Global Health in Peru: A sabbatical project

Eric Wetzel, biology professor at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, will be spending his 2010 sabbatical in Peru studying and working in the field of Global Health. He'll be updating his progress and writing about his work through this blog.

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New Lilly President Hails from Peru

Eli Lilly and Co.'s United States subsidiary has named Enrique Conterno president, replacing Deirdre Connelly, who resigned.

Conterno, who has been senior vice president of health care professional markets for Lilly in the U.S., is a native of Peru. Conterno has worked at Lilly since 1992.

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International Education Leaders in Indy

Delegations from six South American countries and Mexico are visiting Indiana as part of the U.S. Department of State International Visitors Leadership Program this month, reports the Indiana Department of Education.

Indiana is one of five stops for the delegates to learn more about K-12 education in the United States. Starting 17 November, they also visited Iowa, Georgia, Utah and Washington, D.C.They'll be in the U.S. through 5 December.

The visitors from Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Venezuela, Peru and Mexico are meeting with DOE officials in Indianapolis to learn more about the state’s role in education policy, curriculum development, testing and accountability and funding of public education.

The International Visitors Leadership Program annually brings to the U.S. approximately 5,000 foreign nationals from all over the world to meet and confer with their professional counterparts. The visitors, who are selected by American Foreign Service Officers overseas, are current or potential leaders in government, politics, the media, education, the arts, business and other fields.

To learn more about Indiana’s international education initiatives, click here.

IUPUI Partnered with International Festival

A community partnership with the 2008 International Festival fits with many growing international programs at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.

IUPUI is home to the new Confucius Institute in Indianapolis, which serves local business, government and education by providing information and instruction on Chinese language and culture. The Institute is the hub of IUPUI's partnership with Sun Yat Sen University in Guangzhou, China.

Additionally, IUPUI has a comprehensive, strategic partnership with Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya.

The university's Binational/Cross Cultural Health Enhancement Center is the driving force of IUPUI's partnership with the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo in Pachuca, Mexico.

Last year, IUPUI ran 36 study-abroad programs with nearly 400 students participating which represented a significant increase from previous years.

IUPUI head basketball coach Ron Hunter made world news through his efforts to raise public awareness and over 100,000 pairs of shoes by coaching a game barefoot for Samaritans Feet. Coach Hunter and team members traveled to Peru with ESPN this summer to distribute the shoes.

2008 marks the second consecutive year that IUPUI has stepped up its involvement with the International Festival as a full community partner.

Ricardo Laranja, 35, formerly of Brazil, is one of the immigrants set to become a naturalized citizen at the International Festival ceremony. Laranja is a professor at IUPUI, music composer and a professional pianist. As a pianist he has performed for two U.S. Presidents. He has lived in the U.S. for 22 years. Larnaja will perform the National Anthem at the ceremony with singer, Lynda Sayyah. She is the daughter of a Palestinian father and German mother.

Laranja says, "...at the age of 35, being naturalized is the final stamp for me. It gives me a true sense of belonging and pride. Usually when asked about what I think of naturalized citizens, I respond that unlike naturally born citizens, everyone who is being naturalized made the choice to become a citizen of this country and that counts as a lot."

Swedish Company Closes in Peru

Sweden-based Trelleborg Automotive is closing its facility in Peru, impacting approximately 200 workers, according to Inside INdiana Business.

Production at the plant is expected to continue through the end of 2008. Trelleborg cites the downturn in the North American automotive market as the main reason the Peru plant is being closed. The facility produces automotive suspension systems.

"Coming to America" Feature in The Indianapolis Star

Marred only by its selection of three immigrants from one demographic, Dan McFeely of The Indianapolis Star has penned a provocative front page piece on immigration to Indy in today's newspaper.

Check it out here, at least as long as The Star lets the public access the site! (Photo, at right, by The Star's Matt Detrich, shows Juvenal Gamarra, who emigrated from Peru.)