2017 WISE Conference
See highlights from WISE 2017 here.
Presentations & Schedule
Access the WISE 2017 Conference Program (pdf) to view the schedule, content, speakers, and more from this year’s meeting. WISE welcomed scholars from various universities and colleges for a dynamic meeting filled with motivational speakers, education sessions, workshops, and numerous networking opportunities. The 2017 conference offered the most concurrent sessions ever held at a WISE conference to date. Visit our Flickr album to view pictures of our event!
2017 WISE Registrant List Alpha by Last Name
2017 WISE Registrant List Alpha by Institution
Keynote, Schedules, Presentation Materials and Speaker Biographies:
Ethnography Methods with In-Bound Students
Facilitator: Steve Folmar, Ph.D.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
This session focuses on the practical application of ethnographic methods to address intercultural issues with in-bound students. Participants will workshop the following key competencies crucial for enhancing the educational experiences of inbound and non-traditional students: identifying critical spaces in which issues arise, the types of issues, strategies for uncovering and dealing with issues, including identifying how culture contributes to how we see intercultural issues. Participants will practice/workshop the following skills: reflective observation and journaling; objective observation and journaling; identifying bias; open-ended interviewing; using appropriate follow-up questions; active listening; practical analysis. Vivid, real life examples from ethnographic methods class (undergraduate) will serve to illustrate some points. Participants are encouraged to engage deeply and genuinely, to ask questions, to comment and to participate in structured activities. Handouts of valuable resources and of outlines of key concepts will be provided.
Micro-Practices to Enhance Intercultural Competencies
Facilitator: Adriana Medina-López-Portillo, Ph.D.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
This practical session addresses key competencies crucial for a successful study abroad experience. The competencies are description, observation, separating description from judgment, the ability to ask questions, flexibility, adaptation, keeping an open mind, engaging ambiguity, and being comfortable with discomfort. Participants will experience a micro-practice for each competency and will debrief using tools from Personal Leadership. During the workshop, situations will be created so that the participants practice what they are learning and receive immediate feedback. A segment of the workshop will be devoted to discussing how to facilitate and develop micro-practices to enhance intercultural competencies. This workshop is highly experiential. Full and authentic participation from participants is expected. The workshop brings to a practical level what can be abstract and lofty concepts. Handouts will be provided.
Transformative Learning and Teaching I and II
Mick Vande Berg and Tara Harvey will facilitate two related though separate workshops grounded in a common framework for intercultural learning and teaching. Both workshops are designed to allow participants to help students and themselves learn to interact more effectively and appropriately with culturally different others through developing four core intercultural competencies:
- Increase awareness of our own characteristic ways of making meaning and acting in familiar and unfamiliar contexts;
- Increase awareness of others’ ways of making meaning and acting in familiar and unfamiliar contexts;
- Manage our emotions and thoughts in contexts that disorient & challenge us;
- Bridge cultural gaps in those contexts: shift perspective, attune emotions and adapt our behavior in effective and appropriate ways.
Each workshop will guide faculty & staff beyond traditional intercultural training approaches that aim to transform students merely through teaching them about, and immersing them in, “cultural differences.” Participants in both workshops will take away a set of processes and practices they can apply to their own intercultural learning and teaching.
Transformative Learning and Teaching I
Facilitator: Tara Harvey, Ph.D
Wednesday, February 8, 2017, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tara’s workshop will focus largely on learning about and practicing the first two phases of this framework for developing core intercultural competencies. Faculty and staff who are relatively new to intercultural education are encouraged to attend this first workshop.
Transformative Learning and Teaching II
Facilitator: Mick Vande Berg, Ph.D
Wednesday, February 8, 2017, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Mick’s workshop will focus largely on learning about and practicing the framework’s third and fourth phases. Participants who attended last year’s workshop or who have relatively more intercultural teaching and training experience are encouraged to attend this second workshop.
Keynote | 9:00 – 10:15 am
Embedding Diversity and Inclusive Practices into Study Abroad and Experiential Learning
Amer Ahmed, Ed.D., Director of Intercultural Teaching and Faculty Development, University of Massachusetts – Amherst
Concurrent Sessions, 10:45 am – 12:00 pm
Gaining Evidence of the Impact of International Education through Assessment of Intercultural Competence
Lead Presenter: Joyce Osland, San Jose State University
Co-Presenters: Christopher Hightower, Texas Christian University; Martha Petrone, Miami University of Ohio
Studying Abroad at Home: A Model of Domestic Student Acclimation in Highly International Programs
Lead Presenter: Bridget Fletcher, Duke University
Co-Presenter: Lorelle Babwah, Duke University Pratt School of Engineering
The Language of Resilience and the Practice of an Emotional Passport in Study Abroad
Lead Presenter: Janice Abarbanel, Consultant Psychologist and Health Educator
Racial Consciousness in Global Education
Lead Presenter: Prudence Layne, Elon University
What Makes International Internships Effective?
