AMER F. AHMED Keynote Speaker Dr. Amer F. Ahmed (he/him/his) is the University of Vermont’s Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. A nationally recognized DEI practitioner and thought leader, Dr. Ahmed leverages diverse identities, experiences, and theoretical perspectives to advance inclusive excellence and build capacity throughout institutions.
Modeling the principles of inclusion, Dr. Ahmed uses a collaborative approach to lead strategic initiatives and foster a culture of belonging. Dr. Ahmed has held faculty appointments and leadership roles at institutions including the University of Massachusetts and the University of Michigan, and he is a distinguished consultative resource for organizations across North America.
FERNANDO M. REIMERS Keynote Speaker Fernando Reimers is the Ford Foundation Professor of the Practice of International Education and Director of the Global Education Innovation Initiative at Harvard University. An expert in the field of Global Education, his research and teaching focus on understanding how to educate children and youth so they can thrive in the 21st century. He was a member of UNESCOs Commission on the Futures of Education which wrote the report ‘Reimagining Our Futures Together. A New Social Contract for Education’. He has developed curriculum aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which is in use in many schools throughout the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic he led numerous comparative studies examining the educational consequences of the pandemic and identifying options to sustain educational opportunity and to build back better.
In the graduate courses he teaches at Harvard on education policy and educational innovation he has developed signature approaches to engage students to contribute solutions to challenging education issues. Most recently, these approaches have included the design of strategies to sustain educational opportunity during the pandemic, and developing country specific strategies to improve education aligned with UNESCO’s Futures of Education Report.
His current work focuses on educational innovation and on the impact of education policy, leadership, and teacher professional development on education that supports the holistic development of children and youth. He directs the Global Education Innovation Initiative, a cross-country research and practice collaborative focusing on education for the 21st century. He has written or edited 45 books, of which the most recent include: a comparative study of how we can use lessons from large scale education reform (Education to Build Back Better), a comparative study on the educational impact of COVID-19 (Primary and Secondary Education during COVID-19), and a comparative study of the way in which universities in 20 countries partnered with schools to sustain educational opportunity during the Pandemic (University and School collaborations during a pandemic). As part of his commitment to advancing educational opportunity, he serves on multiple advisory boards and committees at Harvard, particularly focused in advancing the global mission of the University and enhancing the effectiveness of the university’s programs to address climate change. He has served on the Harvard faculty since 1998. Previous to that he worked at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, the Harvard Institute for International Development and the World Bank.
Presidents Keynote Panel: Why the Internationalization of Higher Education Still Matters
Carolyn J. Stefanco is a former university president and founder and CEO of Baret Leadership Consulting. She is active in AIEA, serves on the boards of many professional associations and organizations, and speaks and writes regularly about global engagement and women’s leadership. Stefanco previously held positions as faculty, dean, and vice president, and she has a long history of engagement with universities around the world. Stefanco earned a Ph.D. in history from Duke University.
Ahmed Bawa, a theoretical physicist, currently holds the position of Chief Executive Officer of Universities South Africa (USAf). In this capacity, he is a member of the Board of Directors of USAf – the representative association of all 26 public universities of South Africa. Until April 2016, Professor Bawa was Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Durban University of Technology. From 2012-2013 he was chair of Higher Education South Africa (HESA) which became USAf in July 2015.
Leocadia I. Zak is president of Agnes Scott College, recognized as the #1 most innovative liberal arts college in the United States. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Northeastern University School of Law, she was previously director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and a partner in the Boston law firm Mintz Levin.
Global Summit Session Speakers
Maria Anastasiou serves as Associate Provost for International Programs at UNC Greensboro. Maria works closely with multiple campus constituents to enhance comprehensive internationalization. Maria served in similar positions at Appalachian State University, University of South Carolina in Aiken, and Frederick University in Cyprus. Maria received her BA in Economics and International Studies from the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill and her MA and Ph.D. in International Studies from the University of South Carolina.
Sherif Barsoum is Associate Vice President for Global Services and adjunct faculty at New York University. He previously held administrative positions at Ohio State University and Vanderbilt University. He is active in both NAFSA and AIEA and presents frequently on issues related to immigration regulatory matters. Barsoum holds a masters degree in Higher Education Administration from the Ohio State University and completed doctoral work in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Alabama.
Darla K. Deardorff is executive director of AIEA and holds affiliated faculty positions at numerous institutions in different countries. Author/editor of 10 books and over 60 articles and book chapters on intercultural competence, internationalization, and global leadership, she is regularly invited to speak around the world on the above topics. Founder of ICC Global and the World Council on ICC, Deardorff is an advisor to the United Nations, the OECD, and other international organizations.
Hans de Wit is Distinguished Fellow and past Director of the Center for International Higher Education, Boston College. He is Senior Fellow of the International Association of Universities. In 2021, he received the Noam Chomsky North Star Life Time Achievement Award (STAR Scholars) and in 2019 the Charles Klasek Award (AIEA). He is founding member and past-president of the European Association for International Education, and Founding Editor of the Journal of Studies in International Education. He is an active publisher and consultant on internationalization in higher education.
Jennifer Evanuik is the Executive Director of Global Engagement at Central Michigan University, overseeing study abroad, international student and scholar services, and international partnerships. She has previously worked at Georgia Tech and Davidson College and is active in AIEA, NAFSA, and Forum on Education Abroad. In 2014, Evanuik participated in the Fulbright International Education Administrator Seminar in Korea. Evanuik holds a B.S. in French from Penn State and an M.Ed. from the University of Pittsburgh.
