Lauren Ruszczyk

She/Her

Lauren directs the strategic development of UMD’s diverse portfolio of global learning programs around the world. She works in partnership with colleagues across UMD’s academic colleges and departments to design new offerings and align resources in support of global learning for all.

As a forever-Terp, Lauren is passionate about bringing inclusive global learning to life at UMD. She brings a wealth of experience in student advising, outreach and program administration to lead efforts to expand access to study abroad and tell the story of global learning success for UMD’s diverse and multifaceted student body. In addition to the great joy of working with a dynamic and collaborative team, Lauren’s favorite part of her job is connecting with students after they’ve returned from a transformative experience and learning how intercultural exchange and immersive global learning shaped their path moving forward. She also enjoys mentoring early career professionals and supporting efforts to diversify the pipeline of talent into the field of international education.

Lauren holds an M.A. in international studies from the Institute for International Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney, and an M.P.S. in industrial and organizational psychology and B.A. in Spanish language and literature from the University of Maryland. She studied abroad at the Universidad de Alcalá in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, as an undergraduate and at the Pontificia Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile, as a graduate student. Lauren is an alumna of the Stanford University Teaching & Learning Studio and a trained facilitator for intergroup dialogue and Gallup’s CliftonStrengths.