26
April
2018
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00:00 AM
Europe/Amsterdam

Expanding Boundaries: Pitt undergraduate Nadine Humphrey wins Vira I. Heinz award to study abroad

PITTSBURGH (April 26, 2018) … Each year, the Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership (VIH) admits undergraduate women from 15 institutions across Pennsylvania into a one-year leadership development program that includes an opportunity to study abroad. One of this year’s recipients from the University of Pittsburgh is Nadine Humphrey, a chemical engineering sophomore in the Swanson School of Engineering who will participate in the Pitt in Japan program this summer.

The VIH program provides funding for women who have never traveled internationally and prepares them for tomorrow’s global challenges. In addition to international experience, recipients are required to attend two leadership development retreats in Pittsburgh and "create a Community Engagement Experience” designed to use their new-found skills to impact their local community in a positive way.

Humphrey will be spending her time abroad in Kobe, Japan where she will explore the language and culture. During the VIH Spring Retreat, participants established goals in a specific area of focus, and she chose to examine economic opportunity in Japan.

“The Pitt in Japan program offers a class called ‘Doing Business in Japan,’ where we will learn about Japanese business practices and visit a company abroad. I plan to observe their work culture and compare it to the American experience,” said Humphrey. “I would also like to interact with Japanese university students to understand how they value a college education and compare their views of the working world to those of my peers.” 

She hopes these interactions will help improve her Japanese language skills. “I was eager to study in Japan because I have been interested in the language for a long time, but it is difficult to learn without some kind of formal education,” said Humphrey. “During this program, I want to develop my speaking and listening skills to function on a conversational level. Being able to communicate with people from another country will give me a more global perspective and will help me get a picture of current events from the eyes of another culture.”

In addition to the international experience, Humphrey hopes to take away new skills from the leadership component of the program. “I heard about this opportunity from a poster in my dorm freshman year. I thought it was neat that I could travel abroad, gain leadership skills, and use what I learned to effect change back home,” said Humphrey.  “I have enjoyed participating in volunteer opportunities as a member of the National Society of Black Engineers, and I hope that my experience in this program will help me find new ways to get involved around the city.”

The program’s namesake, Vira I. Heinz, was an active member of the Pittsburgh community and engaged in philanthropic and civic work around the region and internationally. She left a lasting mark in Pennsylvania by funding international opportunities to generations of women after her.

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Contact: Leah Russell