For release: May 27, 2011
For press information, contact Gabrielle Maxey, 901/678-2843

Rebecca Laumann

“The Fulbright Nehru-IEA seminar on higher education in India was an unforgettable professional development experience,” Laumann said.  “It gave me an opportunity to obtain first-hand knowledge of the diversity, complexity, and dynamic nature of India. We visited more than 15 universities and colleges. Our hosts were very welcoming, and they provided us with informative presentations on India's educational system. The students we met inspired us with their love for learning.

“The University of Memphis currently has a partnership with Manipal University and Alliance University.  I am looking forward to working with U of M faculty to create more opportunities for students and faculty to study or conduct research in India.”

Since coming to work at the University of Memphis, Laumann has expanded the number and variety of exchange programs and actively encouraged a greater number of students to study abroad. As a result, new programs have been initiated in Costa Rica, Japan, China, Turkey, and Ghana.
           

Before joining the U of M she was a project coordinator at the James S. Coleman African Studies Center at UCLA. In that capacity, Laumann administered the Uongozi Institute, a collaborative project between UCLA, the University of Dar es Salaam, the University of Nairobi, and Makerere University. The primary focus of the Institute was the Uongozi Leadership School, an intensive summer seminar in which students from North America and East Africa interacted with each another as well as with African leaders and scholars, with the goal of fostering civic and intellectual leadership qualities among the participants.

Laumann is an active member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators and was a founding member of the Tennessee Conference for International Leadership. She is the recipient of several grants related to international education.

Laumann earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Ghana and her juris doctorate (law degree) from the University of Memphis.