The I-House Connection: New Scholarship; Staff Spotlight; Resident-Created Video and Blog Post; Ways to Give, and more!

January 19, 2023

Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director

Dear Alumni and Friends,

In this issue of the I-House Connection, I am delighted to announce the establishment of a new endowed scholarship, named in honor of Dr. Jayanta Roy (IH 1967-68), and initiated with a gift by his friends Ajit Sabnis (IH 1967-68 and 1970-71) and Marjie Sabnis (IH 1969-70).

In our staff spotlight, I’m pleased to feature Cedric Martin, who has recently been promoted to the newly created position of Vice President of Hospitality Services.

Also in this issue, I invite you to enjoy some recent contributions from resident I-House Social Media Ambassadors Aneta Felix and Oke Iroegbu. Aneta has produced a charming video interview retrospective on highlights from the Fall term just concluded, and Oke has written a first-hand reflection on his experiences during Winter break.

If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to join and participate by sharing additional messages in our online global community at ihberkeleyconnect.org.

Sincerely,

Shaun Carver, I-House Executive Director

Shaun R. Carver Ed.D., MBA
Executive Director and CEO
International House at UC Berkeley

Announcing the Dr. Jayanta Roy Memorial Scholarship for International House Room and Board

Dr. Jayanta Roy We are pleased to announce the establishment of this scholarship to enable future Cal students to experience International House and Berkeley. This scholarship, initiated in honor of Dr. Roy by his friends Marjorie and Ajit Sabnis, will partially defray a resident's costs for one semester. With additional contributions to and earnings from the endowment, our goal is to support a graduate student for a full year at I-House, including their stipend and tuition. If you would like to make a gift towards this goal, please contact Bill Howley at (707) 477-0447 or at bhowley@berkeley.edu

Dr. Roy was an internationally respected trade economist who worked for the World Bank, for the Government of India and later, as an independent consultant, author and university professor. He graduated from St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, then received his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Presidency College, Calcutta (1963) and his Master’s degree from the Delhi School of Economics (1966). In 1967, Dr. Roy came to Berkeley on a graduate fellowship, earning his Ph.D. in 1972. In his first year at Cal, he was a resident of International House.

As a microeconomist, Dr. Roy specialized in International Trade, focusing on trade policies, export development, and trade facilitation. Dr. Roy was a key member of the Government of India team that proposed and oversaw the opening of the Indian economy in 1991. Later, he chaired the Trade Facilitation Group in the Ministry of Finance. At the World Bank, Dr. Roy was the lead economist for several countries, including Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Dr. Roy passed away in 2021.

Staff Spotlight: Cedric Martin, VP of Hospitality Services

In recognition of his substantial contributions and importance to International House, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Cedric Martin to the newly created position of Vice President, Hospitality Services.

Cedric has demonstrated his leadership through many key team accomplishments, such as reopening after the temporary House closure, reorganizing and revitalizing Events and Catering, the successful launch of edmonds, and above all hiring and inspiring a world-class team throughout Hospitality Services. Please join me in congratulating Cedric!

I-House Stands: A recap of an extraordinary time at I-House

In the past year, we welcomed hundreds of students from all over the world. International House stands stronger than before with cultural exchanges through events, food, and friendships. This video highlights students' experiences which they describe as fun and fulfilling. Featuring an interview with our award-winning Executive Chef Abigail Serbins highlighting the new global cuisines offered by the talented I-House dining team.

I-House Stands: A recap of an extraordinary time at International House at UC Berkeley

Seven current residents answer the question, "What does I-House stand for?"

Appearing in order:

Sondre Aasen, a Civil Engineering exchange student from Norway;

Isabelle Winstead, a United States citizen studying Environmental Economics and Policy;

Manal Siddiqui a psychology major from the United States;

Obiamaka Ude, a United States citizen and doctoral student in the department of City & Regional Planning;

Dominik Plath, a Computer Science student from Germany;

Sheila Okoroanyanwu, a 2022 Mastercard Foundation Scholar from Nigeria, studying for a master's degree in Translational Medicine;

Ricardo Armentia Moliner, a Spanish law & Economics student.

Video shot and edited by Aneta Felix, I-House resident, and Social Media Ambassador, 2022 Mastercard Foundation Scholar and graduate student at the Berkeley Journalism School.

Winter Break Memories

By Oke Iroegbu

Residents on New Years Eve in San Francisco

While this post is about my experience during the Winter break, I must thank my friends who made it worthwhile. This break was my first away from home. Normally, I would have traveled back to celebrate Christmas and New Year's with my people. The friends I made both at I-House and beyond helped make my holidays memorable.

Join our Global Community, I-House Berkeley Connect

Join our vibrant community of 2,075+ alumni, current residents, and staff. We encourage participation in this online global community at ihberkeleyconnect.org, where you can:

Connect with other members via video chat or direct message;
Browse the Alumni Directory and connect with I-House friends;
Post or browse job opportunities;
Offer mentoring or find a mentor;
List your business or passion project in the Business Hub;
Read Shaun Carver's Friday posts to stay in the know!

If you have moved, changed email or mailing addresses, or want to give us an exciting update, please let us know by replying to this email or by updating your profile in I-House Berkeley Connect. If you need some assistance or have any questions, we are happy to help!