Between 2006 and 2014, I played a central role in strengthening the institutional partnership between Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the University of São Paulo (USP) through a range of instructional, curricular, and cross-cultural initiatives. My primary objective was to establish and sustain a credit-bearing sequence of Brazilian Portuguese language courses at VCU—an effort that combined curriculum development, international staffing, study abroad programming, and technology-enhanced instruction.

Early conversations with leadership from USP’s Centro de Línguas and Comissão de Cooperação Internacional revealed a shared interest in expanding collaboration in language education and intercultural exchange. With support from VCU’s Office of International Education, I proposed the creation of a full Portuguese course sequence and quickly gained momentum among faculty and students. To help promote the new offerings, I mentored a group of students in forming Clube Brasil, a student organization dedicated to celebrating Brazilian culture and language on campus.

In 2008, I secured funding through the VCU International University Partnerships Initiative to invite a visiting instructor from USP to launch the new program. Ms. Eliete Sampaio, a USP graduate specializing in Portuguese as a Second Language, was selected and joined VCU as the lead instructor. I served as her faculty mentor, working closely with her to design and implement the curriculum. We housed the program in the newly renovated World Studies Media Center (WSMC) and emphasized a media-rich, technology-integrated approach to instruction. Enrollment was strong from the start, and the program was quickly renewed for a second year.

To expand global engagement beyond the classroom, Ms. Sampaio and I co-developed a summer study abroad program at USP, combining intensive language instruction in São Paulo with a two-week cultural immersion experience across Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. This initiative offered students a firsthand experience of Brazil’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

Our work also integrated virtual exchange and videoconferencing to connect VCU language students with faculty and peers in Brazil. We coordinated a series of live video lectures with Dr. Zilda Aquino-Gaspar, Professor of Linguistics at USP, who introduced students to Brazilian campus culture, academic life, and linguistic diversity. These sessions not only enriched classroom learning but laid the groundwork for future collaborative teaching models. In recognition of our scholarly collaboration, Dr. Aquino invited me to serve as a peer reviewer for Revista Linha D’Água, USP’s academic journal on language and linguistics.

This period marked a pivotal point in my academic trajectory. In 2009, I attended a Teletandem workshop at Georgetown University and met Dr. João Telles of Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Inspired by our discussion, I contacted him soon after to explore the potential of launching a Portuguese-English Teletandem exchange between VCU and UNESP students. These early conversations directly influenced the direction of my dissertation and contributed to the expansion of virtual exchange across my broader professional portfolio.

Through curriculum innovation, cross-institutional collaboration, and a deep commitment to global learning, my work with USP helped position VCU as a national leader in Portuguese language instruction and international education. This partnership continues to serve as a model for how universities can build sustainable, mutually enriching language programs rooted in authentic cultural exchange.