IN MEMORIAM - PROFESSOR JASON A. SCORZA

It was with great sadness that we learned last spring of the passing of Dr. Jason A. Scorza, Vice Provost for Academic and International Affairs and Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Jason was long a close friend and trusted advisor to G-MEO, having served as the representative from FDU as our Principal Partner, and as the Chair of the Academic Steering Committee of our Chengdu American Center for Study Abroad, since the founding of our company by Dr. David Chang in 2011.

Dr. Scorza earned his PhD in Political Philosophy at Princeton University in 1998. After joining FDU in 1999, he became a major force in the university’s many global education programs and various international initiatives, including study abroad programs and global partnerships. Dr. Scorza was the recipient of many fellowships, awards and honors; he was the author of a wide range of books and academic papers; and he developed partnerships between FDU and universities all over the world, including in China, France, Italy, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Korea, Turkey, Nigeria, Mexico, India, Malaysia, Palestine, Belize, and the Republic of Georgia.

As only one example of his many leadership accomplishments, Dr. Scorza served for three years as Secretary General of the International Association of University Presidents, where, among other contributions, he stabilized the organization’s finances by delivering three consecutive surplus budgets, and formalized the organization’s legal status by completing the process of establishing the IAUP as a recognized charity under UK law.

We at G-MEO benefited immensely from the tireless and enthusiastic support that we received from Dr. Scorza over the years. With his advice and guidance, we were able to develop and deliver multiple high-quality academic and internship programs, in partnership with several Chinese and US universities. During the pandemic, he helped us devise a G-MEO - FDU program in Chengdu that provided a semester of credit-bearing courses to Chinese international students who were unable to travel to the US to continue their studies.

Always strongly committed to international education, and uncompromising in his pursuit of academic rigor, Jason touched the lives of countless students and academic colleagues, and left his mark on the many programs he led and advised. We will never forget his razor-sharp sense of humor, his love of spicy Sichuan cuisine, and the deeply personal connection he made with everyone he worked with. This photo of Jason feeding a baby panda bear in Chengdu speaks volumes about his personal warmth and open-heartedness. We will miss him greatly.