Lead Presenter: Catherine MacDermott, St. Edward’s University
Intercultural Learning Strategies for the 21st Century: Revitalizing a Long-standing Study Abroad Immersion Program through Active Pedagogy and Action Research
Lead Presenter: Davydd Greenwood, Cornell University
Co-Presenters: Juan Muñoz, CASA-Seville Program; Marina Markot, Cornell University
Greenwood (PDF) | Greenwood (JPG)
Concurrent Sessions, 1:30 – 2:45 pm
Turning Resistance into Engagement: Training Design for Transformative Learning
Lead Presenter: Janet Bennett, Intercultural Communication Institute
Efforts to Enhance Intercultural Competence Among First-Year Students
Lead Presenter: Nelson Brunsting, Wake Forest University
Co-Presenter: Elizabeth Coder, Elon University
Going with the Flow: Teaching Students to Be Adaptable and Resilient When Abroad
Lead Presenter: Heather Hayton, Guilford College
Co-Presenter: Jeremy Rinker, University of North Carolina-Greensboro
Theory in Action: Study Abroad Program Design for Intercultural Competence Development
Lead Presenter: Janelle Peifer, Agnes Scott College
Co-Presenter: Elaine Meyer-Lee, Agnes Scott College
Language Matters: Even in Non-Language Study Abroad Programs
Lead Presenter: Rebecca Thomas, Wake Forest University
Concurrent Sessions, 3:15 – 4:30 pm
From Enclosure to Emergence: Assessing International Student Identity Development
Lead Presenter: Melody Reichoff, Widener University
Incentivizing Faculty-led Study Abroad and Intercultural Learning Outcomes: A Grant Program Model
Lead Presenter: Michael Brzezinski, Purdue University
Co-Presenter: Kris Acheson-Clair, Purdue University; Robert Cox, Purdue University
Mindfulness & Intercultural Learning from the Inside Out
Lead Presenter: Tara Harvey, True North Intercultural
Co-Presenter: Catherine Menyhart, CIEE
Global Citizenship, the Black Student, and Campus-Wide Strategies for Enhancing Global Learning Participation
Lead Presenter: Jenaya Perdue, Western Kentucky University
Sports, Academics and Intercultural Learning: Study Abroad Classes for University Athletic Teams
Lead Presenter: Mark Cryan, Elon University
Co-Presenter: Carol Smith, Elon University
Faculty-led Education Abroad in the Context of a Major Global Event: Intercultural Learning at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Lead Presenter: Angie Edwards, Queens University of Charlotte
Co-Presenters: Bob Page, Queens University of Charlotte; Joe Cornelius, Queens University of Charlotte
Concurrent Sessions, 9:00 – 10:15 am
Employability of our Students: The Ultimate Outcome of International Education
Lead Presenter: Joyce Osland, San Jose State University
Time is of the Essence: Embedding Intercultural Learning in Short-Term and Faculty-Led Programs
Lead Presenter: Elsa Maxwell, CIEE
Co-Presenter: Sean McIntyre, CIEE Brazil
The Role of Social Media Expectations in Study Abroad: Meet Them Where They Are!
