International Programs Opens New Office Space

by Patrick Beal (November 2011)

The College’s Office of International Programs has recently unveiled its newly constructed office space on the first floor of Chambers Building. Local company AP Architecture, owned by Alan R. Popovich (Class of 1981- architecture), designed the office suite.

The office, located in 102 Chambers, is not recognizable from the classroom that once occupied the area. Lecture seating and chalkboards have been replaced by ten work stations (equipped with computers) for fellows participating in the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, an open office for Jane Reese, assistant coordinator, and salient offices for Talat Azhar, associate director, Hubert H. Humphrey Program, and Leila Bradaschia, director of international programs. The once-white walls have been painted blue and orange and are now adorned with picture frames of all the past fellows in the history of the Humphrey program.

“I’m really happy the fellows have a home,” says Azhar. The office has been repositioned over the years, this time because the Carrara Educational Technology Center needed the International Office’s old space in the student services suite, also located in Chambers. Before that, the office was located in the Armenara Building, and Rider Building prior to that. Both of those buildings are located downtown, with the Armenara Building residing next to McDonald’s.

“When the door was open (at Armenara), we could smell fries,” says Reese, who has been with the office for eight years. Reese is thrilled the fellows have a place to call their own, much less such a luxurious one. In the student services suite, the fellows’ workspace was half the size of 102 Chambers. The new space will lead to more communication and visibility for International Programs.

Even the new space could not slow down the office, which is as busy as ever. Along with the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship, Azhar recently returned from a five-day Global Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. On top of that, International Education Week was scheduled from November 14 to 19. The weekly country presentation (Brazil and Slovenia) was still held and an additional presentation, Syrian Day, was also scheduled. Afterwards, the office will finally have a chance to enjoy their new surroundings.