5 Questions with Jennifer Engel

Before joining IU as associate vice president for the Office of Overseas Study in July 2022, she led education abroad and international programs offices at Marygrove College in Detroit, University of South Carolina,and Loyola University Chicago. Most recently,she served as the vice president for academic affairs and experiential learning for CIS Abroad. 

Since earning her PhD in Educational and Leadership and Policy, Jennifer has served on several dissertation and thesis committees, as well as taught graduate and undergraduate courses on topics ranging from international higher education to experiential learning. She has also led study abroad programs in locations around the world — including Cuba, Taiwan, and Spain — and conducted research ranging in focus from international higher education policy in Australia to cultural exchange between American study abroad students and Spanish host families. 

Jennifer moved to Bloomington in July with her husband, Brad, who teaches at Bloomington North High School, and their rescue dog Ned. 

Q: What elements of your early study abroad experiences have stuck with you? 

A: My first study abroad experience was a two-week program in high school, during which I traveled with about 35 other high school Spanish III and IV students to Spain. We stayed with host families for part of that time and met several local students. That experience was the catalyst for eventually seeking out a career in international education. What stuck with me was the excitement of travel – exploring someplace new and different, trying new foods and learning how they reflect the local culture, and especially meeting new people. 

To this day, I seek out experiences that are off the beaten path and unique to that place, and I really enjoy my interactions with the people I meet along the way. The love of learning a foreign language was a core part of that first study abroad experience, too. Speaking the local language provides a window into the culture that you just can’t get otherwise.

Q: What do you enjoy most about making international experiences possible for students?  

A: A lot goes into making international experiences possible for students, such as managing risk, identifying or developing quality programs that provide meaningful experiences in and out of the classroom, and preparing students before they depart so that they can get the absolute most out of their experience. But the one thing that I enjoy most is talking with students about the possibilities.   

There are so many opportunities for students to study in far off places, do internships with organizations that allow them to develop the competencies that will help them be successful in their careers, and take part in service-learning programs that not only allow them to make a positive change in the world but learn alongside those they serve. So many possibilities! I love seeing students get excited about going abroad and helping empower them to take that first step, especially those who never thought it was a possibility for them. I was one of those students, and I can say from my own experience – it is possible! 

Q: What advice do you have for students who want to study abroad and are nervous about extended international travel? What sorts of IU resources are available to help them find funding and navigate the process?   

A: First, know that everyone is nervous on some level, and that is to be expected. But don’t let that hold you back from taking part in an experience that can truly enhance the trajectory of your life. You will never again have the chance to go abroad like this – as a student, at this time in your life. So many people, when they find out what I do, say to me that not studying abroad in college is their biggest regret. Don’t let that be you!  

Second, IU has so many resources available to help students figure out the process from start to finish.  It starts with an initial advising session to understand the basics. Advisors then work one-on-one with students to help them figure out what program suits their academic and career goals, how to apply, how to utilize their financial aid to pay for the experience, and what they need to know before they go. Staff, here and overseas, are there to help them while they are abroad as well. So often, we hear students say that they can’t afford to study abroad. But IU has a range of scholarships that students can receive, based on their financial need or academic merit. There is no excuse not to at least check it out.

Q: What are you excited for in the near future of Overseas Study at IU? 

A: It has been great to meet with individuals from the various IU Bloomington units, as well as regional campuses, and learn more about their goals and ideas for education abroad. I view my role as both supporting the work that they are doing and also leading efforts to further innovate and increase our education abroad activity. I’m excited to build on IU’s strong foundation of overseas study and expand options for students to include more international internships, service-learning, and undergraduate research options. And, especially, to further increase the number of students who are going abroad – particularly among those groups of students who have traditionally been less likely to do so. 

Q: When you take a vacation, what do you like to do?  

A: Travel with limited structure and leave space for the unanticipated. I like to have a few things planned, like those experiences that I definitely don’t want to miss out on. But overly scheduled itineraries don’t leave a lot of time to take advantage of what is happening in the moment, or to take a detour when you stumble across something that looks fun, or to go see something that someone you met the evening before suggested. And whenever I can meet up with the I am fortunate to have in various parts of the world, I always do – because it is the people you engage with along the way that make traveling the most meaningful.