International

Where in the world is Ecampus student Jo Brunelli? Brazil

By Molly Rosbach on Jan. 14, 2025

Jo Brunelli (in red hoodie) with Brazilian colleagues and volunteers outside the lab at the Instituto de Pesquisas da Biodiversidade in Brazil. 

Jo Brunelli is a senior Ecampus student in Philadelphia completing a bachelor’s degree in natural resources in Oregon State University’s College of Forestry. She hopes to work in hydrology focusing on water conservation, riparian ecosystem health and ensuring equitable access to water. She spent last summer researching fungi in Brazil.

Where in the world is program director Rachael Fahrenbach? Rwanda & Uganda

By Molly Rosbach on Dec. 17, 2024

Gorilla sighting in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda. 

Rachael Fahrenbach is the director of international programs in Oregon State University’s College of Forestry. She recently traveled to Rwanda and Uganda to begin the process of building a study abroad program there for OSU students.

OSU anthropologist Patricia Fifita consulted on Polynesian culture for Disney’s Moana 2

By Molly Rosbach on Dec. 10, 2024

Promotional image from Moana 2 ©Disney. Moana is holding a piece of pottery modeled after Lapita pottery from ancient Oceania.

“Moana 2,” Disney’s latest animated blockbuster that smashed Thanksgiving box office records, tells the story of a young Pacific Islander girl empowered to sail the seas and lead her people in exploring far-off islands, accompanied by the demigod Maui and her trusty sidekicks, Heihei the rooster and Pua the pig. 

Where in the world is professor Sunil Khanna? Botswana

By Molly Rosbach on Dec. 10, 2024

Sunil Khanna is a professor and director of the Center for Global Health in Oregon State University’s College of Health. He also leads the center’s Botswana Global Health Initiative, which takes undergraduate and graduate students from across OSU to Botswana every year, where they gain hands-on experience in community health and cross-cultural training.

Where in the world is associate professor Kate Stafford? Alaska

By Molly Rosbach on Dec. 3, 2024

Kate Stafford on the ice in Alaska, holding a hydrophone to record underwater sound. 

Kate Stafford is an associate professor and principal investigator of the Marine Mammal Bioacoustics and Ecology Lab, part of the Marine Mammal Institute at Hatfield Marine Science Center. Her research focuses on the use of passive acoustic monitoring in the ocean to study marine mammals, at the intersection of animal behavior and biological and physical oceanography. She spends part of each year in the northernmost tip of Alaska. 

Where in the world is associate professor Soria Colomer? Honduras

By Molly Rosbach on Nov. 25, 2024

Students learn about parts of a plant in English in one of the classes Colomer observed in Honduras.

Soria Colomer is an associate professor of bilingual education in Oregon State University’s College of Education. She is also the inaugural Patricia Valian Reser Faculty Scholar of Education for a three-year term, and traveled twice in the past year to work with bilingual teachers in Honduras. 

Where were you working? 
Copán Ruinas in Honduras. It’s named for the nearby Copán ruins, a major Mayan archaeological site. 

Where in the world is department head Patricia Stock? Chile & Argentina

By Molly Rosbach on Nov. 19, 2024

Patricia Stock with her INIA colleague Patricia Navarro in Puerto Varas, Chile. 

Patricia Stock is the new head of the Department of Horticulture in Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences. She recently traveled to Chile and Argentina to work on building new collaborations with research institutions and universities there.

Where were you working?

Temuco, Valdivia and Puerto Varas in Chile, and La Plata and Buenos Aires in Argentina.

What language is spoken there?

Spanish.

International Education Week Nov. 18-22 celebrates OSU’s global impact and community

By Molly Rosbach on Nov. 15, 2024

President Jayathi Murthy, center, at the president's reception for international students during IEW 2023. 

Each November, Oregon State University marks International Education Week with a full slate of events and receptions to celebrate international students, faculty and staff within the OSU community, as well as the global reach of OSU’s teaching and research efforts.