KU International Affairs announces Frederica Suess as International Short Programs director

LAWRENCE — KU’s International Affairs has announced that Frederica Suess will lead International Short Programs at the University of Kansas.

Overseeing the KU unit that runs on-campus and virtual short programs for international students and professionals, Suess began her work as director May 8. In her position, Suess will work closely with partners from international universities, national nongovernmental agencies and KU departments and units.

Suess has extensive experience with international programming. For seven years, Suess was the director of the English Language Center at the University of Wyoming, where she was the founding director of the university's Intensive English Program as well as the comprehensive English as a second language support services center.

While at the university, Suess developed outdoor experiential education programs for international students and a virtual program for Uzbekistan tourism and English professors. She also designed curriculum, syllabi, learning objectives and program-level learning assessments for various English language programs.

Joe Potts, associate vice provost for international innovation, development and strategic partnership, said he sees Suess as a tremendous addition to the KU International Affairs division.

“We’re super excited to welcome Riki to Lawrence and KU. She brings a wealth of relevant experience, not only in program design and delivery, but also in terms of understanding of how to get things done in the university context,” Potts said. “She’s a creative thinker and a really hard worker, so ISP is in excellent hands.”

Each year, ISP runs about a dozen programs that range in length from three weeks to nine months and connect with units throughout KU. Along with providing strategic leadership and vision for the ISP, Suess will oversee the program proposal and acquisition process, as well as program design, implementation, management, review and assessment.

“I am thrilled to be a Jayhawk,” Suess said. “It is very exciting to be so welcomed and to get to work with such a gifted team at KUIA.”

Prior to her work at the University of Wyoming, Suess held director or instructor positions at English language programs at the University of Utah; University of Miami at IMG Academies; Santa Fe Community College; Audentes International University in Tallinn, Estonia; and Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois. Most recently, Suess was a regional academic services coordinator for Upward Bound at Kansas State University’s Salina campus.

Suess holds a master’s degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and anthropology from the University of Illinois.