Global Careers Institute

Global Careers Institute (GCI) a professional development program designed to prepare Penn State students for career success in the global marketplace. Penn State Global, with support from partners around the University, is working to expand on our successes of GCI 2020 and GCI 2023 and deliver the 4^th GCI conference in fall of 2024. A GCI focused on graduate students will take place at Penn State Great Valley (in the Greater Philadelphia area) on September 27-28, 2024. For undergraduate students, we recommend the GCI focused on undergraduate student at Penn State University Park on March 22-23, 2024 or keep an eye out for future GCI opportunities.

A GCI weekend kicks off with a Friday evening welcome dinner including a keynote speaker and networking opportunities and continues into Saturday with conference sessions led by leading alumni, faculty, and staff all focused on students interested in global careers. GCI is intentionally designed to serve the needs of international students and domestic students alike.

Participation in the Institute is competitive and by application only. Students from all campuses are considered and lodging and transportation is offered for students from outside of the region. All students invited to participate in the GCI weekend are required to complete online modules prior to attending the March conference.

The Global Careers Institute includes a suite of online courses comprised of five modules. All participants will be required to take these three online learning modules:

• Global Careers Institute Orientation
• Career Resources and Opportunities
• Resumes and Employment Communications
• Completing the CQ Credential Masterclass

International students will be required to complete two additional modules:

• Introduction to Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Important Dates and Deadlines

Application Deadline: September 8th, 2024

Deadline to complete online modules will be one week before the event (September 20^th).

Apply now to start preparing for your global career success: https://linktr.ee/gopsu

For more information about Penn State’s Global Careers Institute, contact the Global Outreach team at globaloutreach@psu.edu.

Our 2024 Global Careers Institute, held March 17th and 18th, 2024, was a success.

The Institute conference was held on March 17th and 18th, 2023 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel and at Smeal Business Building at University Park campus. 

Featured Presenters and Speakers Included:

Carl Delacato- Carl Delacato is a proud alumnus with a diverse professional background who graduated from the Schreyer Honors College with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and has experience in construction management, aerospace engineering, technology consulting, and marketplace strategy from LF Driscoll, Boeing, EY, and Block Renovation. Carl's international interest started with study abroad in South Africa, became a priority when planning personal trips, and eventually led to him working in London while at EY. Now based in New York City, he is excited to attend the GCI event and is looking forward to learning from the perspectives and experiences of the attendees.

Dr. Ken Graham- Ken Graham is an active alumnus of Penn State. Dr. Graham volunteers with the Presidential Leadership Academy and serves as the Senior Advisor for the Rowhill Consulting Group all while setting aside time to work and engage with student groups on leadership and career building. Dr. Graham holds multiple degrees including a Ph.D. in Business Strategy, Logistics, and Executive Education. Learn more about Dr. Graham using his LinkedIn.

Colin Grant- Colin Grant graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and now works in global real estate. As a Penn State student Colin had the exciting experience to participate in a Semester at Sea study abroad experience. Colin currently serves as the Senior Vice President for Cerberus Capital Management in Dubai, United Arab Emirates after being based in London and Amsterdam. You can find more information on Colin using his LinkedIn.

Lesley Jackson- Lesley Jackson is a proud Penn State alumna who is currently working as the Associate Director of Graduate Career and Professional Development at Penn State. Lesley has a wide range of experiences in the areas of professional and student development. Lesley received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology as well as her Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Penn State. Learn more about Lesley using her LinkedIn.

Jamie Klingler- Jamie Klingler is an active Penn State alumna based in London, England. Jamie currently serves as an Event Producer for the UN Women UK, as a freelancer, and has also co-founded Reclaim These Streets, a campaign group for women’s safety. Jamie has skills within event management, hospitality, media, advertising, and public speaking. Graduating from Penn State with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing, Jamie was ranked #9 on PR Week’s UK Communicators of the Year List in 2021. To learn more about Jamie, visit her LinkedIn or her feature in Penn State’s Global Alumni Spotlight Article.

Dr. Wesley Payne McClendon- Wesley Payne McClendon graduated from Penn State with his Ph.D. and Master of Science in Human Resource Management and Industrial Labor Relations as well as his Doctor of Business Administration in Leadership, People and Culture Due Diligence from Edinburgh Napier University. Dr. McClendon is the Executive Director of McClendon Research Group, Inc. and a Visiting Distinguished Scholar Victoria Graduate School of Management. Additionally, Dr. McClendon has a long list of experiences from all over the world including Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and more. Visit his LinkedIn or his personal website to learn more.

