Robin Catmur-Smith believes that the University of Georgia is a premier destination for higher education.
As director of immigration services in the Office of Global Engagement, she’s making sure that the best scholars, educators and researchers from around the globe reach that destination and make their mark at UGA.
“People can move money and capital between countries quite easily, but they can’t move their own labor and their own bodies easily,” she said. “I became very concerned with helping people move across those boundaries, and I think doing it in academia definitely has value.”
Catmur-Smith has been in academic immigration work for almost 30 years—that’s the subset of visas and sponsorships that allow people to come to the United States to conduct research, teach, study, complete internships and more through an academic lens. After doing similar work at other institutions, including Dartmouth College, she was recruited to UGA and fell in love with Athens. She immediately noticed the university’s dedication to its students and has been here for 14 years.
“I get to work with great people—administrators and faculty—and also with incredible students from around the world,” she said. “It’s a really dynamic, interesting place. I am also incredibly lucky to work with an amazing team of advisors—all committed to and skilled in this field.”