Secretariat

AIEA Secretariat

Dr. Darla K. Deardorff
Executive Director
Darla K. Deardorff is Executive Director of AIEA, Founding President of the World Council on Intercultural and Global Competence, a research scholar at Duke University's Social Science Research Institute, and holds faculty positions at universities in several countries, including as UNESCO Chair of Intercultural Competences at Stellenbosch University (South Africa), Durban University of Technology and Nelson Mandela University (South Africa), Meiji University (Japan), Shanghai International Studies University (China), and York University (Canada). She has served on the faculty of Harvard University's Global Education Think Tank, Harvard's Future of Learning Institute, and the Summer Institute of Intercultural Communication in Portland, OR and is adjunct faculty at several institutions. Author/editor of 12+ books and over 70 book chapters and articles, she received her master’s and doctorate degrees from North Carolina State University.

Katy Rosenbaum
Associate Director
Katy Rosenbaum is Associate Director at AIEA. Katy holds a Master in International Studies with a focus on international higher education from North Carolina State University and an undergraduate degree in history from Agnes Scott College. Katy has been with AIEA since 2013. She spent over four years in Morocco, first as a rural health education Peace Corps volunteer and then creating and facilitating short-term study abroad programs as Project Manager at Morocco Exchange, in addition to holding previous positions in public health community outreach. She is passionate about social justice issues, the ethics of internationalization, and decolonizing higher education.

Mel Simmons
Assistant Director, Programs
Mel Simmons is the Assistant Director for Programs at AIEA. She has an extensive background working in international education both in the United States and abroad. She has worked in international higher education in China for eight years, where she coordinated international programs and taught Business English. Mel has conversational proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. For many years, she has served as a global volunteer traveling throughout Africa and Asia facilitating intercultural learning and promoting cross-cultural awareness. She devotes her expertise in literacy to non-profit youth organizations supporting children in the areas of reading and writing. Mel received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of South Carolina, Columbia.

Leydi Lucas
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Leydi Lucas is the Communication and Outreach Coordinator at AIEA. She has worked in lower education for several years in different capacities, including administrative assistance and teaching.

As an immigrant and native Spanish speaker, Leydi brings a valuable linguistic and cultural perspective to the organization. She holds a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Arizona Global Campus and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Adult Education and Community College Teaching from North Carolina State University, Leydi is dedicated to expanding her knowledge and skills to better serve the educational community and promoting inclusive and accessible education.

Jensine Lee
Administrative Assistant
Jensine Lee is the Administrative Assistant at AIEA. Jensine studied Psychology and Political Science at North Carolina State University and received her Master in Industrial Organizational Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP). She is passionate about employee engagement, training and development, and creating a positive environment inside and outside of the workplace.