Lead Presenter: Claire Ziamandanis, The College of Saint Rose
Co-Presenter: Andrea Haynes
Forward Thinking Using Backward Design: Seven Steps to Designing Effective Intercultural Learning Curricula
Lead Presenter: Tara Harvey, True North Intercultural
Making Connections: Linking the Distinct Value of Intercultural Learning and Global Understanding to Student Experiential Outcomes
Lead Presenter: Elizabeth Fain, Winston-Salem State University
Co-Presenter: Allison Calhoun, Winston-Salem State University
Intercultural Competence for a Sustainable Planet: Principles, Practice and Outcomes
Lead Presenter: Scott Blair, The EDUCATION ABROAD Network
Co-Presenter: Craig Shealy, James Madison University
Concurrent Sessions, 10:45 am – 12:00 pm
Head, Heart, and Hands: Experiential Learning to Facilitate Intercultural Development
Lead Presenter: Lauren Moloney-Egnatios, UC-Berkeley
Co-Presenter: Jason Patent, UC-Berkeley
Developing Intercultural Competency Using A.S.K.S2 PLUS as Formative Assessment
Lead Presenter: Charles Calahan, Purdue University
Co-Presenter: Horane Holgate, Purdue University
Calahan Presentation (PDF) | Calahan Assessment Handouts (PDF) | Calahan Intercultural Handouts (PDF)
Learning Through Service: How Service Learning Influences Intercultural Learning and Cultural Competency
Lead Presenter: Evan Small, Elon University
Co-Presenter: Elizabeth Coder, Elon University
Making Connections: Linking the Distinct Value of Intercultural Lessons Learned – Five years of Susquehanna University Global Opportunities Requirement
Lead Presenter: Scott Manning, Susquehanna University
Co-Presenters: David Imhoof, Susquehanna University; Christina Dinges, Susquehanna University
Bridging the Power Divide: Building Solidarity Across Difference
Lead Presenter: Julianna Gwiszcz, Arizona State University
Learning Exchange: Students Developing Cultural Competence through Teaching Others
Lead Presenter: Amy Wallis, Wake Forest University
Concurrent Sessions, 1:30 – 2:45 pm
Worth the Investment? Liberal Arts Faculty Self-Assess the Transformative Impact of Leading Study-Abroad
Lead Presenter: Prudence Layne, Elon University
Co-Presenter: Sarah Glasco, Elon University
Caught Off-Guard: Role Plays for Challenging Discussions
Lead Presenter: Andrew Smith, Wake Forest University
Mentoring for International Student Support
Lead Presenter: Ananda Mitra, Wake Forest University
Developing Cultural Awareness through International Teaching Experiences
Lead Presenter: Michael Putman, University of North Carolina-Charlotte
Co-Presenter: Erik Byker, University of North Carolina-Charlotte
Storytelling and Role Playing Toward Intercultural Competence
Lead Presenter: Melina Draper, Cornell University
Janice Abarbanel, Ph.D. served for 3-½ years as NYU Berlin’s on-site psychologist and health educator. Her interest lies in the interface between studying abroad, the life stage of Emerging Adulthood, and emotional health — an outcome of her work as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer and through her clinical practice in Washington DC. A graduate of Harvard and trained as a clinical psychologist, she now writes and speaks about the “Emotional Passport” and conducts trainings on how emotional skill-building and resilience supports academic success and personal development. Dr. Abarbanel recently served as an on ship psychologist with the Spring 2016 academic voyage of the Semester at Sea.
Kris Acheson-Clair, Ph.D. is Intercultural Learning Specialist at Purdue University. With a doctorate in Intercultural Communication from Arizona State University, Kris is an award-winning instructor and well-published scholar. She has previously held positions as a faculty member in Applied Linguistics at Georgia State University, a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Honduras, a K12 educator and an EFL teacher/teacher trainer in several international contexts. Her professional passion is helping others cultivate intercultural competency through mentoring, curriculum development, mobility and co-curricular programs.
Keynote Speaker: Amer F. Ahmed, Ed.D, serves as Director of Intercultural Teaching and Faculty Development at University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Faculty at the Summer and Winter Institutes for Intercultural Communication and a member of SpeakOut: Institute for Democratic Leadership and Culture. An individual with eclectic personal and professional experience, he is a Hip Hop activist, spoken word poet, diversity consultant and college administrator, channeling his diverse experiences into work geared towards facilitating effective intercultural development. He has been featured on MSNBC and in Dr. Shakti Butler’s film on racism entitled “Cracking the Codes.” Amer’s education in Anthropology and Black Studies, professional experience in higher education and extensive global experiences support his efforts to address issues of social justice that continue to face traditionally marginalized communities.
Lorelle Babwah is Assistant Director of Student Services for the Professional Masters Programs at Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering. Her work focuses on building connections within diverse groups and encouraging students to become culture-aware and culture-competent. Before coming to higher ed, Lorelle was a private practice focusing on immigration and criminal defense. She holds a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and a B.A. in Psychology with a focus in Behavioral Neuroscience, also from the University of North Carolina.
Janet Bennett, Ph.D. is Executive Director of the Intercultural Communication Institute, sponsor of the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication, and director of the Master of Arts Degree. As an educator and consultant, she designs and conducts intercultural training for higher education institutions, corporations, government, and non-profit agencies. She publishes on intercultural training and adjustment and is editor of the recently published SAGE Encyclopedia of Intercultural Competence.
Iris Berdrow, Ph.D. is a tenured Associate Professor of management at Bentley University (Waltham, MA, USA) and has taught at Harvard University Summer School, as well as internationally in France, Germany, Austria, Scotland and Morocco. She holds an MBA and doctorate with a concentration in Organizational Behavior and International Management from the Richard Ivey School of Business, London, Canada. Her research interests are in intercultural effectiveness, employee competencies and competency- based education. Dr. Berdrow has also served as Assurance of Learning Director at Bentley.
