Photo by Rebecca Arrington

Sundberg open house May 7

U.Va.’s Lorna Sundberg International Center will celebrates its 30th anniversary and its renaming on May 7 from 4-7 p.m. at 21 University Circle.

By Katherine Thompson Jackson

Last fall the Board of Visitors announced the renaming of the International Center in memory of former director Lorna Sundberg, and the establishment of a Sundberg Scholarship to be awarded to “an international student who demonstrates both academic merit and commitment of service to the community in keeping with values that Sundberg cherished.” Sundberg died in 2001 after a battle with cancer.

Following the recognition of the naming, an international student will receive the first Lorna Sundberg Scholarship.

The free, public event will include honoring William B. Quandt, the outgoing vice provost of international affairs, and performances by international students and the Classical Guitar Society.

Colleagues recall that Sundberg, who once lived with her family near Paris, was a welcoming presence for students and visitors coming to the center from around the world. After moving to Charlottesville in 1964 with her husband, chemistry professor Richard Sundberg, she joined the international center in 1981, becoming its administrator in 1983. Her experience with volunteers, including a stint at the Red Cross, and her overseas travels complemented her role.

“She was well-known for her keen ability to assess the interests and talents of students and community volunteers,” said Suzanne Louis, director of the center.
Located in a spacious former residence, the international center is a home-away-from-home for hundreds of U.Va. scholars and students who come from abroad each year to study here.

At present, the center is an integral part of the University’s growing international focus. Since President John T. Casteen III’s 2020 commission on international activities reported in summer 2000, “everyone is interested in things international. This is refreshing to see and exciting to participate in,” Louis said.
Various intercultural programs are offered throughout the year at the center. The anthropology department, for example, hosted a semester-long lecture series this spring.

“‘Encouraging the Other’ resonated with the primary mission of the center — to create and foster opportunities for those of various cultural backgrounds to come together in a place that is safe and supportive,” said Louis.

“There is often a feeling of helplessness as one tries to understand and master the local scene, certainly including language,” said Louis. “We try to appreciate each person for the degree of cultural adjustment he or she has been able to accomplish, and support them to move further along that path, according to their own needs and preferences.”

Louis’ experience has enabled her to understand the importance of support in a foreign land, having moved frequently with her family as a child. And a long association with the University as a scholar and administrator has been useful, too. She earned two master’s degrees from U.Va., in cultural anthropology and history.

The historic home was donated to U.Va. by the family of William M. Thornton, engineering school dean and chairman of the faculty from 1886 to 1896.

It opened as the International Center in 1972 under the direction of founder Lucy Hale.