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A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E R E V E S C E N T E R
F O R I N T E R N AT I O N A L S T U D I E S AT
WILLIAM & MARY
VOL. 12, NO. 2, SPRING 2020
In Nepal with
Reves Faculty
Fellows
ALSO
TA-NEHISI COATES AT ASWAD
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE LAB
LAW SCHOOL USING
TECHNOLOGY TO EDUCATE,
ENGAGE & RECRUIT
A PUBLICATION OF THE REVES CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AT WILLIAM & MARY
VOL. 12, NO. 2, SPRING 2020
5 18 32
STUDENT & FACULTY RESEARCH Established in 1989, the Reves Center for International Studies is today one of the
premier centers of its kind in U.S. higher education. Its mission is to support and promote
2 2020 Reves and Drapers’ Faculty the internationalization of learning, teaching, research and community involvement
Fellows at William & Mary through programs for education abroad, international students and
5 International Justice Lab roundtable scholars, and global engagement across the university.
explores challenges of international William & Mary is the number one public university for undergraduate study abroad
law
participation, with almost 60 percent of the university’s undergraduates studying outside
6 Reves Fellows: View from the field the U.S. before graduation. More than 1,200 international students, scholars and their
families from nearly 70 countries have come to William & Mary. And the Reves Center
FEATURES encourages and assists numerous international strategic initiatives across the university,
including the William & Mary Confucius Institute, which offers Chinese language
13 W&M and St Andrews continue and cultural activities to the campus and community, and Global Research Institute,
relationship with study abroad
co-sponsored by the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, which supports faculty and student
program
collaborations to find solutions to pressing global problems.
16 Tribe soccer’s international players
18 Ta-Nehisi Coates delivers ASWAD REVES INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD – SPRING 2019
keynote address
Kira C. Allmann ’10 Gregory J. Golden Luis H. Navas ’82
United Kingdom Falls Church, VA Miami, FL
W&M IN THE WORLD
Dana B. Bennett James D. Hunter ’85 Bruce W. Pflaum ’75
22 English Bridge Program Bethesda, MD Hong Kong Lake Oswego, OR
John E. Bessler ’85 R. Marc Johnson ’04 Sharon K. Philpott ’85,
26 In Their Own Words: Strategy and Williamsburg, VA Charlottesville, VA Vice Chair
Implementation of Study Abroads White Salmon, WA
Michael R. Blakey ’98 Richard C. Kraemer, Jr. ’94
30 Q&A with Saudi filmmaker Shahad Singapore Washington, DC Young Ju Rhee ’98
Ameen Guillermo S. Christensen David C. Larson ’75 Boston, MA
32 U.S. & Russia must work together on Arlington, VA Fort Myers, FL Janet A. Sanderson ’77
nuclear John S. Dennis ’78 Donald F. Larson ’76 Tucson, AZ
Switzerland McLean, VA Corey D. Shull ’06
34 Panel talks transatlantic affairs amid
Scott R. Ebner ’96 Leslie McCormack Gathy ’88 Baltimore, MD
Brexit
Boston, MA United Kingdom Patricia Trinler Spalding ’83
36 Alumnus Profile: A Q&A with James Rodney Faraon Katherine W. Meighan ’92 San Jose, Costa Rica
Tomey ‘01 Arlington, VA Rome, Italy Nathan Younge
38 Recently published books by W&M Barbara Pate Glacel ’70, Chair Stephanie A. Morse ’92 Falls Church, VA
faculty Oak Hill, VA Tallahassee, FL
FROM THE
DIRECTOR
I
write this letter in the Yet paradoxically, the
midst of an unprece- COVID-19 pandemic is itself a
dented global crisis. The profoundly global phenomenon.
COVID-19 pandemic has The rapid spread of the virus
threatened the health of hun- through global and domestic
dreds of thousands of people, networks of travel and trade has
damaged the global economy, ultimately shown the futility of
and upended normal social purely national approaches to
life on every continent. It has halting it. In countries around
forced universities around the the world, diverse cultures and
world—including William & societies are quickly learning to
Mary—to cancel study abroad adopt new global social practic-
programs, close dormitories, es, ranging from “social distanc-
and move courses fully online ing” to Zoom videoconferencing.
for at least the rest of the spring Universities, too, are sharing our
semester. In academia, as in all responses to this crisis with our
other spheres of our society, we international partners in real
are working as best we can in a Stephen E. Hanson time, working to maintain cher-
state of seemingly nonstop emer- Vice Provost for International Affairs ished relationships of reciprocity
gency response, while holding Director, Reves Center for that will reignite active academic
out hope that calmer times will International Studies collaborations once the pandemic
soon return. has finally passed.
At a time of such pervasive Whatever the future may
uncertainty, it may seem premature to ask big ques- hold, then, it is almost impossible to imagine that
tions about the meaning of this historical moment. humanity will somehow “return” to a world of
Yet as preoccupied as we may be with short-term hermetically sealed social units with no global
problem solving, we must still focus our attention interaction. Indeed, such a world has never truly
on the future we are trying to achieve. We must existed. On the contrary, the post-pandemic world
ask: what is the purpose of global education and re- will need global expertise, global analysis, and an
search at a time like this? As national borders are understanding of diverse global perspectives more
shut, international flights are cancelled, and global than ever before. We will therefore not waver in
commerce is disrupted, one might think that the our commitment to advance the internationaliza-
novel coronavirus has brought the post-Cold War tion of teaching, learning, research and community
era of globalization to a decisive close. involvement at W&M.
WORLD MINDED STAFF ON THE COVER
Editor: Kate Hoving, Public Relations Manager, Reves Center for International VIMS researchers in Nepal. L-R: Hemanta Dhakal;
Studies Mary Fabrizio; and Rahul Ranjan. (Courtesy
photo)
Contributing Writers: Ethan Brown ’21; Paulina Farley-Kuzmina ‘20; Claire
Hogan ‘22; Grace Kier ‘20; Kelly Spence, Reves Center; Mika Taylor ‘23; Nathan
Warters, University Communications Graphic Design: University Web &
Design
SPRING 2020 1
FACULTY & STUDENT RESEARCH
ANNOUNCING THE
2020 Faculty Fellows
Each year, a committee of faculty and Reves staff awards Reves Faculty Fellowships to support
faculty-student research and collaboration on internationally-focused, engaged scholarship.