Scott G. Blair, Ph.D. is Director of Assessment and Sustainability at The EDUCATION ABROAD Network. Working from his base in Paris since the 1980s as instructor, academic director, education consultant and director of assessment for study abroad providers, Scott is a NAFSA leader and serves on the Board of Directors at NSEE. He advocates for assessing learning outcomes in terms of climate sustainability, biodiversity and human equity. He holds a Doctorate in History from the Sorbonne and presents and publishes regularly on learning outcomes assessment and sustainable program design for study abroad.
Kirsten Brecht Baker has 15+ years of experience in developing companies and innovative business models. She is currently CEO and Co-Founder of Global Professional Search, a tech company connecting employers around the world with global-ready candidates who have foreign language and overseas experience plus industry qualifications. She holds an MBA in entrepreneurial management and marketing from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and a B.A. in political science and Russian from the University of Pennsylvania.
Nelson Brunsting, Ph.D. is Director of Global Research and Assessment in the Center for Global Programs and Studies at Wake Forest University, where he also teaches Introduction to American Culture and U.S. University Life for first-year international students. He is fascinated by human development and adjustment in times of transition, especially within an intercultural context.
Michael Brzezinski, Ph.D. is the Dean of International Programs at Purdue University. In addition to directing the International Students and Scholars (ISS) office for 16 years, Brzezinski has led the University’s International Programs unit as dean since 2009, overseeing both ISS and Study Abroad offices. In 2014 he launched an intercultural learning initiative focused on promoting and assessing intercultural learning that occurs during overseas study experiences, as well as during co-curricular activities both on and off campus.
Erik Byker, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. He teaches courses in social studies methods and global education. His fields of specialization are educational technology and curriculum foundations. Erik’s research is comparative and international in scope as he has conducted research on the uses for computer technology in Cuba, India, South Korea, and the United States. Other research interests include global education and increasing teacher professionalism via web-based tools.
Charles A. Calahan, Ph.D. directs Global Learning Faculty and Student Development in the Center for Instructional Excellence at Purdue University. As an award-winning teacher, he has educated more than 12,000 students in 13 different courses on human development and family studies during the course of 12 years in the College of Health and Human Sciences. He is a Purdue University Diversity Fellow, Service-Learning Fellow and a Member of the Purdue Teaching Academy.
Allison Calhoun received a B.A. in Psychology from Wake Forest University and a M.S. in Occupational Therapy from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. As an occupational therapist for 13 years, she has practiced in long-term care settings as a clinician, manager, and consultant in wellness program development and implementation. Allison is currently an Instructor and the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program at Winston- Salem State University. She enjoys working with students to establish innovative and role emerging fieldwork placements, facilitating community-based partnerships and practices, and teaching several classes in the curriculum.
Elizabeth Coder is the Assistant Director of New Student & Transition Programs and Coordinator of Gap Programs at Elon University. After completing her Master in Higher Education, she served three terms with AmeriCorps, where she developed a love of social justice and civic engagement. After AmeriCorps, Elizabeth began her study abroad career, working in first-year study abroad programs in five different countries. She also has a wealth of experience in international education, service-learning, and gap year programs.
Joe Cornelius is Assistant Professor of Digital Media Production at the Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte. Cornelius received his Master of Fine Arts from Wake Forest University in Documentary Filmmaking, a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts specializing in Cinematography, and an Associate of Applied Sciences at Western Piedmont Community College in Digital Effects & Animation Technology.
Robert F. Cox, Ph.D, is Associate Dean for Globalization at the Purdue Polytechnic Institute at Purdue University. He completed his Doctorate in Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering and Management at Virginia Tech in 1994. Most recently he has focused on development of high performance teams through increased cultural awareness and intercultural competencies. He has advised more than 160 master students and 25 doctoral candidates, while authoring more than 60 publications and reports.
Mark Cryan, Ph.D. has held management positions in baseball, hockey, public relations, boxing and recreation. Cryan graduated from Hamilton College where he played football. He holds an MBA from N.C. Central University, a doctorate from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and is currently an assistant professor at Elon University. Author of Cradle of the Game; Baseball and Ballparks in North Carolina, Cryan’s research interests include sport facilities and the business of baseball in the U.S. and Dominican Republic.
Christina Dinges is Director of the Office of Cross-Cultural Programs at Susquehanna University. She previously worked in the International Programs Center at University of North Carolina-Greensboro and the University of North Carolina Exchange Program. She has directed cross-cultural programs in Cyprus and New Orleans, Louisiana, and has presented on diversity issues and topics surrounding STEM students.
Melina Draper, a Teaching Support Specialist for Internationalizing the Curriculum, collaborates with faculty and staff to support global learning and develop intercultural competence through Cornell University’s Center for Teaching Excellence. Previously she worked to bridge cultures in community engagement, as a writer and editor, as a curriculum developer, and as an English professor at Northern Essex Community College. She was raised bilingual and bicultural (U.S.-American and Argentinean), is a poet, and holds degrees in poetry, English, Russian, International Relations and Comparative Literature.
