Award for Global Engagement

Dr. Sofia Mogilevskaya has made outstanding contributions in international teaching, research, and service at the University of Minnesota. She has led three study abroad programs and was instrumental in establishing contacts with local practitioners, faculty, and students to assist with lectures, field trips, and social events. Dr. Mogilevskaya has also served on the review committee for the Twin Cities Study Abroad Scholarship. In 2009, the Learning Abroad Center presented her with an award for her work to promote and support education abroad.

Dr. Mogilevskaya has also played a key role in establishing and maintaining partnerships with other universities. She signed a memorandum of understanding with Italy’s University of Brescia and has served on the school’s Ph.D. program committee since 2017. She also led a short course held at the University of Brescia and the University of Trento on mechanics for the green economy, which was attended by students from around the world. This short course led to a research and educational collaboration between the University of Trento and the UMN Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering. Dr. Mogilevskaya has also worked closely with the University of Seville and collaborated with experts in Switzerland, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Ukraine, South Africa, France, and Germany.

Dr. Mogilevskaya has demonstrated her commitment to international students, advising and co-advising 12 international students between 2003 and 2019. She promoted the visiting students’ and undergraduate interns’ understanding of U.S. culture and engagement with U.S. peers by organizing joint social events, trips, and museum visits. She has also helped recruit more than 15 students from leading Russian universities to the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering P.h.D program.