Established in 2007, the International Faculty & Friends (IFF) program at Grand Valley State University provides university faculty and staff opportunities to build community by focusing on the countries and cultures of our planet.  At monthly events, event hosts share their stories from around the world.  This program embraces what has been one of the initiatives on campus for several years:  the internationalization of the campus.  Our events are not just for faculty from other countries.  It is for all faculty and staff.

Sign Up for International Faculty & Friends

The goals for IFF include:

1. Connecting and supporting international faculty and staff and their colleagues
2. Providing an intentional community for learning about other cultures and countries and international experiences.

Events can take on many forms, including:

• The sharing of food, culture, and stories from other countries.
• Meeting off-campus at an ethnic restaurant, and learning about another culture over the meal.
• A faculty event in conjunction with a student international event.
• A brown-bag lunch or special faculty/staff dining room cultural event.
• Gathering a group of faculty and staff to attend an off-campus cultural event.

Questions about the IFF mailing list? Contact Alissa Lane (Padnos International Center) [email protected]

IFF Leadership 

Co-Chairs:  Andres Ortiz Estevez (Padnos International Center), Naoki Kanaboshi (Criminal Justice), Akalu Tefera (Mathematics)

PIC Support:  Alissa Lane

Interested in being on the IFF Leadership Committee? Contact Andres Ortiz Estevez [email protected]

For a historical record of IFF, view past IFF Events & Hosts