Botswana RPCV Katherine Bellows named interim director of international programs at Georgetown University



Botswana RPCV Katherine Bellows named interim director of international programs at Georgetown University

GU Names New OIP Director
Bellows Looks to Develop Student Experience Abroad

By Esha Chhabra
Special to The Hoya
Friday, March 18, 2005; Page A6

The Office of International Programs has named Katherine Bellows as the interim director of international programs. Bellows will assume her duties starting April 1.

Bellows, currently the assistant dean and director of international student and scholar services, will replace Michael Vande Berg, the current director of OIP.

After four years of leading the OIP, Vande Berg is leaving to join the Council on International Education Exchange as vice president for academic and external affairs. Vande Berg’s extensive involvement in international programs will be helpful for his new position with the CIEE, a non-governmental international education organization designed for high school and college students to study, work, teach or volunteer around the world. Since Georgetown works with CIEE programs, Vande Berg is likely to be visiting campus again on behalf of the CIEE.

His efforts at Georgetown included continuous assessment of student learning abroad, enhancement of student safety especially for those in politically unstable nations and emphasis on on-campus support systems for international students.

Bellows said she would like to focus on similar matters. As the interim director, she will be working toward several goals dealing with the student experience abroad.

“I want to focus on the quality of student experiences and try to provide students with all the information needed before entering a new culture,” she said. “Most of all I want to learn from the students once they come back to Georgetown, which will really help us in assessing our programs.”

Bellows arrived at Georgetown in 1991 with an extensive background in education, specifically in international studies. After spending two years as a volunteer for the U.S. Peace Corps in Botswana, Bellows worked on two graduate degrees from the University of Florida in Counseling Education focusing on Cross-Cultural Psychotherapy.

“Even before the Peace Corps, I taught international students in a secondary school in Pennsylvania. And my experience in the Peace Corps was the most phenomenal experience. Living in a different culture is incredible,” Bellows said.

Her familiarity with international education has permeated her life. Bellow’s career at Georgetown began as director of the international student and scholar service at OIP. She is actively taking part in various organizations which promote international education, her passion.

“My time in the Peace Corps is at the root of all this. In fact, I encourage everyone to live in a different country at some time,” Bellows said.

Bellows said that her time in Botswana allowed her to understand the struggles of other cultures. “Kids would go home to do their homework,” she said. “But they weren’t allowed to because they had to go fetch water, collect wood and help take care of their brothers and sisters. It’s really challenging.”

When this story was posted in March 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in over 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related reference material in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about RPCVs who have your same interests, who served in your Country of Service, or who serve in your state.

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RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC RPCVs Sam Farr, Chris Shays, Thomas Petri, James Walsh, and Mike Honda have asked their colleagues in Congress to add their names to a letter they have written to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, asking for full funding of $345 M for the Peace Corps in 2006. As a follow-on to Peace Corps week, please read the letter and call your Representative in Congress and ask him or her to add their name to the letter.

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Add your info now to the RPCV Directory Call Harris Publishing at 800-414-4608 right away to add your name or make changes to your listing in the newest edition of the NPCA's Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Former Staff. Then read our story on how you can get access to the book after it is published. The deadline for inclusion is May 16 so call now.

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March 12, 2005: This Week's Top Stories The Coyne Column: Read Winning Essay by PCV 12 Mar Laura Germino helps Migrant Workers Advocacy Group 12 Mar Sam Farr impresses medical-pot advocacy group 11 Mar Fred O'Regan writes Op-Ed on Canada seal hunt 11 Mar Fern Holland remembered In Oklahoma 10 Mar Mountaineer Charles Houston receives honorary degree 10 Mar Elaine Chao led delegation for President's inauguration 10 Mar Chris Dodd wins Hispanic Capital Award 9 Mar Pat Waak is new Colorado Democratic Party Chair 9 Mar Chris Matthews withdraws from Florida Event 9 Mar Timothy J. O'Brien returns to Korea 8 Mar Tomas Belsky's paintings inspired by service in Brazil 7 Mar Christopher Hill to be Assistant Secretary of State 7 Mar Allen Moore is Sen Frist's Deputy Chief of Staff 7 Mar Jim Doyle heads trade delegation to Mexico 5 Mar Al Kamen says Narcissus Is Now Greek AND Roman 4 Mar Diana Gomez says to do something about Peace 4 Mar

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March 12, 2005: RPCV Groups in the News San Diego RPCVs host reception with Gaddi Vasquez on March 6 4 Mar Alaska RPCVs speak for dividend 4 Mar Western North Carolina's RPCVs sponsor Africa Night on March 6 3 Mar Maryland RPCVs lobby their Senators for Peace Corps 3 Mar Connecticut RPCVs hold fundraiser on March 5 3 Mar Charles Baquet speaks at Louisiana PC Breakfast on March 4 28 Feb RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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March 1: National Day of Action Tuesday, March 1, is the NPCA's National Day of Action. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the President's proposed $27 Million budget increase for the Peace Corps for FY2006 and ask them to oppose the elimination of Perkins loans that benefit Peace Corps volunteers from low-income backgrounds. Follow this link for step-by-step information on how to make your calls. Then take our poll and leave feedback on how the calls went.

Make a call for the Peace Corps PCOL is a strong supporter of the NPCA's National Day of Action and encourages every RPCV to spend ten minutes on Tuesday, March 1 making a call to your Representatives and ask them to support President Bush's budget proposal of $345 Million to expand the Peace Corps. Take our Poll: Click here to take our poll. We'll send out a reminder and have more details early next week.

Peace Corps Calendar: Tempest in a Teapot? Bulgarian writer Ognyan Georgiev has written a story which has made the front page of the newspaper "Telegraf" criticizing the photo selection for his country in the 2005 "Peace Corps Calendar" published by RPCVs of Madison, Wisconsin. RPCV Betsy Sergeant Snow, who submitted the photograph for the calendar, has published her reply. Read the stories and leave your comments.

WWII participants became RPCVs Read about two RPCVs who participated in World War II in very different ways long before there was a Peace Corps. Retired Rear Adm. Francis J. Thomas (RPCV Fiji), a decorated hero of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, died Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 at 100. Mary Smeltzer (RPCV Botswana), 89, followed her Japanese students into WWII internment camps. We honor both RPCVs for their service.

Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps The White House is proposing $345 Million for the Peace Corps for FY06 - a $27.7 Million (8.7%) increase that would allow at least two new posts and maintain the existing number of volunteers at approximately 7,700. Bush's 2002 proposal to double the Peace Corps to 14,000 volunteers appears to have been forgotten. The proposed budget still needs to be approved by Congress.

Read the stories and leave your comments.