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2023 AIEA Leadership Academy for New Senior International Officers

May 1-5, 2023
Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Faculty and Participant Biographies

Faculty

Harvey Charles is currently Professor of International Education at the University at Albany, SUNY. He has served as Senior International Officer at a number of institutions around the US, including Georgia Institute of Technology, Northern Arizona University, San Francisco State University and the University at Albany. Charles has been actively engaged in the field of international education and served as President of the Association of International Education Administrators, the leading association worldwide for university leaders of international higher education. Apart from his deep administrative experience, Charles has published on issues including leadership in international higher education, internationalizing the curriculum and comprehensive internationalization. He serves on a number of boards, frequently consults and gives addresses on international education issues in the US and around the world.

Darla K. Deardorff is AIEA Executive Director and affiliated faculty at Duke and numerous institutions worldwide.  Author/editor of 12+ books and over 70 articles and book chapters, she is regularly invited to speak and consult around the world including the UN and OECD.  Her doctorate is from NC State University.

David L. Di Maria is Associate Vice Provost for International Education at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He is a member of AIEA’s Editorial Committee and a former AIEA Presidential Fellow. Di Maria has also held leadership positions within AIRC, APLU and NAFSA. He regularly, presents, publishes, and consults on key issues pertaining to international education. He earned a doctorate from the University of Minnesota, where his research focused on services for international students.

Cheryl Matherly is Vice President /Vice Provost for International Affairs at Lehigh University and has responsibility for the strategic leadership of the university’s internationalization plan. Matherly is past president of AIEA, and was named by the Institute for International Education as SIO of the Year in 2020. She received two Fulbright grants for international education administrators (Germany/ Japan). Matherly has an Ed.D. in education leadership and culture studies from the University of Houston.


Participants

Sara Berman (she/her) is the Director of TMU GLobal at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is in her sixth year at the university and fourth in this role. Berman comes to the institution after over a decade in international health and development, where she managed impactful international programs with The World Bank, Peace Corps, Global Health Emergency Medicine, the University Health Network and Dignitas International in positions based in Canada, West, East and Southern Africa.
 

Emma Bishop is Partnerships Manager at King’s College London. Working in the Global Engagement team within the Principal’s Office, she is responsible for developing comprehensive partnerships with institutions in the Americas & South Asia. Prior to joining King’s, Bishop spent several years working for the University of Edinburgh’s industry liaison service, Edinburgh Innovations, where she managed collaborations with key industrial partners. Bishop holds a MA (Hons) in French and History from the University of Edinburgh.

James (Jim) Bolender is the Associate Provost for International Affairs, and an Associate Professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of San Diego (USD).  He earned his doctorate at the University of Virginia in Physical Chemistry, and he has been at USD since 1996.  At USD, he has served in a variety of leadership capacities as Chair of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the Director of USD’s Honors Program, and most recently the Chair of the President’s Advisory Committee on COVID Response. Bolender has received numerous awards for his teaching and international work while at USD.  His research work in water quality assessment, remediation, and public health have taken his team of global and local collaborators to remote locations in Mexico, Uganda, and Kenya.
 

Amy Carey is Assistant Vice Provost for International Engagement at the University of Michigan where she leads the Global Engagement Team, works closely with units in advancing multicultural experiences, and facilitates connections with international partners. She has worked in the field of international education for two decades. Carey received a bachelor’s degree in international business and Japanese from Miami University and an MA and EdD in higher education and student affairs from The Ohio State University.
  Andrea Del Balso is the Director of the Office of Global Citizenship, Principal Designated School Official, and Responsible Officer at the University of the South. Since 2007, Del Balso has worked in higher education in both student affairs and international education, primarily at small, private liberal arts universities.She received her bachelor’s in Communication from Mississippi State University, and her M.Ed. from the University of Georgia.
 