The initiative is open to full-time William & Mary faculty in all academic units. Proposals are invited
from faculty with significant experience in the international arena as well as those seeking to
expand the focus of their work to include international, global, and/or trans-national approaches.
SHANTÁ HINTON
BIOLOGY
Continuation of 2019’s Fellowship:
“Characterizing MK-STYX domain’s role in JENNIFER KAHN
cellular specialization” ANTHROPOLOGY
Stress Granules (SG) are large cytoplasmic RNA-pro-
tein complexes that form under stress. When SG remain
too long, they become toxic, disrupting cellular balance, “Differential cultural responses to social change
possibly resulting in neurodegenerative disorders such and ecosystem change in Polynesian chiefdoms”
as Alzheimer’s, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), Par- Ethnographic, linguistic, and archaeological research
kinson’s, or dementia, highlighting the importance of has established that all Polynesian societies descend-
understanding how SG are cleared. The 2019 Reves Fac- ed from a common Ancestral Polynesian culture. Thus,
ulty Fellowship enabled a Student-Faculty team to do re- the varied forms of island socioecosystems of Polynesia
search at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute reflect differential trajectories of dynamic interactions
(LTRI) at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. Their between island populations and societies with their nat-
research demonstrated that the DSP domain of MK- ural environments, leading to new and at times radical-
STYX is the domain that decreases the stress granules. ly transformed landscapes and emergent sociopolitical
The investigation will continue in 2020 to obtain statis- formations. This research project seeks to identify those
tical analysis in exploring the molecular mechanisms by characteristics and processes of island environments
which MK-STYX regulates SG by addressing the follow- and societies which allowed some chiefdoms to devel-
ing questions: Which domain of MK-STYX elicits the op substantial resilience, while others were transformed
decrease in stress granules? Do MK-STYX, or truncated into states of high instability and in some cases collapse.
constructs, bind to different proteins within the cell to The research will apply archaeological and anthropolog-
decrease SG? ical approaches including zooarchaeology, ethnoarchae-
ology, GIS mapping, and excavation of rockshelter and
ritual site complexes to identify prime movers leading
to sociopolitical change on the island of Rurutu (Austral
Islands).
2 WORLD MINDED
FACULTY & STUDENT RESEARCH
DANA LASHLEY
CHEMISTRY
“Concise Synthesis and Biological Testing of
Natural Products with Potential Anticancer
Activity—an International Collaboration”
In the field of anti-cancer research, a wide range of nat-
ural products have been reported to have significant
inhibitory activity on the growth of cancer cells. Thus,
they represent good starting points for the development
of effective drugs. One key requirement within the de-
velopment process of a new drug is the easy access to the RANJAN SHRESTHA
chemical substance, which constitutes the natural prod-
ECONOMICS
uct. Although these compounds occur in nature, only
small amounts of the natural product can be isolated
from large amounts of plant material and other natural
sources. It is therefore imperative to find effective ways
“The Effect of Weather Shocks on the Incidence
to synthetically generate these compounds in the labora-
of Poverty in Indonesia”
Recent empirical studies have shown that weather
tory. The goal of the proposed project is the design and
shocks have significant effects on socio-economic out-
execution of novel and innovative synthetic methodol-
comes such as agricultural output, labor productivi-
ogies to get access to bioactive molecules in sufficient
ty, economic growth, health, and conflict. Few studies,
quantities. In collaboration with Dr. Hamid Nasiri and
however, have directly estimated the effects of such
Prof. Volker Zickermann at the University of Frankfurt,
shocks on the incidence of poverty. This study proposes
they will attempt to synthesize quinone based natural
to estimate such a relationship for Indonesia by evaluat-
products and subsequently test them against isolated
ing the impact of temperature and precipitation anoma-
mitochondrial complexes and cancer cells.
lies on the incidence of poverty in Indonesia. They will
collect and compile district-level data from multiple
sources for the years 2002-2018 and exploit the varia-
tion in weather outcomes over time within districts to
estimate causal effects. This project is being conducted
in collaboration with Sudarno Sumarto, the senior pol-
icy advisor at the National Team for the Acceleration
of Poverty Reduction (TNP2K) in Indonesia, and Pasita
Chaijaroen, a former William & Mary economics facul-
ty member currently affiliated with Vidyasirimedhi In-
stitute of Science and Technology in Thailand. TNP2K
is already assisting with the data collection. Two W&M
Summer Fellows will assist with the project.
For more information and a list of previous recipients, visit
www.wm.edu/offices/revescenter/globalengagement/revesfacultyfellows
SPRING 2020 3
FACULTY & STUDENT RESEARCH
ANNOUNCING THE
2020 Drapers’ Faculty Fellows
A limited number of fellowships are provided through the generosity of the Drapers’ Company.
Founded over 600 years ago, the Drapers’ Company is incorporated by Royal Charter and is one of
the Twelve Great Livery Companies in the City of London. Supporting education has been one of
the primary aims of The Drapers’ Company for centuries and continues to be the main focus of the
Company’s grant making today. The Company assists schools, colleges and universities in many ways,
from serving on the governing body to providing grants for scholarships, prizes and research. The
Drapers’ Faculty Fellowship, administered by the Reves Center, provides support for archival research
by the fellows, with the potential involvement of W&M graduate and/or undergraduate students at
institutions in the United Kingdom.