Angie Edwards is Director of the Myrta Pulliam Center for International Education at Queens University of Charlotte where she oversees education abroad, international student services, international partnerships, campus programming, and curriculum internationalization. This work involves coordinating faculty-led programs through which nearly 70% of undergraduates go abroad. Her professional interests include cross-cultural communication, cultural adjustment theory, and intercultural competence development. She has a B.B.A. in Management and an M.S. in Educational Administration from Texas A&M.
Elizabeth Fain is Assistant Professor at Winston-Salem State University in the occupational therapy program. She has a B.S. in occupational therapy from Medical College of Georgia, an M.H.S. from Medical University of South Carolina and an Ed.D. from University of St. Augustine. She has practiced as an occupational therapist and oversees occupational therapy services at the Community Care Clinic, which provides services for low income and uninsured clients. She has also led occupational therapy students for intercultural fieldwork opportunities in the United States and Ecuador.
Bridget Fletcher works as Associate Director of Academic & Student Services for Duke Engineering’s Professional Masters Programs. Bridget received her B.A. from NC State University where she studied sociology and her M.A. from Duke University where she focused on intercultural communication and completed a master’s project that examined Chinese student acclimation in graduate school in the U.S. Bridget is the author of From Jiao Shi to Classroom: Preparing for Success in the American Graduate School Classroom, a guidebook specifically for Chinese students preparing to come to the U.S. for graduate school.
Pre-Conference Facilitator: Steven Folmar, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Wake Forest University. An applied cultural anthropologist whose main interests are in Medical Anthropology, Religion and Development, Steve has conducted fieldwork in Bangladesh, India, and the United States, but his primary ongoing research interests are in Nepal, where he also conducts the WFU Summer Program. He is involved with the Center for Global Programs and Studies, assisting with issues of cultural competency at Wake Forest. Finally, Steve works closely with NGOs (he is on the Advisory Committee of the International Commission for Dalit Rights) and committees in Nepal to help Dalits pursue equal political and social status and relevant development goals.
Sarah Glasco, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of French in the Department of World Cultures and Languages at Elon University. She completed her doctorate in 2006 at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Her scholarly interests include immigration policy in France, intertextuality and global culture in the novels of Jean-Philippe Toussaint, and literacy-based language learning. She leads a short-term study abroad program to Paris and Montpellier, France.
Davydd Greenwood, Ph.D. is the Goldwin Smith Professor of Anthropology Emeritus at Cornell University, where he also served as Director of Cornell’s Einaudi Center for International Studies and Director of the Institute for European Studies. He was President of the Association of International Education Administrators from 1993-94 and a Corresponding Member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences. Davydd has published eight books and numerous articles on the anthropology of Spain, universities, and action research for democratic organizational change.
Julianna Gwiszcz is a Sociocultural Anthropology Ph.D. Candidate in the School of Human Evolution & Social Change at Arizona State University. She earned a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University. Focusing on capacity building mechanisms for sustainable development, Julianna’s current work examines if and how youth are prepared to serve as facilitators of transformation pathways for sustainability. Her research/practice has spanned diverse communities in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Guatemala, Brazil, Haiti, and the USA.
Pre-Conference Facilitator: Tara Harvey, Ph.D. is passionate about helping people learn and grow through intercultural experiences. She has worked in international education since 2000 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and CIEE. As Founder of True North Intercultural, Tara helps educators and institutions achieve their internationalization goals through intercultural consulting, training, and coaching. She holds a Doctorate in International Education from the University of Minnesota and recently completed an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course.
Andrea Haynes
Bio Pending
Heather Hayton, Ph.D. is Director of the Honors Program and Professor of English at Guilford College. A trained comparatist, she has created or led a combination of five study abroad programs in the last 10 years, hosted and mentored international students, and administers a scholarship for indigenous Himalayan students.
Christopher Hightower, Ed.D is Assistant Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Texas Christian University. He has a B.A. in Political Science and History from Texas Christian University (TCU), an M.Ed. in Student Personnel in Higher Education from the University of Georgia and a Doctorate in Leadership in Higher Education from TCU. He performed assessments for TCU’s Quality Enhancement Plan and conducted a campus-wide survey using the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale.
Horane Holgate is from Jamaica and currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Studies at Purdue University. Horane’s research integrates Motivation, Multicultural Education and Intercultural Development frameworks. He has a Bachelor in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and a Master in Educational Studies. He is the Journal Coordinator for the Purdue Journal of Service Learning and International Engagement (PJSL), which publishes student-authored reflections on service learning and civic engagement activities locally and internationally.
