Talking with … Liza Wynns

Interviews | Sep 01, 2017 | Gabelli Connect Admin

“Talking with…” lets you get to know a different Gabelli School faculty member, administrator, or staff member in each installment. To start the new semester, we’re speaking with Liza Wynns, external programs manager in the global initiatives and partnerships office.

Can you briefly explain what your role entails?
My responsibilities entail year-round administration for the collaborative programs, in which students complete most of their master’s degrees at their home universities but come to Fordham for three to five weeks of instruction in the summer. I help to plan events such as classes, faculty lectures, corporate visits, cultural excursions, and sightseeing opportunities.

The global initiatives and partnerships office is also the main point of contact for representatives from partner schools and our university’s own internal Office of International Initiatives. We want to make sure that the unique needs and expectations of international students are met and exceeded. I am also responsible for logistics for the various Global Immersion courses that are offered throughout the year.

What did you do at Fordham before beginning your current role?
I was the executive assistant to the dean at the graduate level.

What is one big project you worked on over the summer?
The biggest project that I handled over the summer was the Collaborative MSGF program. This year we had 63 graduate students from countries across three continents who came to study finance. I began working on the logistics months in advance to make sure that everything was set for the students when they arrived in New York in June.

Which program are you most excited about for the fall semester?
I’m really excited about the Jesuit Leadership History and Culture course along El Camino Ignaciano in Spain. We ran it for the first time last year and it was a huge success!

You’ve been at the Gabelli School for 10 years. What is something new you’ve learned in the past year?
I am constantly learning new things. This past year I have learned a great deal about student records, grading, and clearing students for graduation. In the past, my job was geared more towards administrative support, and now I get to work directly with students.

How do the programs you work on help Fordham students be “men and women for others”?
These programs expose our students to different cultures, which creates a deep understanding and broadens their views of others. Both administrators and professors at Gabelli encourage students to be successful but to also be global leaders that make an impact in the world.