AUDREY HORNING
ANTHROPOLOGY
PHILIP ROESSLER
“Transforming Narratives: Archives, GOVERNMENT
Archaeology, and Community Engagement in
the Drapers’ Company Plantation Village of
Moneymore, Northern Ireland” “The Cash Crop Revolution, Colonialism and the
The archaeology and built heritage of the Plantation is Making of Modern Africa”
contested heritage in Northern Ireland, where society The structure of the modern African state and its se-
remains divided into two demographically equivalent vere spatial inequality can only be explained by under-
communities, broadly drawn as Catholic/Nationalist, standing the interactive effects of geography and insti-
and Protestant/Unionist. Today’s divided identities are tutions—in particular how soil suitability for cash crops,
understood to be rooted in the 17th-century expansion such as coffee, cocoa, cotton, groundnuts and palm, de-
of British power over Ireland, expressed in part through termined the spread of commercial export agriculture
the importation of loyal British settlers as part of the Ul- with the end of the slave trade in the early 19th century
ster Plantation scheme in which the Drapers’ Company and, in turn, shaped and was shaped, by imperial con-
were notable participants. In the present, Moneymore quest and colonial state-building.
survives as a small rural village, but very little archaeo- Roessler and his team of William & Mary students have
logical work has focused on it. There is a high likelihood been the first to systematically point to colonial ex-
that extant deposits survive and that buildings may mask traction and its effects on inequality and on gender
surviving remains from the early seventeenth century. and ethnic inequality and politicization of ethnicity.
The research questions underpinning this project in- High-levels of spatial inequality are found to hinder a
clude: What can archival and archaeological research country’s economic growth and increase the risk of civil
reveal about the character of cultural entanglements on war—and thus may represent the root cause of the vi-
the seventeenth-century Drapers’ Company proportion? cious poverty-conflict trap that affects many low income
How can archaeologists best develop practices that con- countries, especially in Africa. The fellowship will en-
tribute to peacebuilding in post-conflict societies? able extensive research into the colonial archival mate-
rial at the London School of Economics’ British Library
of Political and Economic Science, including migration
data, ethnic censuses and first-hand accounts.
4 WORLD MINDED
FACULTY & STUDENT RESEARCH
International Justice Lab roundtable
explores challenges of international law
BY CLAIRE HOGAN ’22
S
tudents, scholars, and community mem-
bers gathered together on January 31 to
celebrate the launch of the International
Justice Lab (IJL) with a roundtable dis-
cussion, “International Law and Justice: Chal-
lenges and Challengers in the 21st Century.” The
roundtable featured Wayne Sandholtz of the Uni-
versity of Southern California, Tanisha Fazal of
the University of Minnesota, and Layla Abi-Falah
’17, J.D. ’20, with IJL founder and director, Kele-
bogile Zvobgo as the moderator.
Provost Peggy Agouris opened the event and highlight-
ed the importance of labs like IJL. “IJL’s mission requires
Layla Abi-Falah WM ‘17, J.D. ‘20, IJL founder and director Kelebogile Zvobgo,
that it — that we, actually — engage with challenges fac- Wayne Sandholtz of the University of Southern California, and Tanisha Fazal
ing international law and justice in the 21st century and of the University of Minnesota. Photo courtesy of Global Research Institute
contemplate its defenses and defenders. And so we have
forms to undermine and erode democratic institutions
Kelly [Zvobgo] and three experts in the field here tonight
from within.”
with us, to transmit their insider insights.”
Abi-Falah also remarked on stark changes in interna-
Zvobgo began the roundtable with a message for stu-
tional politics relating to criminal justice. “The state of
dents and faculty interested in international law and jus-
international criminal law is going through a very serious
tice: “If we pursue questions that are important to schol-
transition and change right now that’s going to have an
ars, to policymakers, to activists, and very importantly to
incredible impact on the practice of international crimi-
future generations, building and using the very best data,
nal law and moreover on how we, as students and future
leveraging new tools, and applying novel methods, I think
practitioners, can participate in it.”
— I am convicted, really — that we can bring important
Abi-Falah cited her internship with the International
answers and solutions to bear on the world today.”
Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, where she
Each of the roundtable participants shared their per-
observed the decline in international criminal prosecu-
spective on the most pressing challenges to law and
tions. “Budget cuts and downsizing from international
justice in the world today, leveraging their research ex-
funding fatigue in the midst of cases winding down —
pertise. Fazal discussed the current crisis among medi-
alongside critiques of the lack of effectiveness of inter-
cal humanitarians: “Increasingly they see real tension
national courts and political gridlock — have all come to-
between the work that they want to do and their ability
gether and resulted in many of these offices, as you walk
to abide by the founding principles of humanitarianism,
down the halls, being left completely empty,” she said.
which are neutrality, impartiality, independence, and hu-
After these discussions of global political problems,
manity.”
one thing was clear: international justice is more import-
Next, Sandholtz discussed the ongoing erosion of dem-
ant than ever before. “When I heard that the Internation-
ocratic norms, backlash against international institutions,
al Justice Lab was coming to William & Mary’s Global
and state withdrawals from human rights obligations.
Research Institute, I was really proud, really excited,”
“International law at the moment appears to be in a wa-
Abi-Falah said. “Mostly, I was also really jealous of you
tershed crisis in several ways, in the sense that the rules
guys, the students. I really wish I was still an undergrad
and the institutions that have governed politics since
here now, and I could be part of this. I just want you guys
WWII are under a lot of stress,” he said. What’s different
to know you have an incredible experience here, and en-
about this new wave of authoritarianism,” he continued,
gaging with GRI, engaging with Kelly [Zvobgo] and this
“is that these are elected authoritarians. They’re coming
new program. Any place that you want to go, this place
to power not through coups and revolutions but through
will get you ready.”
democratic processes, and then they use democratic
SPRING 2020 5
FACULTY & STUDENT RESEARCH
2019 REVES FACULTY FELLOWS
In the Field: Where Inspiration,
Mentorship and Funding Come Together
I
n 2019, a team of fisheries biologists from The next morning, Fabrizio responded: “Vas-
the Virginia Institute of Marine Science kar, I had an epiphany last night. I realized I have
(VIMS) traveled to Nepal to study the coun- some money from an award to study fishes in Ne-
try’s freshwater fishes. Their goal was to un- pal. Would you be interested in doing that?” They
derstand how national parks—primarily designed were on their way.
to protect large land animals—may also protect Their next step was to join forces with Troy
fish habitats and diversity. Thanks to the terrific Tuckey and look for ways to pool their resources
photos they took to chronicle their experiences, to fund their project. Luckily, they had all earned
we can “accompany” Dr. Mary Fabrizio, Dr. Troy accolades and financial backing: a Plumeri Award
Tuckey, and Vaskar Nepal (Ph.D. candidate) on for Faculty Excellence (Fabrizio); a Dean’s Fel-
their expedition. lowship (Nepal); and an award from the W&M
Their journey began at an American Fish- Development Support Fund (Tuckey). The three
eries Society (AFS) meeting in 2018 in then submitted their joint proposal to Reves and
Puerto Rico. received the 2019 Reves Faculty Fellowship.