David Imhoof, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of History at Susquehanna University where he leads the Global Opportunities (GO) Austria Program. His book, Becoming a Nazi Town: Culture and Politics in Gattingen between the World Wars, appeared with University of Michigan Press in 2013. He has also published on sports, film, and sharpshooting in interwar Germany. Imhoof serves as the Co-Director of the Music and Sound Studies Network for the German Studies Association.
Jordan King
Bio Pending
Prudence Layne, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of English at Elon University. She has taught in Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, directed an island program in the United Kingdom, and administered curricula for study abroad programs. She is co-editor of and contributor to Global Innovation of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Transgressing Boundaries (Springer Press, 2015) and leads workshops on faculty roles, diversity, recruitment and marketing of short-term study abroad programs.
Catherine MacDermott, Ph.D. is Professor of Business and the Business Intern Faculty Facilitator at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. She has been leading study abroad programs since 1994 and has taken students to Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, France, Japan, and Eastern Europe. She has received numerous teaching awards including the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award, the Teaching Excellence Award, and the Piper Professor of the Year Award, recognizing her as a top university professor in Texas.
Scott Manning, Ph.D. is Dean of Global Programs and Associate Professor of French at Susquehanna University. He is the founding director of the Global Opportunities (GO) Program, in which he teaches Global Citizenship, a post-study away reflection course, and has co-directed short-term study away programs in France, Italy, and New Zealand. He has presented on a range of international education topics, including program assessment, student choices, and a strengths-based approach to study abroad.
Marina Markot, Ph.D. is Director of Cornell Abroad where she leads and manages university-wide education abroad efforts including the visiting international student program, and oversees international health and safety at Cornell University. She holds a Doctorate in Linguistics and previously held faculty and administrative positions at St. Petersburg State University, Russia, New England College, University of New Hampshire, and University of Virginia. She is a member of NAFSA, Forum on Education Abroad, and AIEA, as well as a past participant, presenter, and a fan of WISE.
Elsa Maxwell, Ph.D. is Academic Director of Intercultural Learning at CIEE. She oversees intercultural teaching and learning for CIEE study abroad programs, focusing on curriculum development, assessment, and instructor training. She also teaches CIEE’s signature course “Intercultural Communication and Leadership” at the Valparaiso, Chile, Study Center, where she is remotely based. Dr. Maxwell completed her graduate studies at the University of Chile in cultural studies and literature.
Sean McIntyre, Ph.D. is Academic Director for CIEE in Brazil and Resident Director in Rio de Janeiro. Since obtaining his doctorate in German Studies from Stanford University in 2003, Dr. McIntyre has taught undergraduate humanities courses, German, and Brazilian Portuguese at several universities in the United States. Without a doubt Sean’s favorite role with CIEE is designing and teaching courses that encourage students to discover and explore Brazilian culture.
Pre-Conference Facilitator: Adriana Medina-López-Portillo, Ph.D., is an intercultural, diversity and personal leadership trainer. She has designed and led workshops for higher education, not-for-profit, governmental, and corporate clients in the United States and abroad. Among her favorite appointments are training for The Scholar Ship, a transnational academic program housed on a passenger ship, and offering pre-departure and on site orientations for King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. She led a three-year long cultural competence initiative for the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and worked with The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School on two programs for their international Master’s students. Currently, she is working with universities in Myanmar to implement the country’s first course in intercultural communication. She has publications on study abroad and intercultural competence, among other topics.
Catherine Menyhart is Training and Development Manager at CIEE where she facilitates intercultural training and coaching. She holds a Master of Education from the University of Southern Maine and a bachelor’s in International Relations and French. Previously she worked in international education in Dakar, Senegal, and taught at Expeditionary Learning Schools in Maine. She is an IDI Qualified Administrator, Senior Facilitator of Personal Leadership and recently completed an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Course.
Elaine Meyer-Lee, Ph.D. is Associate VP for Global Learning and Leadership Development at Agnes Scott College and has been an SIO for 14 years. She has taught and assessed intercultural higher education at institutions including Wesleyan, Rhodes, Yale, and Saint Mary’s College since earning her Doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard. She has authored chapters on internationalizing undergraduate education, intercultural competence, short-term off-campus programs, and assessment, presents widely on leadership, and serves on NAFSA’s Board.
Ananda Mitra, Ph.D. is Professor of Communication at Wake Forest University. He designed and directed a summer faculty-led program in India, which began in 2010. He teaches courses on communication and electronic media and specializes in survey research. He has also taught and conducted research on various communication and cultural issues in India. His recent publications have focused on the impact of new technologies on global communication and culture. He holds a Doctorate in Speech Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Lauren Moloney-Egnatios is Facilitator for the Intercultural Leadership Initiative certificate program at the UC-Berkeley International House. As an Intercultural Training Specialist for the Robertson Center for Intercultural Leadership (CIL), she designs and delivers intercultural workshops to corporate and non-profit clients, as well as to UC-Berkeley staff and students. Lauren brings 10 years of experience in the fields of international/intercultural education, and organizational leadership, primarily as a researcher, trainer, educator, consultant, and student. Lauren received a Master of Arts in International Communication and Education from American University and a B.A. in Organizational Development and Spanish from the University of Michigan.
