Division of Student Affairs chief of staff and director of administration receives Fulbright grant
Cynthia P. Bonner, chief of staff and director of administration for Virginia Tech’s Division of Student Affairs, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for the United States-Germany International Education Administrators Program.
She will spend two weeks during the 2010 fall semester in Germany.
Bonner will participate in a two-part group seminar on German higher education and society designed for United States university, college, and community college administration. The first part takes place in Berlin, where participants receive a general introduction to Germany and its system of higher education. In the second part, participants will be split up into small groups that will travel to other cities throughout Germany, allowing them to concentrate on their own professional interests as they relate to the seminar.
Bonner is hoping to expand international opportunities for students by attending this program. “Our division has had a long-standing exchange agreement with Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico that involves the exchange of student leaders as well as staff collaborations,” Bonner said. “We are interested in broadening the international leadership development opportunities that are available to our students.”
As the first chief of staff and director of administration for the Division of Student Affairs, Bonner coordinates human resources, communications and marketing, as well as budgeting and assessment functions for the division. She serves as a connection with administrative officers throughout the university and has held this position since 2004.
Previously, Bonner served as associate vice president for faculty and staff resources as well as associate vice president for student services and special programs with the University of North Carolina general administration.
Bonner has also served as director of housing and residence life and director of student affairs research at North Carolina State University. Her memberships in professional organizations include the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), and the Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA).
Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program is America’s flagship international education exchange program, and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement and because they have demonstrated extraordinary leadership potential in their fields.
Bonner, who earned her Ph.D. in educational leadership from Florida State University, said she is looking forward to this opportunity. “My participation in the Fulbright program will provide an opportunity for the Division of Student Affairs to cultivate relationships and student exchange programs with German universities,” she said.
Written by Stephanie Paradiso of Rockville, Md., a senior majoring in communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