Fabrizio asked Nepal, “What are your career They decided focused on two locations for exa-
goals? What do you want to accomplish?” She mination: Chitwan National Park (south) and Bar-
wanted to give him the tools and experience to dia National Park (west). These parks are renow-
achieve his goals. Nepal responded, “I’m half- ned for protection of wildlife, but with seemingly
way through my Ph.D., but I don’t know anything not as much focus on aquatic life.
about fishes in Nepal. That is something that both-
ers me; that keeps me awake at night.”
6 WORLD MINDED
FACULTY & STUDENT RESEARCH
Team VIMS: Virginia
Team VIMS: Nepal
Team Nepal (L-R):
• Dr. Mary Fabrizio (VIMS)
• Dr. Rahul Ranjan (Assistant Professor, Fisheries Program, The Faculty of Animal
Science, Veterinary Science and Fisheries, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur,
Chitwan, Nepal)
• Vaskar Nepal (VIMS)
• Dr. Troy Tuckey (VIMS)
• Krishna Paudel, a Ph.D. student, whose advisor is Dr. Ranjan.
• Dr. Hemanta Dhakal (kneeling) (Lecturer, Department of Zoology, Prithvi Narayan
Campus, Tribhuvan University, Pokhara, Nepal)
SPRING 2020 7
FACULTY & STUDENT RESEARCH
Staying Healthy
Mosquito-borne illnesses and hepatitis pose real
risks in Nepal, requiring the team to obtain vaccina-
tions, and take malaria pills every day. Mosquito net-
ting was also essential.
Because they were going to be in the field, away from
any source of help, they had to be self-sufficient: they
took two suitcases full of first aid supplies: bandages,
splints, salt pills, sunscreen and bug spray.
Thanks to good preparation and safeguards in the
field, no one on the team was bitten by a mosquito.
Staying Cool
Most of their days had temperatures of 100 degrees
or higher, but they had to wear long sleeves and pants
for protection against mosquitos. Dealing with the
heat was a key component of their daily plan.
It was a challenge to find shade in order to set up
makeshift laboratories. They used tents and whatev-
er they could find—including fallen trees—to protect
themselves, their instruments and the fish.
8 WORLD MINDEDFACULTY & STUDENT RESEARCH
Staying Calm or
“Oh, yeah. That’s a pretty fresh tiger print”
— Local Guide
The team was not quite as sanguine as their guide at
the sight of Bengal tiger-prints, but they bravely encoun-
tered many forms of wildlife including poisonous snakes,
pythons, marsh crocodiles and rhinos.
Thanks to acquiring the necessary permits, when the
team was confronted by park rangers on elephants (be-
low), they had all the papers to explain their research.
SPRING 2020 9FACULTY & STUDENT RESEARCH
Collecting Fish and Data
Accessing Remote Areas
Due to a lack of maps and roads, it took at least two
hours to get to their sampling site each day.
In many areas, there were cliffs on the edge of the river.
They could drive up to the edge of the cliff but couldn’t
easily get down.
There was lots of walking through the elephant grass
and thick forests.
Although it was the dry season, some of the rivers still
had high and fast flowing waters.
Some sites were ankle deep, so too shallow to set up
their gear.
10 WORLD MINDEDFACULTY & STUDENT RESEARCH
Managing with Local Supplies
They shipped equipment to Nepal ahead of time,
but didn’t want to ship heavy items like anchors or
bulky items like floats for their nets. Instead, they
used bags of rice filled with river rocks to secure
the nets, and other “flotation devices” – whatever
they could find.
In addition to fish, their nets also collected lots
of trash—like flip flops and hair brushes. Lots of
plastc is thrown in the river, and it often clogged
the nets.
Measuring the Fish
The Nepalese permit required the researchers
keep every specimen alive and return them all to
the water, which meant measuring and photo-
graphing them while in the field.
Most of the fishes they encountered were rela-
tively small (mostly minnows, loaches, barbs, and
small catfishes). Many of the fish also turned out to
be great jumpers, so covers were necessary to keep
them in the buckets.
Research Findings: Nepal Fish Facts
• Days in the Field: 12
• Individual Fish Found: 518
• Number of Species Identified: 33 or possibly 34
• Initial Conclusions: Based on their preliminary results, they determined
that the National Park does seem to provide some protection of diversity
and individuals.
They also identified challenges facing the fish population:
• Subsistence living of human population stresses natural resources and
environment;
• Heavy fishing pressure – fishing from sun up to sun down;
• Rock removal for roads removes fish habitats; and
• Shoreline armoring to protect local communities during the monsoon
season.
Right: The team presented its findings to the Zoological Society of Pokhara.
[This was adapted from a presentation by Nepal, Tuckey and Fabrizio at VIMS.]
SPRING 2020 1112 WORLD MINDED
W&M and St Andrews continue
relationship with study-abroad program
BY NATHAN WARTERS
Editor’s Note: Although due to COVID-19 this summer’s
W
program to St Andrews has been canceled, we look forward
to relaunching it in the future.
illiam & Mary and the
University of St Andrews
began offering a joint de-
gree program in the fall of
2011, providing students of both univer-
sities a unique opportunity to learn on
both campuses.
However, the relationship between the sec-
ond oldest institution of higher education in
the United States and the oldest university in
Scotland extends much further and continues
to grow.
