Director's Message

I am delighted to introduce you to the Graduate Program in International Studies at Old Dominion University. This website will acquaint you with who we are as faculty, students, and alumni and with how we understand the many challenges of a global world.

At GPIS, the International Studies Program is truly inter-disciplinary, reflecting the need to educate future leaders capable of navigating complex environments. Hence we draw faculty from many different academic departments and colleges across the university. Our goal is to offer an exciting, engaging, and relevant curriculum to students who want to make a difference; students who want to explore new approaches to understanding the world and seek innovative solutions. To this end, we attract students from all over the world and are especially proud of the many Fulbright students who have joined us.

Our faculty is outstanding, internationally acclaimed; their mentorship is unrivalled. Faculty leadership in research and teaching is critical for an ambitious graduate program and the wealth of experience offered by GPIS faculty equips students for competitive careers in a global market place.

Above all, GPIS is a place of intellectual challenge and exploration. We lead the university in interdisciplinary, international education; we run an annual Graduate Research Conference, organize international conferences, engage in exciting crisis simulation exercises on NATO, the European Union, and humanitarian assistance, offer internships through NATO's Allied Command Transformation and the NATO Civil-Military Fusion Center, and facilitate a vibrant GPIS community through the Graduate Society in International Studies.

In short, at GPIS we are proud to have created a program that brings together the best faculty and the best students to jointly tackle some of the most vexing problems the world faces. If you find yourself in the Hampton Roads Region, stop by and my colleagues and I will be happy to share our perspectives!