Vinitha Gengatharan is a senior leader with over 22 years of experience in the higher education sector.  She currently serves as the Assistant Vice-President, Global Engagement & Partnerships at York University where she is responsible for advancing the University’s global engagement goals, global learning and the experience of international students.  Previously, Gengatharan was at the University of Toronto for 17 years where she held several progressively senior roles and led the university’s international strategy and partnerships. She has extensive experience in engaging in the Asia-Pacific region including building institutional collaborations with institutions, industry and government. Gengatharan is also the co-founder of Tamil Women Rising, a non-profit organization that empowers Tamil women and their allies in advancing their professional success.

 
 

Todd Lee Goen is Director of Global Education and Senior International Officer at Virginia Military Institute. He is active in AIEA, NAFSA, the Forum on Education Abroad, and the World Council on Intercultural and Global Competence. Goen previously held faculty appointments in Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication at Christopher Newport University, Purdue University Fort Wayne, and Clemson University. His most recent publication appears in the Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective.
 

Erin Hillis is the Director of the Buckman Center for International Education at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. She received her PhD in Applied Linguistics from The University of Memphis. As senior international officer, she is responsible for general internationalization and all aspects of international education, including international student services, immigration regulatory compliance, education off-campus, and faculty-led program development. Hillis also teaches a two-course sequence granting a 150 Hour TEFL Certificate. She has presented at national conferences on diversity and LGBTQ+ in international education and international student academic support. Her research interests include LGBTQ+ student issues, underrepresented student populations and study abroad, and linguistic challenges faced by international students. Hillis is a member of the Phi Beta Delta honor society for international scholars.
 

Laila L. Hlass is the Associate Provost for International Affairs at Tulane University. She is a faculty member within the School of Law, where she also co-directs the Immigrant Rights Clinic. Hlass regularly speaks and appears in the news regarding migration, refugees, and immigrant children. Previously, she was a faculty member at Boston University School of Law. Hlass earned her JD from Columbia Law School, and LLM with distinction from Georgetown University Law Center.
 

Kristin Johnson is the Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at the University of Rhode Island. Her prior roles at URI include serving as the Director of the International Studies and Diplomacy Program, Director of the Graduate program in International Relations, and as a professor of Political Science where she served as a faculty member teaching international relations and comparative politics for 15 years. Johnson holds an M.A. in International Studies and doctorate in Political Science from Claremont Graduate University.
 

Nojin Kwak is Professor in the Department of Communication and Vice Provost for International Education at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York (UB). At UB, Kwak oversees international programs and services, including the branch campus in Singapore, and leads global research initiatives, including the Asia Research Institute. Kwak’s research centers on the role of communication media in civic and political engagement. Kwak is a former president of the Korean American Communication Association. Kwak previously served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Michigan, where he was PI of the U.S. Department of Education Title VI East Asia Resource Center and FLAS and Director of the Nam center for Korean studies.
 