Continuing a successful affiliation with St An- students participated in study-abroad programs
drews that has spawned the joint degree pro- in 2017–2018, the highest percentage of any
gram and various student exchange partner- public university in the United States.
ships, William & Mary is offering its students Each study-abroad opportunity offers a unique
an opportunity to participate in an upcoming experience for the students and instructors.
summer study-abroad program run by the Glob- “We are delighted to be working together with
al Education Office in the Reves Center for In- St Andrews to offer this exciting new summer
ternational Studies. study abroad program opportunity for students.
The St Andrews study-abroad curriculum will The Global Education Office and the Interna-
take place over four weeks in July and August tional Studies Advisory Committee developed
and consist of two courses, one taught by pro- this program to increase study abroad oppor-
gram director Frederick Corney titled “Myth- tunities for students, especially those interest-
ic Scotland Through its Culture,” and another ed in STEM courses abroad,” said Sylvia Mit-
taught by a St Andrews faculty member titled terndorfer, director of Global Education in the
“Scotland’s Evolving Landscape.” Reves Center for International Studies. Above: Photo
courtesy of Anne
The application deadline for students is Feb. 3. Corney’s course in Scotland will provide a Hyslop ‘07.
The program requires an eight-week, one-cred- broad overview of Scottish culture as it is per-
it preparatory course during the spring semes- ceived by the Scottish through an examination
Opposite top: . The
ter. In that class, students will familiarize them- of the major mythic moments and personalities red gown is probably
selves with the history, geography and culture of Scotland’s historical narrative. the most well-known
of the University’s
of Scotland and St Andrews. “I’m trying to get the students used to asking
academic gowns
Corney has taken students abroad several times, questions about Scottish culture. You don’t just and is worn by
traveling to locations such as St. Petersburg, see a kilt or hear bagpipes; you try to find out undergraduate
students (Photo by
Russia; Potsdam, Germany; Cambridge, En- why the tartan is such an elemental sign of Scot- Anne Hyslop ‘07)
gland and Prague. tishness, that kind of stuff,” Corney said. “Why
“I like doing these,” said Corney, the history does every Scot I know constantly quote poet
Lower left: Photo
chair. “You get to know the students. You get to Rabbie Burns? There are good reasons for that. courtesy of Remy
know different places. So as more and more of It’s about when the Scottish national identi- Cooper ‘13.
these programs grow, I think they’re looking for ty was built, romantic nationalism in the early
areas where it makes sense.” 19th century. We’ll look at various key memory Lower right: Photo
According to an Institute of International Ed- sites in Scottish history with the students. We’ll courtesy of Joshua
Sacks ‘19.
ucation study, 57.7 percent of William & Mary visit some. We’ll do visits around Edinburgh
SPRING 2020 1314 WORLD MINDED
“The International
Studies Advisory
Committee
developed
this program
to increase
study abroad
opportunities
for students,
especially those
interested in STEM
courses abroad.”
and Glasgow. If possible, we’re going to get the get into issues of sustainability and what Scot-
students up to the Isle of Skye and Loch Ness land is doing towards sustaining its environ-
and Inverness.” ment in what is a very exposed part of the North
Corney researches locations and finds places Sea up there.”
that would interest him and the students. He Corney has instructed at least a dozen study-
looks for “hooks,” and interesting stories that abroad groups during his time at William &
students might latch onto. For example, author Mary. He is excited about the opportunities to
George Orwell wrote “1984” on the Isle of Jura visit some sites he’s always wanted to visit, and
in Scotland. he’s excited to provide those experiences for
“He’s got this shack, and he’s writing ‘1984,’ and the students as well.
it’s pretty bleak up there,” Corney said. “Any- “It’s fun to do,” he said. “I wouldn’t have done so
where around the North Sea coast is pretty many of these programs if I didn’t enjoy them.”
bleak on either side of whatever country you’re William & Mary and St Andrews is expanding
in, Denmark or Norway or Iceland, so if you’re their partnership through this study-abroad
reading ‘1984’ and you kind of have a sense of program, and they continue to explore ways to
where he’s writing, in this cold hut somewhere, build on their budding relationship.
that kind of stuff is interesting.” “The collaboration that connects W&M and
A faculty member from St Andrews’ School of St Andrews is transformational and multi-lay-
Geography & Sustainable Development will ered,” Mitterndorfer said. “We deeply value the
teach a course titled “Scotland’s Evolving Land- opportunity to work with our St Andrews col-
scape,” which will address themes such as phys- leagues to develop high impact international
ical landscapes, cultural landscapes, climate experiences through the joint degree program,
change, population change, landscape manage- the semester and year student exchange pro- Above:
ment and sustainable development. gram, the First Abroad spring break exchange Photo courtesy of
Anne Hyslop ‘07.
“Scotland has a spectacularly changing land- program and now this summer program.
scape,” Corney said. “It’s amazing stuff. One Opposite: Photo
“When you have two institutions so closely courtesy of Tucker
moment you’re walking through the heather aligned and deeply connected, such a partner- Higgins ‘17.
on fields and the next you’re in these massive ship is ideal for creating new programs and
mountains and it looks like a blast site. It’s ab- opening up new opportunities for our stu-
solutely spectacular. dents.”
“They’re going to look at populations and how
climate shapes the landscape, how humans
shape the landscape, and then they’re going to
SPRING 2020 15Tribe Soccer Players Talk Social
and Cultural Adjustments for
International Players
BY KELLY SPENCE
W
hen freshman Alfredo On Feb. 7, three Tribe men’s soccer players and
Bozalongo first came to their coaches sat with Reves staff to discuss the
the United States from topic of social and cultural adjustments of in-
ternational student-athletes. The Reves Center
Spain, Guatemalan team- would like to send a special thanks to Reeves
mate Marcos Villeda contacted him Trott ’19, former Tribe player, for organizing the
about his interest in a possible roommate discourse.
agreement. Joining the discussion was Alfredo Bozalongo
“It was kind of surprising for me,” Bozalongo ’22 from Spain, Marcos Villeda ’22 from Guate-
said. “I did not expect to have someone on the mala and Patrick “Diba” Nwegbo ’22, who was
team that speaks Spanish, so I knew that would born in the United States, but of parents from
be one of the best choices I could make. I’ve Nigeria, West Africa. They make up three of
been very lucky.” over 700 international students enrolled at Wil-
International recruitment in intercollegiate liam & Mary.
sports is a growing trend in higher education- “We have certain things that influence the way
al institutions in the United States. With over that we recruit which, over the years, have
20,000 international student-athletes within caused us to develop a model that we think
the National Collegiate Athletic Association works for the school here,” said Head Coach
(NCAA), the international student-athlete con- Chris Norris ’95, former Tribe soccer player.
tributes much to the diversity and internation- “We aren’t heavily based on recruiting interna-
alization of their classrooms, campuses and tionals like a lot of our competitors are, but we
communities. really feel strongly about trying to bring in the
16 WORLD MINDED“For me, I’ve
been very fortu-
nate,” said fresh-
man Nwegbo.
