Current News
Swiss Wins Friends’ Excellence in Teaching Award
Yves Plancherel, a graduate student in the Geosciences Department, has won the Excellence in Teaching Award presented annually by the Friends of Davis International Center to the outstanding international graduate assistant for excellence in teaching undergraduates. Yves, a thirty-one year old from Switzerland, has been a graduate assistant for the past two years to Dr. Gregory E. van der Vink, a visiting faculty member in the Department of Geosciences and the Princeton University 250th Anniversary Visiting Professor for Distinguished Teaching.
For detailed information about Yves Plancherel and the Excellence in Teaching Award, click here.
Sunny’s Helpers
For the past several years, Sunny Onish, leader of the Group Conversation Program sponsored by Friends of Davis International Center, has utilized assistants in helping to manage the conversation program. In each case, the “helpers” were originally international students enrolled in the conversation program. Each one ‘graduated’ to becoming her assistant.
The first ‘graduate’ was Helga Wellhoefer from Germany who spent four years as a student in the group conversation program before becoming an assistant for three years. This past year she ‘retired’ to pursue additional interests. Next in line is Godze Ucar from Turkey, a group student for six years, including the last two as an assistant, who worked alongside Helga. Godze will step down for the spring semester as she is now a full-time fashion student at Burlington County College. Next fall, her schedule will permit her to return to the group conversation program.
A more recent helper is Heike Reinhart, also a young woman from Germany, who participated in the conversation program as a student for over three years before becoming an assistant this past year. The latest addition is Catherine Bianco from Switzerland who has been a group student for 18 months and now works as an assistant.
As Sunny explains, “These young women are role-models for our international students who see that their English can become so much improved that they, too, could become my assistants.”
Book Club Update
Under the inspiration and guidance of Ilse Lazovic, a group tutor in the conversation program, the Friends’ Book Club became a reality a few years ago. Each month a group of international students meets to discuss an assigned book which they have chosen and then read the previous month.
Since the discussions are conducted in English and the books are in English, the book club becomes an excellent way for the students to improve their reading and conversational skills.
Currently, there are fifteen students who represent Turkey, Russia, German, China, Japan, Colombia and Spain. The assigned book for the next club meeting in December is Anita Shreve’s Seaglass. Also at the next meeting, Ilse will suggest several book choices for the assigned reading and then the group will ‘democratically’ vote their choice.
Participant Gozde Ucar of Turkey is very happy to be part of the club. “Because we are all reading the same book, it gives us something in common to talk about, since we all come from different countries and speak different languages.” She goes on to say, “Knowing I have a deadline helps to motivate me to read!”
For further information, contact Ilse at plazovick1@comcast.net
To learn more about becoming a volunteer, click Volunteering.
Last modified 11/22/2009
E-mail comments to Hanna Hand or call (609) 258 -1170.