Chris Nischalke- Chris Nischalke is a two-time Penn State graduate including a Master of International Affairs who servs as the International Internships & Research Adviser for Penn State Global’s Education Abroad Office. During his time at Penn State, Chris had the opportunity to travel to Dresden, Germany. Now Chris advises students for all internship and research study programs as well as all programs in the Czech Republic.

Brandon Short- Brandon Short received his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Penn State and his Master’s in Business Administration from Columbia Business School. Many might recognize Brandon as a former NFL and Penn State football player. On top of his successful football career, Brandon has over 13 years of real estate investment experience from all over the world including New York City and Dubai. Brandon currently serves as the Executive Director and Portfolio Manager for PGIM Real Estate and is a member of Penn State’s Board of Trustees. Learn more about Brandon via Google or by using his LinkedIn.

Rebecca Zoshak- Rebecca Zoshak is a current Ph.D. student with Penn State’s Department of Applied Linguistics while serving as the Lead Instructional Designer and Language Specialist for Penn State’s English for Professional Purposes Intercultural Center (EPPIC). Rebecca received her Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language from Penn State and her Bachelor of Science in Radio, Television, and Film from Northwestern University. Some might recognize Rebecca from her Season 34 appearance on Jeopardy! Learn more about Rebecca Zoshak from her Penn State Profile.

Additional Speakers-

Dr. Sabine Klahr-  Sabine Klahr has over 20 years of experience in advancing the internationalization of higher education. Prior to her appointment as Associate Vice Provost for Penn State Global, she served as Associate Chief Global Officer at the University of Utah. Klahr began her career in international education working in education abroad at Colorado State University and Western Michigan University and then served as senior international officer at Boise State University and subsequently Chatham University. Klahr has a long history of leadership for international education associations and organizations.

Dana Brem- Dana Brem manages Penn State's Global Engagement team, whose mission is to bring innovative, system-wide intercultural development opportunities to students, faculty, and staff to foster a more global campus learning environment. Dana has been with Penn State Global for five years. He previously worked in the English as a Foreign Language field teaching English and intercultural communication.

Ross Claar- Ross Claar joined Global as a Sponsored Student Coordinator in July 2022. He collaborates with sponsors on administrative needs related to students and works closely with sponsored students at Penn State. He has a master's degree in Islamic Studies with Middle East Studies from the University of Exeter and is also a Penn State alumnus with a bachelor's degree in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies. He is an avid traveler and has traveled extensively in Southeast Asia and in the UK

Lesley Jackson- Lesley Jackson currently serves as the Associate Director of Graduate Student Career and Professional Development at Penn State. Lesley has a wide range of experiences in the areas of professional and student development. Lesley received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology as well as her Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Penn State.

Jada Quinland- Jada. Quinland is currently a second-year Master of International Affairs candidate, with a discipline concentration in International Security and Peacekeeping at Penn State. Jada previously earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting at The City University of New York where she studied abroad in the Den Hague, Netherlands. Jada serves as the President of the 72nd Assembly within the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA), and is a senior Pipeline Fellow for the Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security & Conflict (WCAPS) organization.

Angela Ging- Angela is a second-year graduate student in the Higher Education M.Ed. program at Penn State. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Florida State University. In her professional career, Angela has provided specialized support to increase student academic and personal development across the country. Angela is currently interning in the Undergraduate Admissions Office and Career Services offices.

Dr. Limeng Cui- Limeng Cui graduated from Penn State with her Ph.D. in Information Science in 2022. While at Penn State, Limeng served as a member of the Penn State Chinese Student Council (CSC) and has interned at Amazon, Facebook AI, and IQVIA. Prior to her studies at Penn State, she received a Ph.D. in Computer Applied Technology from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering from the Beijing Institute of Technology. She currently works at Amazon in Palo Alto, CA as an Applied Scientist.

Aphrodite Biswas- Aphrodite Biswas is a young professional in the pharmaceutical industry. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Penn State and currently works as a Research and Development Process Engineer at i3 Pharmaceuticals, a diverse start-up established by an ambitious group of international students. Her current role involves an application of scientific and technical acumen and a hint of business development and product management. Her ambition is to make healthcare more affordable globally.