Ryan Larsen is Executive Director of the Institute for Global Engagement and Senior International Officer at Western Washington University. He has served as a NAFSA Region Chair, national committee chair, and Academy Coach. Larsen has presented at numerous conferences, has study abroad provider advisory board service, and he holds a Master of Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Public Affairs. Larsen has studied and worked at universities both in the US and abroad.
   Stuart McCook is Assistant Vice-President International at the University of Guelph. He was appointed as the inaugural AVPI in August of 2019, and since then has focussed on developing the role, the university’s Office of International Strategy and Partnerships, and the university’s new Global Engagement Plan. He has previously served as a member of the University’s Board of Governors (2018–2021), and as Associate Dean of the College of Arts (2009–2015). McCook has been a faculty member in the history department since 2003, where he teaches courses in Latin American history, global history, and environmental history.
   Sally Strand Mudiamu is Deputy Executive Director of Global Engagement and Innovation at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. She holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Portland State University and an MA in International History from the London School of Economics, University of London.  In her current role, she oversees institutional partnerships, in-bound international student programs and revenue generating activities. Mudiamu has served as PI on several State Department programs for international faculty and was a Fulbright Specialist in Uzbekistan in 2017. A scholar-practitioner of COIL/Virtual Exchange, Mudiamu writes and presents internationally on the topic. She is also a certified Foresight Practitioner through the Institute for the Future, Palo Alto, CA and is part of a national group that applies foresight to international higher education. 
   Leterah Munnings is Director at the University of The Bahamas - North, where she coordinates the Institutional Partnerships, Leadership and Global Studies department. This is area that concentrates on institutional partnerships and global exchange programs for students, faculty, and staff. Munnings has been employed with the University for over 14 years, and is an Alumna from The College of The Bahamas days with an Associate’s degree in Accounting, 1996. She attended Bethune-Cookman University (formerly College) and gained a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems, 1996. Munnings has interned at Kennedy Space Center. After a few years of work, she pursued a Master’s degree in Instructional Technology: Instructional Media: Systems from the University of Central Florida, 2004. Munnings is currently a doctoral candidate.
   John Peter was appointed Vice Provost and SIO of Marist College in 2023, and previously served as Dean of International Programs since 2009. From the Great Barrier Reef, the forests of Madagascar, the landscapes of Mongolia, the streets of Havana, and the center of Florence, John has loved playing a small but important part in students’ intercultural exploration and personal growth. His journey started in the small city of Jackson in Northern California, where his family hosted several international students, leading to two years in Japan and Zimbabwe as part of his BA from California State University, Sacramento; two MAs from Ohio University; and a PhD from the University of Southern California. At Marist, Peter is charged with developing, nurturing, and championing comprehensive internationalization. Prior to Marist, he enjoyed developing, supporting, and running study abroad programs in Africa, Asia, and elsewhere with the School for International Training (SIT). ln his spare time, Peter enjoys time with his family, kettlebell, movies, cooking, vintage audio, and vegan advocacy.
   William Pruitt is the Associate President of Global Programs at New York University. He has been active in NAFSA and has presented on increasing minority participation and American gun violence effecting international enrollments. Pruitt has previously held administrative positions at Virginia Tech and The University of South Carolina. His most recent publication is, Academic Experiences that Impact the Study Abroad Propensity of College  Students. He holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Virginia Tech.
   Lorien Romito is Senior Director, International Education at Babson College. She oversees education abroad, short-term faculty-led programs and international student and scholar services. Romito previously held positions at Endicott College, Saint Mary’s College of California and Intrax Cultural Exchange.  She holds a Master of Arts in International Education from the SIT Graduate Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Spanish, dual major, from the University of New Hampshire.
   Hans Stockton is Associate Vice President for International Relations & Engagement and Professor of International Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Stockton oversees the Office of International Services & Study Abroad, manages the university’s international strategic plan, partnerships, and works to increase international student enrollment, scholarly and student exchanges, and advancement activities. Some of his prior administrative duties have included serving as dean of the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences & Global Studies (2020 – 2022), director of the Center for International Studies (2010 – 2020), and director of the UST Study Abroad Program (2001 – 2010). Stockton served two terms (2011 and 2019) as the chair of the university’s faculty senate.
   Marta L. Wayne is a professor of Biology, specializing in the evolution & ecology of infectious disease and evolutionary genetics. Wayne’s research has taken her to México to work with a collaborator studying the monarch butterfly migration and to spend a sabbatical with a collaborator in Canada working on infectious disease. Wayne’s international engagement began when, as a postdoc, she participated in a trinational young investigators’ workshop (Germany, Japan, and the US). Later, as President of SMBE, Wayne has worked to broaden geographic representation within the society, including helping to schedule SMBE’s first annual conference in Latin America. Here at UF, she co-developed a new study abroad program, UF in Cusco. She has mentored UF undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs from around the world and has received awards for teaching and mentoring. She is also a fellow of AAAS.
   Emma Woelk is the Director of Global Initiatives at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. She is also the director of the university honors program and an associate professor of German. She has been in the Office of Global Initiatives for one year and is interested in making global programming more accessible and affordable. Woelk holds a doctorate in German Studies from the Caroline-Duke Joint Program in German Studies.