Global Education Office names new assistant director for partnerships and affiliations
After almost a decade as an academic advisor, Maureen Deisinger is taking on a new role at Virginia Tech. Instead of helping students get into classes in Blacksburg, she will guide them to exchange programs abroad.
As the assistant director for partnerships and affiliations in the Global Education Office, Deisinger will oversee Virginia Tech’s student exchange agreements and activities as well as its partnership with the International Student Exchange Program.
“An exchange allows students to become better immersed in the places where they study and live. They’re able to interact closer with people living around them,” Deisinger said. “It also gives students the time and space to reflect on who they are and what they think about the issues facing the world.”
About 120 of the nearly 1,500 Virginia Tech students studying abroad participate in exchange programs. In return, Virginia Tech welcomes approximately 100 international exchange students to campus each year.
Originally from Kimberly, Wisconsin, Deisinger received a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Wisconsin-Steven’s Point. She spent a semester abroad in London. “When you think about the transformative moments in your life, for me, that was my study abroad. I want to help students attain the same impact of studying abroad that I experienced myself,” she said.
Starting in 2010, Deisinger served as an academic advisor for geography and meteorology students in the College of Natural Resources and Environment. Before that, she worked with incoming international students and coordinated the International Street Fair for the Cranwell International Center.
Before joining Virginia Tech, Deisinger helped prepare students at Iowa State University for semester programs to Australia, New Zealand, and Greece. She also worked with the university’s Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication. Deisinger received a master’s degree in higher education and student services from the university.
Deisinger replaces Chelsey Watts, who left Virginia Tech for a position at Montclair State University.
The Global Education Office, part of Outreach and International Affairs, manages Virginia Tech’s portfolio of more than 60 exchange agreements with institutions in nearly 30 countries. For a full listing of exchange partners, visit the Global Education Office website.
Written by Aubrey Medina, a senior majoring in international relations in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