Julie Ficarra is an Associate Professor of the Practice in Global Development at Cornell University, where she directs Globally Engaged Learning. Her scholarship focuses on decolonizing higher education partnerships and the impact of education abroad programs on host communities. She has worked in international education administration at several universities and was a Cox Fellow in the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and in the U.S. Embassy in eSwatini.
Michelle Harris is a Professor in the Department of Africana Studies at the University at Albany (SUNY). She also directs the Institute for Global Indigeneity. Harris research has focused on the social determinants of health, the mental health consequences of social inequalities, and on the politics of indigenous identity. Harris earned her B.A. & M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of South Florida and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Michigan.
Richard Harvey is the Associate-Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Professor at the University of East Anglia (UEA), UK. He has worked in internationalization for most of his academic career and is currently the longest serving Council Member of UCAS which is the UK’s national Admission Service. UEA has provided more scientists to the IPCC than any other organization so there is strong pressure to be sustainable. This year he has been trying to minimize his air travel.
Anne-Karen Hueske is Post Doc in Social Entrepreneurship Education at Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Denmark. She researches sustainability implementation and assessment in business and society. Her research on higher education institutions encompasses indicators for sustainability assessment, the UN PRME implementation at CBS, social entrepreneurship competences, and drivers and barriers for sustainable operations. In 2019 she was awarded by the Responsible Management Research Conference for traveling the longest distance with the lowest carbon footprint.
Sonja Knutson currently has a university-wide mandate to implement the Strategic Internationalization Plan at Memorial University. She enjoys participating in international conferences, learning and sharing best practice in international education. Her current role encompasses the full spectrum of campus internationalization: enrollment management, academic development and success, pastoral care, budget development and income generation, community engagement/support, and external relations from the local to the international level. Knutson’s research examines the internationalization leadership role in post-secondary education.
Giorgio Marinoni is Manager of Higher Education and Internationalization at the International Association of Universities (IAU). He oversees Internationalization as one of the four IAU strategic priorities. He is also the coordinator of the Network of International Education Associations, NIEA. He published the report of the 5th Global Survey on Internationalization of Higher Education and recently of the 1st and 2nd Global Surveys on the impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education.
Stephen D. McDowell serves as Assistant Provost for International Initiatives at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, and as Interim Dean in the College of Communication and Information in 2021-2022. He is John H. Phipps Professor in the School of Communication at Florida State University, and was Director of the School of Communication at FSU from 2002-2013.
Natalia Mirovitskaya is Professor of the Practice at Duke University with focus on political economy of development and peacebuilding. Mirovitskaya’s experience displays an interdisciplinary approach linking theoretical advances with practical policy advice. She has led numerous projects on environmental security, sustainable development and conflict prevention. She has directed masters’ projects for fellows from over sixty countries, worked on executive education training of senior government officials and provided consultancies on security and sustainable development issues.
Chrystal A. George Mwangi is an Associate Professor of Higher Education at George Mason University. Her scholarship centers on 1) structures of opportunity and barriers impacting how students access and navigate college 2) higher education internationalization and (in)equity and 3) African and African Diaspora populations in higher education. Mwangi was a recipient of NAFSA’s Innovative Research in International Education award and is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.
Matthew Pucciarelli serves as the Associate Provost of Global Programs at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. He oversees the University’s campuses outside the U.S., international student recruitment, international student and scholar services, study abroad, intensive English programs, virtual exchange, and visiting student offerings. He also works with colleagues throughout St. John’s to administer comprehensive internationalization efforts. Pucciarelli received an Ed.M. from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in English from St. John’s University.
Graeme Robertson is a Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Director of the Center for Slavic, Eurasian and East European Studies. His work focuses on political protest and regime support in authoritarian regimes.
Janaka Ruwanpura is the University of Calgary’s (UCalgary) vice provost and associate vice president research (international). He is also the executive chair of the Commission of International Initiatives of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). He holds degrees from the University of Moratuwa (Sri Lanka), Arizona State University, and the University of Alberta. Ruwanpura leadership brought transformative growth to enhance the global reputation for UC and get recognized with internationalization awards from APLU, AIEA, and other organizations.
Kalpen Trivedi is Vice Provost for Global Affairs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he leads campus-wide initiatives for global engagement and directs the International Programs Office. He is a regular contributor on topics related to international education leadership, global operations, and risk management in various fora. Recognized as a Presidential Fellow (2019-20), Trivedi is a member of AIEA’s Professional Development & Engagement committee and 2022 Chair-Elect for NAFSA’s International Education Leadership Knowledge Community.
CJ Tremblay is the Founder and Managing Director at Alethea Global Cooperative. She wants to see this industry meet the moment in support of the students it serves. She received her Global Executive MBA from Georgetown University in 2018 and has since completed several training programs in Sustainability and Climate Action. In July 2020 CJ was trained as a Climate Reality Leader by former Vice President Al Gore and serves as the Vice President of the board of CANIE.
Jewell Green Winn serves Tennessee State University as Senior International Officer, Exec Dir for Int'l Affairs, Chief Diversity Officer, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Administration. She serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), Tennessee Diversity Consortium and Alignment Nashville. She is a graduate of Leadership Nashville, the Maxine Smith Fellows Program, the Middle Tennessee Leadership Development Program, the Millennium Leadership Institute, the American Council on Education's Spectrum Executive Leadership Program and the Senior International Officer's Institute. She is current president of AIEA.
Megan Zacher is a Master’s student in Sustainable Development at SIT Graduate Institute. Her capstone research focuses on the perception, negotiation, and implementation of sustainability initiatives across the study abroad sector. Through this research, she hopes to generate a better understanding of the diversity of perspectives on sustainability in the environmental, economic, and social senses in order to better equip the field to navigate the complexities of the issue in a regenerative and positively impactful way.
