Global Seminar Spotlight: Dipra Jha
This is a continuation of our "IANR is Global" series, which highlights the many ways internationalization is woven through the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources: through research collaboration, government and private industry partnerships, extension work, student educational experiences and the IANR community from around the world.
This edition is specifically focused on the many global voices we have on campus who will be sharing their expertise through seminars during spring semester 2020. Associate professor of practice Dipra Jha will be presenting a talk entitled “Connecting Nebraska to the World through Virtual Classrooms” on March 3, as part of the IANR Global Voices Seminar Series. We appreciate the expertise we are fortunate to have from all over the world, as shown by their many and varied contributions to the work of the university and our continued mission to create a globally engaged institution. To this end, we want to help our campus community get to know each other (and the world) more, starting with these experts.
Where is your hometown? Where did you receive your education?
I grew up in India but have called United States home since 2003. I recieved my undergraduate education in India and graduate school at University of Wisconsin-Stout.
Tell us a little about your path to where you are now.
I always enjoyed working with people so going to school for hospitality management made sense to me. I had a successful career in the industry, so when I decided to switch to academia, my passion to integrate the practice with the theory continued. Real-world, active learning is what I strive for in the classroom.
Are you engaged in any research collaborations or do you still have work that you do related to your home country?
I have several international collaborations with universities as well as tourism and hospitality industry in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. An example would be the global virtual classrooms project with universities in Denmark, Oman, United Arab Emirates, India, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.
Why is it important for institutions like the University of Nebraska to have faculty from different parts of the world?
They can provide diverse perspectives to students and help them acquire global competencies. It helps UNL students be better prepared for their future careers.
What is one piece of advice you would share with students?
Have an open mind.
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Are you giving a seminar in spring 2020 (or the future) and have an international element to your work, studies or background you'd like to see highlighted? Contact Brianne Wolf at bwolf4@unl.edu.