manali Girish Narkhede
Manali Girish Narkhede is driven by a passion for creativity and innovation. Born in India, she grew up watching her father work as an electrical engineer for the state government and was raised with the values of integrity, humility and service. From a young age, she was encouraged to pursue a stable, practical career. Congratulations to all of the International Spring 2025 Graduates! The Global Education Office is proud of your hard work.
Study abroad program aims to strengthen multilingual educators
Six University of New Mexico students and three faculty across departments are heading to Southern Spain for a month-long learning experience in Cordova. The Abriendo Mundos/Opening Worlds (AMOW) Study Abroad Program is designed to give students a hands-on experience for a chance to practice student-centered strategies for diverse learners. The donor-supported program prepares New Mexico’s future and practicing educators in an interdisciplinary manner across bilingual education, language arts, social studies, and special education. These education students will be placed in public school classrooms in southern Spain which serves predominantly Roma families.UNM Students, Staff, and Faculty are Global!
Subhankar Banerjee
India. Professor, Art & Ecology
Meet Professor Subhankar Banerjee, the 2024 faculty recipient of the Globally Engaged Research Awarde from the Department of Art. Banerjee is the founding director of the UNM Center for Environmental Arts & Humanities and is a leader in the use of visual culture, particularly photography, and environmental humanities, to raise awareness of the global biodiversity crisis and the impacts of climate change. Banerjee has conducted extensive international fieldwork in partnership with local communities, scientists, and conservationists, most notably to address the conservation status of shorebirds in North America and Aotearoa New Zealand and tigers in the Indian Sundarban. Banerjee serves on the international editorial advisory board of the recently launched Bloomsbury Academic book series ‘Global Challenges in the Environmental Humanities’; he also contributed a co-authored chapter in the inaugural volume, River Delta Futures: Endangered Communities in Audiovisual Media, which will be published in February 2025. Banerjee was appointed the 45th Ashley Fellow at Trent University, Canada for 2024-2025, and a Resident at the American Academy in Rome, Italy for 2025-2026.
Ruizhe Liu
China. Anthropology
Ruizhe Liu is the 2024 graduate student recepient of the Globally Engaged reseach award from the Department of Anthropology. Liu conducted 10 months of intensive fieldwork in a remote part of China to document the effects of rapid globalization on families and community structure. She has developed strong collaborative relationships with local community members and scholars and is working to create new academic spaces for anthropology in China.
Ian Hutchinson
|. Biology
Ian Hutchinson is the 2024 Deborah Rifenbary Memorial Undergraduate student awardee, a biology major who conducted fieldwork on fossil preservation in the Paraguayan Chaco in collaboration with UNM Associate Professor Jason Moore. After forming relationships with Paraguayan scholars during two seasons of field research, he partnered with them for a reciprocal visit to research sites in the US Southwest.
Elenora Edreva
Bulgaria. Fine Arts in Art & Ecology
Eleonora Edreva is a recent graduate of UNM, who earned her Master of Fine Arts in Art & Ecology and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Chicago. She is an artist and researcher born in Bulgaria, whose artistic work is rooted in the mediums of textiles and video. Edreva project seeks to preserve Bulgarian traditional ecological knowledge through the study, practice, and dissemination of traditional natural dye textile techniques. She will be working with professors at the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies within the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, as well as artisans throughout the country who work with natural dyes. “I’m overjoyed to have been awarded the Fulbright in Bulgaria. Applying for a Fulbright to do artistic research in Bulgaria is something I’ve thought about doing since my undergrad, and the timing and project I ended up applying with couldn’t feel like a better fit,” Edreva said. “This knowledge is something I feel deeply interested in personally, and also feel strongly about contributing to keeping alive and thriving for many generations to come.”
Dr. Rebecca Blum Martinez
United States. Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies
Dr. Rebecca Blum Martinez is Professor Emerita in the Department of Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies in the College of Education and Human Sciences. On Spanish Language Day, the North American Academy of the Spanish Language (ANLE) proudly announces the recipient of the 2024 edition of the Enrique Anderson Imbert Prize: Mexican-born professor Rebecca Blum Martínez. This annual award honors the professional life trajectory of those whose endeavors have significantly contributed to the understanding and dissemination of Hispanic language, literature and cultures in the United States. Background: TESOL/Bilingual teacher in New Mexico and Mexico. Research Interests: Bilingualism; second language acquisition; language maintenance and use in immigrant and indigenous communities. Courses: TESOL Methods; Research Issues in Bilingual Classrooms & Communities; 1st & 2nd Language Development; La Ensenanza de la Lectoescritura; Naturalistic Inquiry; Dual Language Immersion Programs.
Naadiyahtu Iddrisu
Ghana. Communication with a focus on health communication
Naadiyahtu Iddrisu hails from a small village in Ghana. A mother of young daughters, one of them born on her first year as a graduate student, she has consistently supported her family while excelling as a graduate student at The University of New Mexico. Iddrisu began her Inspiring Grad interview with a prayer. “I give all praise to Almighty Allah who has made this day possible, granting us our health in a good state and bringing us to this particular venue at this particular moment,” she said. Iddrisu is graduating from UNM with her master’s degree in Communication with a focus on health communication. Her research interest lies at the intersection of health communication, emerging health technologies, intersectionality and social justice.
Dr. Stephanie Moore
United States . Organization, Information, and Learning Sciences
Stephanie Moore, an expert in online learning with over 20 years of experience, has been working with the U.S. State Department to facilitate the global transition to online education, particularly in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. She emphasizes the importance of strategic planning and institutional support for online learning, drawing on her experiences working with various countries, including Cambodia, Morocco, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Lebanon. Moore believes that while online learning is not meant to replace traditional face-to-face instruction, it should be integrated as a flexible and resilient option in education systems. She envisions a future where online learning becomes a normalized feature of the educational landscape, offering learners diverse and seamless educational opportunities. Moore is working on a book that compiles her research and experiences in online learning.
Tara Falce
United States . International Studies
Meet Tara Falce, the esteemed 2023 Deborah Rifenbary Memorial Undergraduate Student Award recipient. Her groundbreaking research focuses on the experiences of Syrian refugees, particularly in Italy, where she passionately connects with and amplifies their voices. In addition, Tara's work delves into the humanitarian and political aspects of the Syrian Civil War, analyzing the role of the Mediterranean region and the United Nations in shaping its resolution. Expressing her gratitude, Tara acknowledges the significance of bringing the stories of Syrian refugees to the forefront of academia. She credits the International Studies Institute and her research advisor for their invaluable support. With an unwavering commitment to shed light on the status of Syrian refugees, Tara's remarkable dedication has earned her recognition.
Despite graduating from UNM with her undergrad, Tara is already poised to continue her academic journey. She will pursue graduate studies in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution at the esteemed American University in Rome, furthering her mission to promote peace and understanding in global conflicts.
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