Juan Muñoz is currently the Language Coordinator at the CASA-Seville program. He has taught English as a Foreign Language in the high school setting since 1986 and served as a Lecturer in Spanish at University of Michigan, as well as Instructor at the university’s summer program in Salamanca. Additionally, Juan was an Instructor of Spanish in Middlebury College Language Schools, Instructor of Spanish Culture at CCST, and a Spanish language teacher and coordinator at the UM-Cornell-Penn program in Seville.
Joyce Osland, Ph.D. is Lucas Endowed Professor of Global Leadership and Executive Director of the Global Leadership Advancement Center at San Jose State University’s College of Business. She is a Kozai Group partner, consults internationally, and has spent 14 years working in seven countries. Dr. Osland authored The Adventure of Working Abroad and more than 80 publications on global topics and pedagogy. Her doctorate in Organizational Behavior is from Case Western Reserve University.
Bob Page is Director of Digital Media and advisor to student media at the Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte. Page led global communication for Lenovo technology partnerships with the Torino 2006 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Olympic Torch Relay, NBA, and Williams and McLaren Formula 1 teams. A former media manager with IBM and Davidson College, Page holds a B.F.A. in journalism from SMU and an MBA from Queens.
Janelle Papay joined Elon University with a background in German studies, student development theory and experiential education. As Assistant Director of Study Abroad, her primary work involves overseeing operations for short-term programs and actualizing professional development opportunities of all flavors for faculty and staff. Janelle holds a M.Ed. in College Student Affairs from Penn State University and a B.A. in Globalization Studies and German from Gettysburg College, where she studied abroad in Heidelberg, Germany, and was awarded a Fulbright grant to Germany.
Jason Patent, Ph.D. is Director of the Robertson Center for Intercultural Leadership at the UC-Berkeley International House (I-House). He is responsible for building I-House’s existing training programs and expanding programming for I-House residents, UC-Berkeley campus units, external businesses and non-profit organizations. Jason has an undergraduate degree in East Asian Studies from Harvard, a master’s degree in the same field from Stanford University, and completed an M.A. and a Doctorate in Linguistics at UC-Berkeley. Jason is committed to using his skills and experiences to foster understanding and successful collaboration among international populations.
Janelle S. Peifer, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Agnes Scott College. She earned her doctorate in Clinical and School Psychology at the University of Virginia and is an alumna of Wake Forest University. Her research examines intra- and inter-cultural processes of college students’ global competence development. Peifer’s clinical and applied interests include emerging adults identity formation, trauma/resilience, and the impact of travel-based experiences on young women’s leadership development.
Jenaya Perdue, Ph.D. is a graduate of Western Kentucky University’s Educational Leadership program. Her research and vocational interests are in implementing global citizenship initiatives in higher education, increasing Black student participation in study abroad, and faculty development.
Marty Petrone, Ph.D. is Global Learning Curriculum Integration Specialist at Miami University (Ohio), where she is also Professor Emerita in the Department of Strategic Communication. She is also currently a training consultant for CISV International. Marty has more than 30 years of experience as a teacher and administrator in higher education and a trainer and facilitator for clients including the Department of Energy, Reynolds & Reynolds, Ralston-Purina, and AK Steel. At Miami she also served as the Global Assessment Project Manager, Cultural Immersion Coordinator, Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Academic Coordinator of English, Humanities and Fine Arts.
Michael Putman is Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Reading and Elementary Education at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. He has taught various courses in pedagogy, action research, and literacy during his eleven years in higher education. His research interests are focused on the development of teacher self-efficacy and intercultural competencies through field experiences, including those in international contexts, and the impact of affective variables within online inquiry processes.
Melody Reichoff, Assistant Director of International Student Services at Widener University, is originally from Wisconsin where she developed her love of international education through study abroad. After graduation, she spent a year working in Hong Kong while completing her M.A. in International Education Development. She has worked with international students at Widener University for the past two years and has developed 30+ programs a semester aimed to assist international students adjust to life in the U.S. and promote interaction between international and domestic students.
Jeremy Rinker, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Program Director in Peace and Conflict Studies at University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where he researches intersections between narrative, violent conflict, and nonviolent transformation. Much of Jeremy’s research focuses on social change movements, restorative justice, and trauma awareness and resilience. Jeremy was a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan and a 2013 Fulbright-Nehru Fellow at the Malaviya Center for Peace Research in Banaras, India. He has worked in international development, led a study abroad trip to India, and studied as a student in Kenya.
