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’s Global Education Office expands global reach with immersion programs
The University of New Mexico’s Global Education Office is UNM’s link to the world. The office focuses on creating a globally engaged community by offering international education programs, fostering cross-cultural understanding and preparing students, faculty and staff to thrive in a connected, modern world. The faculty and staff achieve this through various community programs, including a customizable short-term global certificate program that has offered two- to four-week intensive courses on different topics for over 20 years. The program customizes each program to the interests and needs of each institution, organization, professional or other international partner.
UNM alum brings bold Korean flavors to the Duke City
When Hanmin Kim joined a campus international food festival as part of the Korean team, he had no idea the event would spark a movement. His homemade samgak gimbap—a Korean seaweed rice roll—quickly stole the show, drawing crowds and calls for more. Just months later, Kim launched Seoul Gimbap, a Korean street food business serving authentic flavors to an Albuquerque community hungry for something new. Kim earned both his bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and his master’s in Business Analytics from The University of New Mexico. After graduating from the Anderson School of Management in December 2024, he wasted no time applying what he learned in the classroom to real-world entrepreneurship.
Grad Studies and GEO recruit students in Nepal, India
The University of New Mexico’s Global Education Office (UNM GEO) teamed up with Graduate Studies and the Anderson School of Management on a recruiting trip to Nepal and India (around New Delhi) this past April. The team visited five universities in India and three in Nepal over the span of 13 days. Along with in-country recruiting agents, visits involved meeting with vice chancellors, deans and department chairs for discussions on student mobility, research and course collaborations as well as general discussions about the academic needs of students. Michael Voegerl is the director of international admissions and recruitment at GEO. He said the trip was designed to be proactive and meet students directly so that they could discuss the prospects of international education at UNM.UNM Students, Staff, and Faculty are Global!
Delia Bradley
United States . History
Meet Delia Bradley, the 2025 undergraduate recipient of the Globally Engaged Research Awarde from the Department of History. Delia Bradley’s undergraduate research focused on gender, ideology, and daily life under East Germany’s state socialism. Her Honors thesis, "Divorced from the Fatherland: The lila offensive and the Women’s Question in the German Democratic Republic," examined how the feminist group lila offensive challenged the East German state's narrative of women's liberation following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Guided by Dr. Melissa Bokovoy and enriched by coursework with Dr. Tiffany Florvil, Delia explored women’s everyday resistance to systemic sexism within a regime that publicly endorsed gender equality but perpetuated patriarchal norms. Her research relied heavily on archival materials, including oral histories from the FFBIZ “Berlin in Movement” series, and was grounded in frameworks such as “everyday socialism” and the “quotidian intellectual.” To better engage with German-language sources, she studied German throughout the project, overcoming challenges in translation and interpretation of politically sensitive material.
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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