May 2017
Layne Vandenberg
BA International Studies (International Security, Norms and Cooperation); BA Spanish; minor, Global Media Studies; Honors ’15
Hometown: Greenville, MI
University of Michigan Affiliations: Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi (Student Vice-President), Michigan in Washington, Sweetland Center for Writing, University of Michigan Residence Staff (Peer Academic Success Specialist), Lloyd Hall Scholars Program, Alice Crocker Lloyd Hall (Council President), Couzens Hall (Hall Council Executive Board)
“International Studies set me on the track to live internationally and incorporate my passion for soccer into my graduate studies. As a Program in International and Comparative Studies student, I first began studying sports diplomacy and soccer through coursework and my Senior Honors Thesis. With the help of a PICS Summer Research Grant, I traveled to Rio de Janeiro to analyze FIFA 2014 World Cup policy. To further pursue this research, I received a Fulbright Research Fellowship to return to Brazil and study the 2016 Olympic Games. The support from PICS developed my interest in focused research projects, and I have carried these interests into my graduate studies. I am currently earning my Master's Degree in International Relations as a Yenching Scholar at Peking University in Beijing, China, focusing on Chinese football development. Thanks to these experiences, I will join the University of Cambridge's Department of Politics and International Studies as a PhD student this upcoming October.”
