POTSDAM -- A faculty member and student from SUNY Potsdam's international studies program were recently honored with the inaugural Community Advocacy Awards from Soliya, an international non-profit that empowers young people to engage with difference constructively. Dr. Michael J. Popovic, an instructor and coordinator of the college's international studies program, and Ramatu "Rama" Muhammed, a sophomore from the Bronx, were chosen from among hundreds of college faculty and students in Soliya's virtual cultural exchange programs each year.

Founded in 2003, Soliya leverages digital technologies to bring together more than 4,000 young people domestically and abroad annually, through online, high-impact roundtable conversations. The organization is built upon the core tenet that everyone's story is worthy of being told -- and heard.

Each semester, Popovic uses the Soliya Connect platform to unite his undergraduates with other young people from 60 countries across Europe, North America, the Middle East and North Africa. The weekly face-to-face meetings take place through Soliya's web conferencing platform, allowing students to engage in dialogue with peers thousands of miles away.