Jason Koski/University Photography

Marina Markot at the Cornell Abroad office in Caldwell Hall.

Marina Markot, an international education administrator and educator, took the helm of Cornell Abroad Aug. 15. Her appointment coincides with Cornell’s renewed focus and reinvestment in internationalization.

Markot, who came to Cornell from the University of Virginia (UVA), reports to Laura Brown, vice provost for undergraduate education.

“Marina brings us exactly the kind of expertise in innovative international educational opportunities that we are especially eager to enhance,” Brown said. “She and I will be reaching out to the faculty and the college leadership around study abroad opportunities, activities that may be closely integrated with academic programs and short-term international educational experiences.”

Cornell Abroad administers undergraduate study overseas during a semester or full academic year. The office also advises undergraduates on goal setting, program selection and logistical arrangements, prepares them for cultural and educational adjustment, and stimulates reflection upon their return.

“Cornell Abroad is well-positioned to become the hub of programs and activities abroad for Cornell undergraduates – from gap year to ‘cap year,’” Markot said. “I invite interested faculty and administrators to partner with Cornell Abroad in developing and operating academically rigorous and culturally enriching programs, and in incorporating study abroad into the curriculum. Together, we can capitalize on Cornell’s tradition of semesterlong immersive study abroad, while supplementing it with new models of varied duration and pedagogy.”

In his 2012 white paper, “Bringing Cornell to the World and the World to Cornell,” President David Skorton called for half of all Cornell students to study abroad or have significant international learning experiences during their time at the university, which is seen as a key component of excellence in undergraduate education. Later that year, the Cornell University Task Force on Internationalization (TFI) made 27 recommendations to enhance and expand the university’s international activities. Cornell historian and TFI member Fredrik Logevall was appointed Cornell’s vice provost for international affairs July 1.

At UVA Markot was associate director of the International Studies Office and developed education abroad policies, assessed education abroad learning outcomes and integrated education abroad into the curriculum. She holds a Ph.D. in linguistics and a master’s degree in Germanic and Romance languages and literature from Saint Petersburg State University, Russia, where she also served as a faculty member.

In the field of international education for 15 years, Markot previously coordinated study abroad and the international affairs dual major at the University of New Hampshire and served as dean of international programs and director of the Israel Program at New England College. She has taught undergraduate and graduate students, studied in England and Germany, and has worked in the international film and music businesses.

“Study abroad is a powerful learning experience that prepares students for the realities of an interconnected world,” Markot said. “Combining intellectual pursuit with firsthand exposure to different cultural traditions, it helps students gain perspectives on their chosen academic field and acquire valuable life skills – critical thinking, independence, flexibility, resilience and the ability to interact and communicate across differences. Erasing the classroom walls, it helps to contextualize intellectual discourse and to build close interactions with inquisitive students.”