“There were two
instances where
my mom would
bring me (West
African) food to
the games.”
Assistant Coach
Jonny Kamara
’92, former Tribe
player from Si-
right international talent to
erra Leone, West Africa, talked about how he
enhance our program.”
ended up attending William & Mary after high
International student- school in Indiana.
athletes experience very “My mom and I were in the process of visiting
different dimensions of the Old Dominion University — William & Mary
student experience than wasn’t originally considered,” Kamara stated.
their domestic counter- “Then my mom happened to mention that she
parts. had a friend who attended William & Mary and
The presence of interna- that we should take a look at the school. We did
tional students aids the de- — and the rest is history.”
velopment of a more Institutional support must play a central role in
cohesive student-oriented culture; however, the the cultural and social adjustments for interna-
transition and developmental experience, espe- tional students.
cially the social and cultural integration pro- “We all come from three different countries but
cess, can sometimes be challenging. we’ve built great friendships with the help of
Cultural heritage is the root of identity, as iden- the coaching staff,” Villeda said.
tity preservation is the keeping of close ties to “Our players, historically, have what they call
a support network in the home country—all ‘pre-pre season,’ which our players get together
essential actions for international student- as a group — without the coaches — for five days
athletes. before the season begins,” Norris said. “That
Bozalongo said that he preserves his culture has been good to help freshmen, like these men,
with frequent phone calls back home. to acclimate.”
“As I am from Spain, my family and I have a six- Bozalongo spoke about William & Mary’s in-
hour difference in time, so I always try to call stitutional support by suggesting that although
them every Sunday at 3 p.m. (9 p.m. in Spain), the university is making good efforts towards
because it’s the perfect time to do a ‘sum up’ of improving the cultural and social adjustments
the week and talk about the upcoming week,” of international students, more could be done
Bozalongo stated. “I usually try to FaceTime to assist those adjusting to the language barrier.
with them (my parents, sister and uncle) for “I think this could be improved, as it can be very Photo opposite: The
about an hour.” helpful for international students, like me, with Tribe Men’s Soccer
Team at practice.
Some social adjustments were more difficult for English as their second language,” Bozalon- (Photo by Kelly
certain players to make. go said. “I have unexpectedly met other Span- Spence).
“The clearest example was eating dinner at 6–7 ish-speaking peers around campus, at a social
p.m., as I was used to having my last meal at gathering or casually about — however, not Above:
about 9–10 p.m., so every time I went to bed I through an organized institutional event.” Back row (L-R):
was starving,” Bozalongo said. Norris said that the fall semester is the team’s Coach Chris Norris
The players spoke on the relationship between and Assistant Coach
competitive season, so that has been the cen- Jon Kamara
food and culture as Villeda described a recent ter of this freshman group’s experience so far.
Front row (L-R):
visit to a local Mexican restaurant, a familiar However, during the spring semester, student- Marcus Villeda;
cuisine freshman Villeda was eager to sample. athletes have the opportunity to take a spring Patrick Nwegbo; and
Alfredo Bozalongo.
“All of the workers were from Central Ameri- break vacation: a time to foster and construct a
can countries,” Villeda said. “There were two more satisfying cultural transition to the uni- (Photo by Kelly
Spence).
workers that I met there that were Guatemalan. versity, team and community.
I ordered the burrito and it was very well done.”
SPRING 2020 17Ta-Nehisi Coates delivers ASWAD
keynote address
BY PAULINA FARLEY-KUZMINA ‘20
I
n the shadow of the 400th year of Cummings Professor of History and Africana
1619, that marked the beginning Studies at William & Mary, had worked tire-
of enslavement in British North lessly for over two years, first, to bring the con-
America, William & Mary had the ference to William & Mary (besting compet-
itors such as Emory University); and then, in
honor of hosting the 10th Biennial Con-
collaboration with colleagues and conference
ference for the Association for the Study coordinator Chadra Pittman, to craft a power-
of the Worldwide African Diaspora (AS- ful and compelling conference.
WAD) at the Williamsburg Lodge. Vinson’s guiding influence was felt through-
The ASWAD conference, “Remembrance, out the week in its panel discussions, African
Renaissance, Revolution: The Meaning of and African Diaspora film festival, and artistic
Freedom in the African World Over Time and performances by guest artists and W&M facul-
Above: Coates Space,” ran from Nov. 5–9 and brought to Wil- ty, but nowhere was it more evident than at the
answers questions. liamsburg nearly 1,000 international scholars,
(Photo by Kelly keynote address on Friday, November 8 at the
Spence) activists, and artists from more than 30 coun- Williamsburg Lodge.
Opposite: Attendees tries to explore the ways in which African In front of a standing-room-only audience,
waited patiently to people around the world have fought against including President Katherine Rowe, Vinson
ask questions of
Coates and Talton.
oppression and created new cultures and iden- opened the event by explaining that the keynote
(Photo courtesy of tities. Robert Trent Vinson, incoming presi- would not be a lecture, but actually a discussion
ASWAD) dent of ASWAD and Frances L. and Edwin L.
