JEROME AGPAOA, 2009-2010 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global Ugrad) grantee, will go to Illinois State University (ISU). This was made known during the pre-departure orientation of US-bound scholars held May 14-15 in Manila.

A third-year BS Computer Science student of CAS, Agpaoa will be enrolled in the same program under ISU’s School of Information Technology. His studies abroad, which will last for a year, will commence in August.

A program of the United States Department of State, Global Ugrad provides scholarships to outstanding college students from non-elite, underrepresented sectors in society. It allows for ample opportunity for on-going interaction with US faculty and student peers, and for exposure to US academic and classroom culture.

Founded in 1857, Illinois State University was the first public university in the state and one of the midwest region’s oldest institutions of higher education. Home to one of the world’s tallest residence halls-Watterson Towers,which houses 2,200 students, ISU is a residential university whose emphasis is on undergraduate study.

It is located in the twin-city community of Bloomington-Normal, and is centrally located 137 miles southwest of Chicago and 164 miles northeast of St. Louis. The campus, comprised of 970 acres, includes 61 major buildings.

ISU’s 34 academic departments in six colleges offer 67 undergraduate programs in more than 188 fields of study. As of the fall of 2008, total enrolment was reported as 20,104, with 17,655 undergraduate students and 2,449 graduate students. The student-faculty ratio is 19 to one.