Terra Dotta is very pleased to welcome Dr. Jay Varkey as our plenary speaker at TDU Global 2019 next month in Atlanta. If Dr. Varkey’s name is not familiar to you, you might consider that a good thing. But once you hear his inspiring words, it will be a name you won’t soon forget.

Dr. Varkey gained nationwide, if not worldwide, attention in August 2014 when a patient, infected with the Ebola virus, was admitted to the Serious Communicable Diseases Unit (SCDU) at Emory University Hospital. This was the first of two patients with Ebola to be treated in the U.S. Dr. Varkey, now Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases with Emory University’s School of Medicine, was one of five infectious diseases physicians who treated four patients over the next three months. If you recall that event, you will remember there being considerable angst expressed over treating patients infected with such a deadly viral disease in the U.S., far from the disease’s epicenter.

What Dr. Varkey and his colleagues tried to impress upon the public was that they were ready for this crisis. For years, the SCDU had been holding regular drills exactly for this reason – to be prepared when such a crisis occurred. His words, therefore, will have particular significance for those of us involved with student mobility. We may be challenged over seeking support for crisis response; however, we also know that on any day, we are always just one phone call or email away from an unexpected emergency. What can we learn from the experiences of Dr. Varkey and the SCDU in both preparing for, and responding to, a crisis? Make attendance at TDU Global 2019 a priority for your team to learn from the best!

In February 2018, Mark Callaghan joined Terra Dotta as our International Sales Director. Mark's daily responsibilities entail staying abreast of higher education industry trends, working with senior management to devise and implement innovative go-to-market strategies, attending professional conferences and events, and identifying new business while managing existing portfolios for Terra Dotta's international clients.

Before joining Terra Dotta, Mark worked for emergency assistance security providers. He studied Business, Travel and Tourism at Northeast Surrey College of Technology (Nescot).

Outside of work, Mark enjoys hiking, mountaineering, soccer, and traveling. Mark would like to travel to Patagonia and hike in the Torres del Paine.

Mark says his favorite part of working at Terra Dotta is the “great people, great ethos, great products.” You may have seen Mark recently representing Terra Dotta at conferences such as AIEC and EAIE.  He will also be attending the upcoming APAIE conference, so stop by the Terra Dotta booth and say “hello.”

Join Mark on May 1st for Terra Dotta's Travel Risk Seminar. This exciting day of learning will be hosted from 9AM – 4PM at University of Manchester Sackville Street Campus. Click here to register.

StudentSIMS and Terra Dotta are working together to ensure international students can provide friends and families a working U.S. number where they can be reached, that is cost-effective and reliable upon landing in the U.S., and that provides their participating institution with up-to-date U.S. contact details upon arrival.

StudentSIMS has been at the forefront of Telecommunications and International Exchange since the days of calling cards. For the past six years, they have developed a system that allows students to receive their SIM card and U.S. telephone number before leaving their home country. Having partnered with many colleges and universities, as well as international recruiting agents and several other cultural exchange organizations, StudentSIMS knows that having a way to communicate with friends, family, and others is paramount to successful acclimatization in their new home country.

All StudentSIMS plans offer unlimited talk, text, data, international SMS, and free audio and video streaming, as well as tethering to other devices. These unlimited plans start at $25 per month, and are backed by a 100% satisfaction money back guarantee with no credit check, no security deposit, and no contract. As a partner institution, there is no cost to provide StudentSIMS cards to all of your students. Beyond the benefits to students - having a number to satisfy SEVIS requirements and credit and housing applications - all up-to-date U.S. contact details are shared with partner institutions.

"Building a relationship with Terra Dotta has always been at the forefront of our University Development plan. They truly understand what an international student needs as well as how to provide solutions/services to ISS offices, that address many of the issues they face daily," said John M. Ricci, Group Managing Director.

StudentSIMS is a sponsor of TDU Global 2019. As a NAFSA Global Partner, they will also be attending the NAFSA Annual Conference in D.C. and all of the 2019 NAFSA Regional Conferences. For more information about the StudentSIMS partnership, contact Terra Dotta's Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Robert Davis.

Between printed and online materials, it can be daunting to keep up with the professional literature. Let us help you. Each month we will list several online articles or reports that we hope you will find interesting.

Find an article that you believe others will want to read? Send the link to kerry.geffert@terradotta.com. Here are some to get you started:

The Rise of the American-Asian 'Repat'
From OZY

Another double-digit growth for Canada, but diversity concerns raised
From The PIE News

Students: the missing voices in internationalisation
From University World News

Colleges Lose a ‘Stunning’ 651 Foreign-Language Programs in 3 Years
From The Chronicle of Higher Education

China’s crowded labour market is making life tough for foreign workers and new graduate ‘sea turtles’
From South China Morning Post

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