This special newsletter features stories and photos from UCEAP's 50th Anniversarycelebrations in Spain and California in fall 2014.  

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UCEAP and Spain Celebrate 50 Years of ExchangeFaculty, staff & alumni commemorate major milestone

This past year, UCEAP celebrated50 years of study abroadpartnership between UCEAP andSpain. Four days of events wereplanned in Madrid from November5-8, in recognition of this wonderfulmilestone. In addition to adelegation from the UCEAPsystemwide office and UC campusadvisors, over 30 alumni fromUCEAP Spain programs traveled toSpain to join in the festivities, including 7 from the inaugural 1964-65 cohort.

Alumni arrived in Madrid from all over the United States and Europe. Our firstevening was an alumni reunion dinner set in a beautiful stone cave at CapitanAlatriste Tavern. Alumni shared wonderful memories from their time spent in Spain50 years ago along with a menu of local Madrid favorites. Professor StephenSmall, current UCEAP study center director in Spain, joined in the festivities andwarmly welcomed the alumni back to Madrid.

Click here to view photos from all of the events in Madrid. 

Recepción de Bienvenida Complutense University of Madrid Welcome

The second day started with a formalwelcome and reception from ViceRector Andrés Arias, and included anemotional speech from the USembassy representative Emilia Puma.Former Vice Rector Carlos Seoane,UCEAP Executive Director Jean-Xavier Guinard, and Professor Smallalso spoke in recognition of our 50years of partnership.   After thereception, alumni and staff weretreated to a memorable tour of thecampus, guided by UCM Professor Carolina Rodríguez López.  The Ruta deComplutense and a visit to the Facultad de FilosofÍa y Letras was the highlight of the tripfor many of our Spain alumni.  That evening we enjoyed a lively flamenco show at Café deChinitas.  

Complutense & California in the 1960’sAcademic Forum at Complutense University of Madrid

The next day started with anacademic forum held on the UCMcampus. The panelists includedUCLA Professor Maite Zubiaurre,Professor and Director of Programsfor International Students at theUniversidad InternacionalMenéndez Pelayo MontanaCamara, Complutense  ProfessorLuis Enrique Otero Carvajal andUC Berkeley Professor StephenSmall. Topics covered US-Spain/Complutense-UC relations during the 1960s as compared to today andincluded conversations about literature, UC graduate research exchange, andSpanish history. Many students from our current Spain programs joined this event.

A Tour of Quesos y Arte EspañolesEnjoying delicious Spanish cuisine and art in Madrid

Following the academic forum,alumni and staff enjoyed a fabulouscheese tasting and lunchat Poncelet where we learnedabout the different types of Spanishcheeses throughout history andwere treated to both classic andnew cheeses from Galicia, CanaryIslands, Balearic Islands and Leon.Filled with great cheese, wine andconversation, we traveled a shortdistance to the Museo Nacional delPrado where we enjoyed a private tour by Alejandro Vergara, senior curator ofFlemish and Northern European paintings. Alejandro provided us with an insider’sview of the collection filled with history, knowledge and experience, a truly uniqueway to visit this magnificent museum.  

50th Anniversary Celebration GalaA chance to reconnect, celebrate, and recognize achievements

Our celebration culminated in a spectacular dinner celebration at Jai Alairestaurant. In honor of our 50 years of partnership with Spain, UCEAP wasdelighted to host an evening of celebration and remembrance. Over 150 alumni,friends, staff and campus officials attended. Traditional Spanish appetizers startedthe event, including an Iberico ham carving station. Current UCEAP student JuanJosé Aranda shared his inspirational story of transformation from a first generationLatino community college student to UCSB student in Madrid. A lively performanceby the talented Spanish Operetta singer Lorenzo Moncloa and his group provideda wonderful backdrop to an enjoyable evening. While the event was filled withstories of the excitement of studying in Spain in the 1960's, it was also anemotional tribute to a long time UCEAP staff member, Carmen Usobiaga.  