18 WORLD MINDEDbetween two friends and classmates from his
days as a student at Howard University: jour-
nalist, intellectual and author Ta-Nehisi Coates
and professor of history at Temple University,
Ben Talton. Vinson also explained that the key-
note was also special because it was both an AS-
WAD and William & Mary event, as it was also
the 2019 George Tayloe Ross Lecture on Inter-
national Peace, an annual lecture presented by
the Reves Center for International Studies. He
then thanked Stephen Hanson, Vice Provost for
International Affairs and Director of the Reves
Center for his steadfast support of the confer-
ence and invited Hanson to deliver the formal
introduction of Coates and Talton.
Vice Provost Hanson emphasized that to host that I could,” Coates said. “Historians some-
the ASWAD conference was a huge honor for times have a tendency to linger, even leer, at
William & Mary, and particularly important for some of the more visceral details; the whip-
the university due its own long historical asso- pings, the rape. All of that happened and people
ciations with slavery and Jim Crow segregation. should know, I’m not arguing about hiding that.
He noted Coates’s manifold intellectual and ar- But there is a way that we can use our lenses
tistic contributions to America and the world, and our cameras not to linger on these scenes
and thanked both Coates and Talton for their of brutality and raise the identity of the people.”
kind generosity in sharing their insights with Talton then connected the importance of fic-
ASWAD and the William & Mary community. tion to better understand people’s contextual
The easy give and take between Coates and circumstances. “In a sense, we are using fic-
Talton was as genuinely heartfelt as it was tion to fill in the holes that are left, using fic-
salient. The loosely structured discussion tion to get at that history,” Talton chimed in. “I
touched on a variety of topics, such as Coates’ remember when I was in college and a friend
process of writing his first novel, The Water of mine and I got in a car and drove south. We
Dancer, his experiences at a Historically Black said that we were looking for slaves. Anytime
College/University (HBCU), and the relation- we saw a plantation we pulled off and tried to
ship between journalism and activism. imagine what it was like to be there.”
Talton also asked Coates about his recent ab- Talton, with some playful protest from
sence from social media and the consequenc- Coates, asked Coates to read a few passages of
es of his rise to fame. “It never occurred to me his novel out loud. Coates’ captivating voice
how much of an audience [my Twitter feed] and masterful prose echoed through the audi-
would actually have,” Coates explained. “But torium, the audience hanging onto his every
then when it became a ‘thing’ it changed the word as he gave voice to his characters. “The
interactions I had with people. I was frustrat- people become human. They don’t just become
ed with this persona and what people thought people something happened to. They don’t just
of me before I said anything. My wife has this become slaves, they become people who were
saying: ‘You never want to be bigger than the actual human people,” said Coates. “You can re-
sound.’ And I was becoming bigger than the store that kind of humanity [in a novel].”
sound.” His detail and dedication to the truth have
Although The Water Dancer is perhaps tech- distinguished Coates as a journalist. During his
nically considered a work of fiction, Coates de- time as a writer for The Atlantic, Coates recalls
scribed the extensive research that went into having the ability to learn extensively about his
his portrayal of slavery in the pre-Civil War An- topics of interest, which is what led him to ex-
tebellum South to make the work as historically plore and ultimately become one of the leading
accurate as possible. Coates describes not only proponents of reparations.
using scholarly sources, but also seeking out as “There was a lot of time to read, there was a
many primary sources as possible to embody lot of time to engage with people. I had some-
the intricate details of what life as a slave for one who was actually paying me to write these
his protagonist Hiram would have been like. deeply researched articles. It was a time of tre-
“It was always the primary sources that got mendous growth for me,” said Coates.
me, and I always sought them out to the extent
SPRING 2020 19Above: Afrodite,
the African Cultural
Society’s Dance
Team at William &
Mary entertained the
audience before the
keynote address.
Right: Professor
Vinson introduced the
program.
Opposite page: Coates
and Talton engaged
in a lively and far-
reaching conversation.
(All photos by Kelly
Spence).
20 WORLD MINDEDAlthough Coates is an important figure with another author who has brought me such joy
influential work, especially in activist spaces, and understanding in each one of his books, so
he is quick to clarify his role as a writer and dis- thank you,” began Maya Farr-Henderson, a se-
tinguish between the goals and methods inher- nior sociology major at William & Mary. “You
ent of activism and journalism. “I pride myself talk about this concept of ‘Mecca’ and how you
on my journalism and my journalistic work and found Howard to be so transformative in your
I’m very careful about stepping into the terri- experience, and I was wondering if you have
tory of activism,” said Coates. “Writing is activ- any other advice for finding your own Mecca
ism though,” countered Talton. and once you arrive, how do you receive that
Later on in the conversation the topic resur- education, how do you recognize it?” .
faced. “I came into this as a journalist and we’re “You join ASWAD,” Talton joked, to the de-
schooled a certain way on how to approach and light of his audience.
think about things,” Coates said. “I think it’s “I get that question a lot when I go to white
important for me to occupy a certain lane. I schools,” said Coates. “It’s tough because I was
think I need distance to see.” never in that situation. I think your organiza-
Throughout the discussion, both Coates and tions and your community become that much
Talton often acknowledged the role their edu- more important, and that was not something I
cational institutions and other scholarly work had to do much of when I was your age.”
has played in shaping their perspectives and One audience member, who identified herself
their work. In particular, they focused on the as a professor and ASWAD member, thanked
importance of HBCUs in cultivating their com- Coates for his work and the stimulating dis-
munities and learning. cussion, and asked if he could tell them some
“People always say if you go to an HBCU of the professors who had nurtured his love of
you’re not in the real world; they’re not prepar- lifelong learning. “We were at the history de-
ing you to deal with the real world. But what partment at Howard at a great time,” Coates
they’re really saying is it must be inferior be- responded. Talton and Coates excitedly started
cause it’s black,” Talton said. “Look at all of the naming faculty they remembered. They inter-
people that came from HBCUs and the network rupted each other as they recalled the men and
that you have there.” women who had influenced them. “To be eigh-
After the presentation concluded, Coates an- teen, nineteen, twenty years old and to have
swered a handful of questions from audience that on a regular basis and then to have people
members, including international scholars, lo- to go outside class and talk about it...I wouldn’t
cal community members, and William & Mary be here without that,” said Coates.
faculty and students.