Craig N. Shealy, Ph.D. is Professor of Graduate Psychology at James Madison University and Executive Director of the International Beliefs and Values Institute. His research on the Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory (BEVI) has been featured in multiple venues, including Making Sense of Beliefs and Values and the Forum BEVI Project, to assess international, multicultural, and transformative learning. A licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Shealy is 2016 President-Elect of the American Psychological Association’s Division of International Psychology, a recipient of the Early Career Award from APA’s Division of Psychotherapy, and a Madison Scholar at JMU.
Evan Small is Assistant Director of Student Programs in the Kernodle Center for Service-Learning and Community Engagement at Elon University. He directs the Alternative Breaks Program and teaches about international service-learning and ethical community engagement. The Alternative Breaks Program engages more than 300 students, faculty, and staff each year on 19 immersive service experiences in local and global communities. Evan holds a M.Ed. in Adventure Education and recently completed the Professional Certification in Education Abroad.
Jonathan Smart
Bio Pending
Andrew Smith is a part-time Lecturer of Communication and teaches the English Language Skills Enhancement (ELSE) program at Wake Forest University. He worked from 2012-2016 as Program Coordinator for Wake Forest’s Cross-Cultural Engagement program, teaching and designing a trio of pre-departure, in-country, and reentry courses for study abroad students. He has worked extensively with international students in a variety of capacities. In addition to his travels, Andrew has worked abroad in France and Bosnia & Herzegovina. He holds masters’ degrees from the School for International Training and American University.
Carol A. Smith, Ph.D. is Associate Professor in the Department of Health & Human Performance at Elon University in North Carolina. Her doctorate is from Texas A&M University (Kinesiology), with a B.S. and M.Ed. in Physical Education & Health pedagogy from UMASS/Amherst and Frostburg State University (MD) respectively. Her primary area of research relates to adventure-based education. She leads study abroad classes each year to such locations as New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Namibia.
Rebecca Thomas, Ph.D. has been Professor of German language, literature and culture at Wake Forest since 1993. She has specializations in 20th century Germany, modern Austrian studies, and foreign language acquisition. Professor Thomas has led multiple semester and summer study abroad programs in Austria and central Europe. Since 1988 she has been on the language faculty of the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, where she has also designed and regularly offers a specialized “survival” language and culture curriculum. She is currently collaborating on an interdisciplinary project researching the impact of the survival language skills model on the cultural adaptation of sojourners abroad in non-language-intensive programs.
Pre-Conference Facilitator: Michael Vande Berg completed his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Now Principal at MVB Associates, he has held leadership positions at several institutions and organizations committed to international education. A senior faculty member of the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication (SIIC), he is a founding Board member of the Forum on Education Abroad. He has received the Forum’s 2012 Peter A. Wollitzer award for his “remarkable effectiveness in influencing institutions of higher education to understand and support study abroad;” and the 2014 IDI Intercultural Competence Award “for outstanding contributions to organizational development in increasing intercultural competence in study abroad.”
Amy Wallis, Ph.D. is Professor of Practice in the Wake Forest University School of Business, teaching courses in team development, organizational behavior, business ethics, and change leadership. As the Director of Global Initiatives, she leads the business school’s delivery of global immersion courses and other programs to support the development of global competence. She also serves as the faculty leader for the business school’s global immersion course in Nicaragua.
Paul Worley is Assistant Professor of Global Literature in the English Department at Western Carolina University. His book, Telling and Being Told: Storytelling and Cultural Control in Contemporary Yucatec Maya, appeared in fall 2013 with the University of Arizona Press. Stories recorded as part of his research on Maya literatures are available at tsikbalichmaya.org. He has recently published or has work forthcoming in A Contracorriente, Studies in American Indian Literatures, and Latin American Caribbean Ethnic Studies.
Corinne Zachry is a first-year graduate student in the M.A. in Psychology program at Wake Forest University. She is also a Graduate Research Assistant for the Center for Global Programs and Studies. Corinne’s research interests include understanding responses to transitional experiences and epistemic virtues across socioeconomic and cultural boundaries.
Claire Ziamandanis, Ph.D. is Professor of Spanish at The College of Saint Rose and has led study abroad programs to Spanish-speaking countries for the past 16 years. While the initial emphasis of these programs was primarily language development, more recently she has shifted her learning objectives to focus equally on intercultural development. Working in collaboration with the study abroad office, she developed enhanced pre-departure orientation sessions, including activities geared to highlight cultures of origin, as well as those that foster openness to ‘the other’.
