Spotlight On New UB Faculty - Brandon LaFavor

By Alexander Battle

On October 3, 2013

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Brandon LaFavor is the Overseas Study Coordinator for the Office of Internationalization within the University of Bridgeport. Having started his work with the university in January, Brandon is already well acquainted with the campus community. As the Overseas Study Coordinator, Brandon's position comes in two parts. Firstly, he is charged with administering university relations programs with other partner schools. He also organizes the administration of study abroad scholarships. Currently, there are three scholarships available to the students of the university. These scholarships go towards studying abroad in China, South Korea, or Jordan. If students are interested in looking for other study abroad opportunities, then Brandon assists them in finding programs and scholarships. The other half of his position has him working as the Programming Coordinator for the English Language Institute. He coordinates trips with International Students to supplement their learning experience.

Brandon LaFavor was born and raised in the state of Oregon. He attended the University of Oregon for his undergraduate and graduate studies. However, he has studied abroad in Mexico and has gone to Costa Rica for opportunities in service learning. As an undergraduate, he received a double major in Spanish and Economics with a concentration in International and Sustainable Development. He holds his Masters' in International Higher Education with concentrations in comparative policies, current developments and leadership. As a part of his worldly experiences, Brandon gained experience in working with college-aged individuals from his time in Panama. In Panama, he spent six months working in the youth hostel named Luna's Castle. During his tenure there, Brandon spent his time working on a variety of horticulturally-

based art projects. He is a bit of an artist, though he prefers to present himself as musician. He knows how to play quite a few instruments, and has played in bands. As a artist, he has participated in the installation of a few large scale murals in Seattle and Oregon. So, clearly, Brandon LaFavor is a dynamic and versatile individual.

Brandon likes to think that he is making a positive impact on the students here at the university. He loves being amongst such a diverse community of individuals and appreciates the small size of the campus. He feels that this small campus experience vastly differs from what he experienced during his time at the University of Oregon. Even so, he is happy that people can turn to each other for help if they need it. As such, he would like for the students on campus to know that there is a study abroad office, and that he is here to help. Also, as a natural extension of his work with the English Language Institute, Brandon facilitates the UBuddies program to help international students become more comfortable with the English language and American culture. He hopes that students get more involved in community programs and takes advantage of what UB has to offer.