“First I just want to say how honored I am
to share this space with you. I have yet to find
SPRING 2020 21W&M IN THE WORLD
Carlene Klein shows her students in China the way she uses her lips and teeth to pronounce different consonants. Photo Credit: Kate Hoving
English Bridge Program: Technology as a
Means to Educate, Engage and Recruit
BY KATE HOVING
I
t’s 7:25 am on a Friday Gradually her monitor screen fills China, but located in various cities:
with her students’ faces, one at a Beijing, Tianjin, Weihei, Foshan and
morning in February time, as they log in. Guangdong. One student is current-
at the Law School. Klein speaks at a normal pace but ly in Malaga, Spain (where she was
There isn’t a single student in with clear and careful enunciation. when the coronavirus broke out, so
classroom 133, but the professor, Car- She exudes enthusiasm and warmth, unable to return to China yet); and
lene Klein, has already written on the but there is no wasted chit-chat; like another is working in New York. The
white board the agenda for the day, her students, she is intent on making coronavirus is keeping the students
and is readying her console, sitting so efficient and effective use of the next in China in quarantine, so it may be
the video camera installed at the far two hours. that this class is the one thing in their
end of the room can see her, and the The assignment from the previous lives that hasn’t been disrupted since
microphone is placed correctly. class had been to be able to describe the outbreak.
Precisely at 7:30 am — 8:30 pm in in less than a minute what it looks One by one they describe where
China — Klein takes a breath, flashes like where they live. So Klein checks they are. Rose lives in Tianjin. It’s
her captivating and welcoming smile in with each student. cold outside. She describes the snow
and begins: “Good evening. I hope This spring the Law School’s En- covering the trees. A student in
you are well.” glish Bridge students are all from Shanghai is confined to her house
22 WORLD MINDEDW&M IN THE WORLD
because of the virus, but remarks that along with the freestanding sum- Students are graded on their oral and
she can tell it’s not as windy as it can mer program that we did for stu- written assignments and receive a
be this time of year, which makes it dents who won’t necessarily come certificate upon completion.
nice. Frank is surrounded by book- to the LL.M. program but want an Klein brought her experience as
shelves in his den — “I love to see experience in the U.S.,” Stevenson an instructor in the Legal Advantage
your room with all those books!,” describes. “So we began looking for Program (Summer English Study for
Klein exclaims. But no one can match a way to reach candidates not in the International Students & An Intro-
Grace, who is in Malaga. She volun- LL.M. program, but who are either duction to the Study of American
teers to turn her laptop around so ev- trying to get into the LL.M. program Law), but she, Stevenson and Rob-
eryone can see the view of the beach or just want to enrich themselves by erts needed to create something new,
outside her window. Before too many doing this class,” Stevenson explains. with different goals, parameters —
facetious groans from the group, The English Bridge program is and time zones.
though, Klein brings things back on what has enabled them to reach a “The Legal Advantage class is a
course. new demographic. second language learning environ-
“Remember, for this class, we’re “They’re a different cohort than ment (learning a nonnative language
in America. In Virginia. In an En- we’ve had before, because most in the environment the language is
glish-speaking class. OK? Let’s roll.” spoken). The class is three hours
per session which allows for
Creative approach to finding and more collaborative time as well
serving a new demographic as for covering more material,”
The English Bridge Program — an
online and live-remote education- “The Bridge Klein explains. “By contrast, the
Bridge class is a foreign language
al certificate program at William &
Mary Law School — is the brainchild Program students learning environment (learning a
language in the environment of
of Jennifer S. Stevenson, Associate
Dean for Graduate Programs, Direc- are practicing one’s native tongue). Also, due to
the time difference, it is only two
tor, LL.M. Program & Professor of
the Practice of Law; and Patricia E. lawyers, patent hours per class which condenses
the content.”
Roberts, Vice Dean, Clinical Profes-
sor of Law, Director of Clinical Pro- agents and legal Legal English in the Bridge
program focuses on basic lan-
grams, and Co-Director of the Lewis
B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic. assistants. Two guage proficiency in the four lan-
guage skills: speaking, listening,
The Program began with the fall
2019 session, and is now in its sec- are partners in reading and writing. It integrates
all four through functional, prac-
ond (spring) session, which started
January 31 and will end in May. The law firms.” tical, and task-based lessons and
activities that focus on correct
Veterans Benefits clinic at the Law pronunciation and getting accus-
School has a certificate program with tomed to reading and discussing
an online component and taped les- civil and criminal cases. Klein
sons, but the English Bridge Program of our LL.M. students are coming also schedules private 10–15 min-
is the first truly remote venture for straight from undergraduate pro- ute conferences to discuss students’
the Law School. grams. The Bridge Program students projects, pronunciation scores and
William & Mary Law School’s Mas- are practicing lawyers, patent agents subjects that focus on the individu-
ter of Laws Degree (LL.M.) program and legal assistants. Two are partners al’s progression. Klein notes, “I con-
is designed for foreign-educated stu- in law firms,” Stevenson continues. tinue to brainstorm how to serve the
dents and attorneys, and has success- “So now we have a wider a range of Bridge class better within the time
fully recruited and educated talent- experience and ages. They vary in constraints. This semester, I am in-
ed students from around the world age, but they’re all doing law.” corporating some prerecorded gram-
for 30 years. Roberts and Stevenson, mar lessons to allow more time in
knowing that innovation is necessary Designing a balanced and compre- class for discussion.”
to keep a program robust and grow- hensive curriculum There is no language proficien-
ing, saw an opportunity to create a Armed with the idea for a new ven- cy test for entrance into the pro-
complementary program by expand- ture, Roberts and Stevenson collabo- gram. Candidates self-report their
ing on existing capabilities, talents rated with Klein to create the English language ability, but it’s difficult for
and resources at the Law School. Bridge’s 12-week program, consisting language learners in any language
“We’ve had the Summer Legal of 30 hours of Legal English and 30 to assess their conversational abil-
Advantage program for many years, hours of Global Lawyering Skills. ity accurately. “They all have had
SPRING 2020 23You can also read
