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Györgyi Mihályi’s Global Impact Bridges Cultures Through Community

For Györgyi Mihályi, Ph.D., the transformative power of international education is more than a professional discipline—it is a lifelong personal narrative. Today, as Director of the Palla Center for International Programs at Cumberland University, Mihályi oversees international student services, global admissions, education abroad, and strategic international partnerships. Yet the roots of her visionary leadership trace directly back to ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ, where her journey as a global educator first began.

Arriving at ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ as an international student from Hungary, Mihályi built an extraordinary academic foundation over a decade on campus. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration, a Master of Education specializing in the internationalization of higher education, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration in 2025. Along the way, she dedicated herself to supporting international scholars and advancing global initiatives across the university.

Her path into international education began almost by accident after a clerical obstacle left her feeling lost. "An administrative mix-up with an off-campus job with the Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority left me on the verge of tears," Mihályi said. "The very next day, I got a call asking if I wanted to work at the front desk answering the phones for the Office of Global Education. It saved the day."

Central to her time at ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ was a deep engagement with the Wick Poetry Center, where she discovered how creative expression can bridge cultural divides. Blending her passion for language and global community, Mihályi developed and led ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ’s Annual World Poetry Reading—an enduring tradition that brings students, faculty, and staff together to share poetry in their native tongues and English. "When we did the first World Poetry Reading, it was a transformational experience," she said. "A Japanese ESL student was struggling with English and nervously introduced his poem, but when he switched to read it in Japanese, he just blossomed into a flower. When we speak our native languages, we have a confidence that comes straight from the heart, and a sharing that brings our whole campus community together."

Mihályi’s scholarship directly reflects her commitment to inclusion. Her doctoral dissertation, When Everything Clicks: Exploring Belonging for International Women in Undergraduate Programs, examined how international women build a sense of home and connection in higher education within the United States. "When I looked for data on female-identifying international students, I could barely find anything," she said. "Women face a distinct pile of challenges—from cultural and religious nuances to everyday belonging. The more I dug, the less I found, so I knew I had to contribute to that research and highlight women’s stories."

Driven by a desire to support these students on a practical level, Mihályi created the nationally recognized F.L.E.E.T. compliance model. She explained that "International students have to navigate complex regulations on top of everything else. I wanted to simplify compliance into five core things—Full-time enrollment, Local address, Emails, Employment, and Travel signatures. Creating the F.L.E.E.T. framework turned confusing legal rules into an accessible tool that students could easily remember and use." Her session on the model won "Best of Region VII" at the NAFSA conference, leading to a featured presentation at the 2026 NAFSA Annual Conference in Orlando.

Reflecting on her legacy as she enters the Hall of Fame, Mihályi hopes her path encourages others to embrace their unique identities. "I never thought I would end up with a doctoral degree, but my professors saw something in me before I did," she said. "My journey shows that even when a path is long and cumbersome, it makes us resilient, courageous, and confident—no matter where you come from or what your accent sounds like."

Through her scholarship, administrative leadership, and unwavering advocacy, Györgyi Mihályi exemplifies the spirit of the College of Education and Human Services. ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ is proud to welcome her into the EHS Hall of Fame Class of 2026.