North Park Welcomes International Studies Honors Society to Campus
Students from around the country and world expected to attend Sigma Iota Rho conference
CHICAGO (May 29, 2015) — This weekend, North Park University will host the inaugural student research conference for the national honors society for international studies, Sigma Iota Rho. The student-run conference will include undergraduate research presentations, career and graduate school workshops, and peer-networking opportunities for students in various disciplines, including international and global studies, international relations, and international business. Participants from Chicago, the United States, and from around the world will have the opportunity to present their work and engage with scholars and practitioners in the field.
Garrett Warren, senior philosophy major from North Park University, who is serving as the lead planner for the conference, says it is an opportunity to open the horizons of what international studies can be. “We’ll be able to hear what other people are doing, which includes their goals and aspirations. It’s a chance to open a broader dialogue.”
The event will also feature a keynote speech from Emily Berman, deputy director of strategic partnerships and global affairs, in the Office of the Mayor, City of Chicago. Pamela Bozeman-Evans, senior director of career development and internships at North Park University will also speak to aspiring leaders about opportunities available to them.
“Sigma Iota Rho's mission is to promote the study of international affairs on campus and in the community,” said Dr. Frank Plantan, national director and president of Sigma Iota Rho and co-director of the international relations program at the University of Pennsylvania. This conference allows students to “further develop their research and presentation skills and to consider international careers of some kind.”
A number of North Park students will participate in various ways throughout the conference, including as volunteers. North Park currently offers undergraduate programs in global studies and international business that provide intercultural learning opportunities that can broaden worldviews and prepare students to lead in a global economy.
Warren, whose position as lead planner is part of an internship with North Park’s International Office, says he became interested in international studies after a study abroad experience in Hyderabad, India. “International studies and travel will hopefully be a part of what I do after I graduate in December. They are tied to my interests in cross-cultural communication and creating a world that is able to share what is good in the world, the values we have in common.”
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