08/13/2026
💙 Congratulations to International Vice President Renata Forste on her recent retirement! 💙
After 31 years of service, Renata has retired from BYU. During her time at the university, she served as Faculty Coordinator for the Latin American Studies program, as the Director of the Kennedy Center, and most recently, as International Vice President.
Over the years, she provided crucial support for the Global Opportunity Scholarship which provides funding for students to have their first academic experience abroad, she was instrumental in bringing the Women’s Studies program over to the Kennedy Center (now known as Global Women's Studies), and she was deeply involved in the acquisition of 31 Palace Court, the companion property to the BYU London Centre which houses faculty and student interns in the area.
Additionally, she organized the Latin American Initiative, which gave a place and funding to faculty from different disciplines to collaborate on important projects relating to the region, and she championed the expansion of International Education Week across BYU campus.
Her vision and leadership have helped create opportunities for students to learn and serve, both on campus and throughout the world.
We’re so grateful for the tremendous impact she has made at the Kennedy Center and in the BYU community at large, and we’re excited for the next chapter of her life—serving a mission with her husband for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand!
We love you Renata! 🫶🏼🌏️✨