A Tribute to Carmen UsobiagaMore than 40 years of dedicated service  For over forty five years, Carmen Usobiaga was theheart and soul of our study abroad program in Spain.She had been with UCEAP since 1964, the year theprogram opened. It is impossible to count the number oflives she touched over the years. Students, faculty andstaff all benefited from her knowledge, expertise,patience and friendship. With exemplary dedication toour program, Carmen was generous with her time andmade a significant impact on everyone who arrived inMadrid. She worked with efficiency, elegance andprofessionalism. Carmen passed away in 2011, but herlegacy will be felt for years to come. On the occasion ofthe 20th anniversary of UCEAP, founding director BillAllaway wrote to Carmen, "UCEAP could never have been the success it has beenwithout the loyal support of persons like you who helped us found the programthere in Madrid, and have continued to share your understanding of Spain and theSpaniards with succeeding generations of California students."

Carmen was loving and patient with students, friendly and efficient withadministrators, an unconditional partner with teachers, professional with all of us,and always ready to help. She is deeply missed by all. To read more aboutCarmen's legacy and to record your own memories of Carmen on ourcommemorative blog, click here.

In recognition of Carmen’s significant contribution to our program, UCEAP isexcited to announce the Carmen Usobiaga Scholarship Fund, an endowedscholarship that will support UCEAP students of exceptional merit and characterstudying in Spain. We would like to thank all of you who have already committed tosupporting this new scholarship fund. To help create a lasting legacy for Carmen,donate online at https://alumni.eap.ucop.edu/carmen or mail your check (payableto UC Regents) to:

Development OfficeUCEAP Carmen Usobiaga Scholarship Fund6950 Hollister Avenue, Suite 200Goleta, CA 93117 Thank you! Your gift makes a difference in the lives of students. All gifts to the UCRegents are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. For questions about givingto UCEAP, contact 805-893-4233.

50th Anniversary Celebration in Southern California Event held at UC Irvine for alumni and friends

In addition to our events in Madrid,this past September, UCEAPcelebrated the 50th Anniversarywith an event at UC Irvine. Over125 UCEAP alumni and friendswere there to join in the festivities,featuring traditional Spanish curedsausages, chorizos and ham, andSpanish classical guitar music. Tenalumni from our original 1964-65class were with us to commemoratethis wonderful milestone.

Janet Yoshida Kessler and Theresa Elva Jordan Mathiesen met as students inMadrid and have stayed in touch these past 50 years. 

Thank you to all of our Spain alumni who shared photos and memories from theiryear abroad. Your stories are filled with emotion and a growing self-confidence.The transformational value of study abroad is apparent in your continuedunderstanding of global perspectives and foreign cultures.   

To see more pictures from the Irvine event, click here.

UCEAP California Staff Visit CórdobaUC staff connect with students and study center

Taking advantage of the festivities inMadrid, a team of UCEAP staffvisited our partner institutions inMadrid, Córdoba and Granada todeepen our knowledge of andrelations with our counterpartsabroad, and to hear what ourstudents have to say about theprograms.

Prior to visiting the Complutense andCarlos III Universities in Madrid, webegan our site visit in Córdoba. Thesite visit team (pictured right) discussed the Language and Culture Program hostedby the University of Córdoba with (clockwise from far left) Inma Carmona (ProgramCoordinator), Stephen Small (Study Center Director), Danilo Bonilla (UCLA), Karen

Mead (Systemwide), Monica Reynolds (Systemwide), Louise Hon (UCB), WillaineCabal (UCSB), and Monica Rocha (Systemwide). Other opportunities forconversation were presented by the formal welcome from the University ofCórdoba and a meeting with all of the current UCEAP students. The site visitorswere treated to several typical Andalusian meals and a tour of the old city includingthe Mezquita.

Agreement Renewal with the University of GranadaRecognizing UCEAP and UGR's important partnership The site visit team also spent twodays in Granada, and met withprogram staff, partneradministrators, and all the UCEAPstudents. A highlight of the visitfeatured the signing of theagreement with the University ofGranada, by UCEAP AssociateVice Provost and ExecutiveDirector Jean-Xavier Guinard andUGR Rector Francisco GonzálezLodeiro. Senior Program Administrator Inmaculada Manrique and AcademicLiaison Daniel Madrid coordinated discussions with the UCEAP students, StudyCenter Director Stephen Small and the site visit team, along with visits to the StudyCenter offices and sightseeing throughout the Alhambra and the Albaicín. 

Thank you to the UCEAP Madrid Study Center Staff!

The successful series of events would not have beenpossible without the tireless dedication and hard workof our UCEAP Madrid Study Center team. Muchasgracias to Prof. Stephen Small, Rocio Navas andPaula Ortega. 

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