Theresa Johansson has been named director of the Global Education Office, which includes Virginia Tech's study abroad program, part of Outreach and International Affairs at Virginia Tech.

Johansson will lead the office in guiding study abroad as well as collaborating with academic units to integrate global education experiences into the curriculum.

"As the global environment becomes increasingly more interdependent, Virginia Tech students and their families must consider study abroad as an integral part of the academic experience," said Guru Ghosh, vice president for Outreach and International Affairs. "This is an extraordinary moment for Theresa to be joining the Global Education Office, a unit that will play a central role in Virginia Tech's efforts toward global engagement."

Previously, Johansson was the assistant director of Global Education at The College of William & Mary's Reves Center for International Studies, where she held a broad range of responsibilities relating to international program development, resources for faculty, and student advising and services. She contributed to the establishment of a centralized administration system for study abroad programs and the strengthening of risk management and emergency protocols. 

During Johansson's tenure at William & Mary, the institution led the nation's public universities in the percentage of undergraduates who studied abroad.

Before becoming a university administrator, Johansson was an instructor of Italian at William & Mary. She also served as director of the faculty-led summer program to Florence, Italy. 

Johansson received a bachelor's degree in politics with specialization in Italian studies from Wake Forest University and a master's degree in Italian language from Middlebury College in Vermont.

The Global Education Office was previously known as Education Abroad. The office supports an average of 1,300 students a year, including exchange students from partner institutions around the world. The office also administers the Fulbright program and provides faculty incentives for the development of programs that infuse global elements into the curriculum in Virginia and abroad.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.

Written by Rommelyn Conde
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