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13th October 2009 - Valerie Biden Owens, sister of United States Vice President Joe Biden, and her husband Jack Owens vist the Irish American University

On 13th October 2009 Irish American University was honoured to welcome Valerie Biden Owens, sister of United States Vice President Joe Biden, and her husband Jack Owens to its Dublin Campus.

Mrs. Biden Owens and her husband met for coffee with students from the United States taking a Semester Abroad Programme at Irish American University. Mrs. Biden Owens was happy to answer questions from students eager to know just what it’s like to be the Vice President’s sister, and how she had become involved in coordinating her brother’s campaigns. She also talked about her time in Liberia with Women’s Campaign International and how inspiring she had found the women there.

Back Row (Right to Left): Colum Cronin (Director of Student Services and Study Abroad), Cassandra Fortune: Chemeketa Community College, Stephen Shaw: Radford University, Edward Joseph Crowe: St. Vincent’s College, Dr. Rory McEntegart (Academic Dean), Gina Steinhart: Georgian Court University, Chelsea Bowles: James Madison University, Erin Sanders: Corban College
Front Row (Right to Left): Dr. Anna Krift (Director, Center for Global Education and Citizenship), Maria Krupienski: Bowling Green State University, Dr. Donald E. Ross, Valerie Biden Owens, Jack Owens, Misty McGough: Lynn University, Chris Sarafian

Mrs. Biden Owens also met with a group of students from American College Dublin who flew across the Atlantic this summer to study at IAU’s sister campus in Delaware and undertook a four week, general education course on American history, arts, politics, commerce and society. The programme is designed to provide an academic and practical familiarity with American civilization, its historical context, its political and economic functioning and its socio-cultural development.

The students talked to Mrs. Biden Owens about their experiences in her home state of Delaware and their trip to the Whitehouse.

Back Row (from left to right): Zijie Zhong (China), Treasure Oshafi Ezimede (Nigeria), Oluwole Osonubi Sonoiki (Nigeria)
Front Row (from left to right): Jack Owens, Valerie Biden Owens, President Donald E. Ross