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Who's Who at the AIEA Secretariat:

Dr. Darla K. Deardorff, Executive Director
Besides being Executive Director of AIEA, Dr. Darla K. Deardorff has held several nationally elected leadership positions within NAFSA. She has worked in the international education field for over ten years and previously held positions at NC State University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Dr. Deardorff teaches cross-cultural courses at Duke University and she has conducted cross-cultural training for universities, companies, and nonprofit organizations for over the past 12 years. She has given invited talks at national and international conferences, including at a recent symposium in Japan and at a seminar in Germany. In addition to presenting at national and international conferences for the past decade, Dr. Deardorff has also served as a consultant on assessment and intercultural competence development to universities and non-profit organizations. Her research interests include assessment, internationalization, intercultural competence and teacher preparation.

Ms. Suman Bhatia, Special Assistant Suman Bhatia has a Masters in History. She brings considerable mangement skills gained from her experience in Durham businesses. Ms. Rohini Thakkar, 2009 AIEA Conference Coordinator   Rohini has a Masters in English literature from India. She has also studied Japanese language and culture in Japan, and has recently completed her Masters of International Studies from NC State. Prior to that, she worked in the corporate sector for over two years as a Japanese Language Specialist. In addition to International Education and intercultural communication, she is passionately involved in Indian Dance, choreography and theatre.