Bing Zhang- Bing Zhang is a business analyst and a visual data enthusiast currently working as a Program Management Specialist at Audi of America. After graduating from Penn State in 2021, with bachelor's degrees in advertising and psychology, she went on to obtain her Master of Science in Business Analytics, also from Penn State. Prior to her current position, Bing completed two internships. One at Power BI Developer, designing and optimizing cross-departmental Power BI dashboard, and another as a copywriting intern at DiMassimo Goldstein.

Dr. Colin Neill- Dr. Neill is a Professor of Software and Systems Engineering and has served as Director of Engineering Programs at Penn State Great Valley for over a decade. He was named Interim Chancellor, Dean, and CAO at Penn State Great Valley in July 2022. Dr. Neill was previously responsible for overseeing the division’s portfolio of graduate degree programs. During that time, the division added master’s degree programs in data analytics and artificial intelligence, and enrollment in all the division’s programs grew by more than 100%. Dr. Neill earned his Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and a Master's in Communication Systems from the University of Wales in Swansea, UK.

Abhijeet (Jeet) Maniktala-Jeet Maniktala hails from New Delhi, India, and is a Penn Staten alumnus with a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science & Engineering. Since graduating in the spring of 2021, Jeet has worked for JTEC Energy, a clean-energy startup in Atlanta, GA. With a deep interest in climate technology and sustainability, he served as an intern at JTEC Energy developing lab-scale prototypes, and is now working towards commercializing this novel technology.

Fernando Almeida- Fernando Almeida is a Global Human Resources leader who has lived and worked in South America, North America, and Europe. In his current role as Senior Executive at GE Aerospace, he provides HR leadership to engine manufacturing sites. He has earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and systems analytics at Faculdade Associadas de Sao Paulo in Brazil and completed an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources at Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Brazil.

Sean Nichols- Sean Nichols currently serves as the head of the Jellysmack, Cameo, and Firework Japan offices in his role as Head of Entertainment Properties for Softbank, Inc. Prior to his current role, he worked as the Managing Director for Tastemade Japan, was Head of Business Development for Amazon Prime Video, and ran the digital business for the PlayStation account at Deutsch Los Angeles. Sean also had a successful TV career in Japan, where he appeared on the nationally acclaimed kids’ program “Eigo de Asobo” as well as the television show UltramanMax.

Bill Lane- Bill Lane is a 40-year retired Caterpillar Veteran and Chairman Emeritus of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, which supports U.S. funding for diplomacy and development. Most recently, Bill led a successful effort to modernize NAFTA. He sits on the Boards of Global Communities, National Foreign Trade Council Foundation, and Washington International Trade Association Foundation. Bill holds B.S. and M.A. degrees from Penn State and is a Penn State Alumni Fellow. He has chaired and currently serves on the Penn State Global Advisory Council and is a Wall Street Journal contributor.

Jane W. Goldblum- Jane W. Goldblum is the founding partner of the Employment-Based Immigration Law firm of Goldblum, Pollins, and Dennis. For over 40 years, she has consistently been recognized and listed in Super Lawyers, the Best Lawyers in America, and the International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers as among the best immigration lawyers in Pennsylvania. Jane has long represented global companies and even traveled with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on a trade mission to China.

Kristen Repyneck Dennis - Kristen Repyneck Dennis is a Partner and Chair of the Firm’s Higher Education Team, where she provides strategic counseling on immigration issues in the hiring and retention of foreign national faculty and staff, managing nonimmigrant and immigrant processes for more than twenty colleges and universities and more than 300 foreign national employees. Since 2018, Kristen has been repeatedly recognized by Super Lawyers as among the best lawyers in immigration in Pennsylvania.

Jefferey Egee- Jeffrey Egge is the head of European Leveraged Finance Trading and is currently based in London. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2005 and was named Managing Director in 2015. Over his career, he has worked as a trader in Leveraged Loans, High Yield Bonds and CDS, and Distressed Credit in both New York and London. Jeff graduated from Penn State's Schreyer Honors College with a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 2004 and was also a member of the Schreyer Honors College.

Penn State Global and Penn State Career Services hosted the first-ever Global Careers Institute on February 28th and 29th, 2020.

For more information about the activities of that event, please read the event's Program, linked below.

Global Careers Institute 2020 Conference Program