UC Davis Global Affairs has awarded two 2026 Peter and Marion London Global Learning Expansion Grants to faculty in the College of Letters and Science.
Global Affairs established these grants two years ago to support faculty in developing or enhancing global learning in their courses. UC Davis faculty can apply for these $3,000 grants after completing the Teaching for Global Learning Program.
“We are excited to support faculty who are finding innovative ways to bring global learning into the classroom,” said Joanna Regulska, vice provost and dean of Global Affairs. “These projects will create meaningful opportunities for students to engage with global perspectives and deepen their understanding of our interconnected world.”
Meet this year’s Letters and Science grant winners:
Associate Professor of Teaching, UC Davis Department of Communication
Heather Hether
Associate Professor of Teaching, Department of Communication
Heather Hether is an award-winning educator and scholar whose courses focus on applied communication contexts, such as public relations and small group communication. Drawing on over a decade of professional experience in marketing and public relations, she brings real-world insight into the classroom to support student learning and professional success. Hether's teaching is grounded in mixed-methods research on strategic communication education, with particular attention to global learning, open pedagogy, and collaboration. She also conducts disciplinary research on public relations campaigns.
Joseph Sorensen
Department Chair of East Asian Languages and Cultures; Associate Professor of Japanese
Joseph Sorensen's research focus is primarily classical and medieval Japanese poetry and poetics. He has a standing interest in the related arts of flower arrangement (ikebana) and the tea ceremony (chanoyu). He is a member of the board of directors for the International Society of Ikebana Studies and annually takes his students to participate in tea lessons as part of his Quarter Abroad program in Kyoto, Japan. He serves as director of the Japan Children’s Home Internship Program, which sends undergraduates to volunteer over summer at orphanage homes throughout Japan. He often runs a study-abroad program in Kyoto, and as a leading member of the UC Davis Global Tea Institute.
Learn more about UC Davis Global Affairs.
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