Speaker Biographies
2026 Plenary Keynote:
From Going Abroad to Growing Abroad: Shaping Future-Ready Global Graduates
Paula Caligiuri, PhD, DMSB Distinguished Professor of International Business, Northeastern University and Co-Founder/President of Skiilify
Paula Caligiuri is a leading voice on the future of work, helping professionals at all career stages thrive in a world defined by complexity, change, and cultural diversity. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Skiilify, a public benefit corporation advancing soft skills development at scale through myGiide, a free online platform used by universities and companies worldwide. Paula is also a DMSB Distinguished Professor of International Business at Northeastern University and co-host of the International Business Today podcast.
Her work focuses on contextual agility, the ability to adapt and lead effectively across shifting cultural, organizational, and technological contexts. With AI, globalization, and demographic change reshaping careers, Paula shows why durable soft skills, including resilience, humility, curiosity, tolerance of ambiguity, perspective-taking, and relationship-building, are the real differentiators for future-ready professionals.
Paula has authored several award-winning books, including Build Your Cultural Agility and Live for a Living. She also teaches two widely viewed LinkedIn Learning courses: Managing Globally and Six Skills to Build Cultural Agility.
Her research has appeared in top journals such as Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of World Business, and Personnel Psychology. She is a Fellow of both the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Academy of International Business.
A frequent expert guest on CNN and CNN International, Paula is recognized globally for her insights on careers, leadership, and workforce trends.
2026 Pre-Conference Workshop Facilitators:
A) Intentional by Design: Pedagogical Strategies for Meaningful Intercultural Learning
Melanie Robbins, PhD, Coordinator of Global Understanding, East Carolina University
Melanie supports virtual exchange and intercultural learning initiatives at ECU and through Global Partners in Education (GPE). Her work focuses on providing pedagogical support and training for instructors involved in virtual exchange and GPE programming. Her professional development sessions cover topics such as intercultural competence, intercultural communication, and cross-cultural facilitation. She also teaches a Global Understanding course in ECU’s Honors College on the intersections of culture with language or global citizenship. Melanie earned her Ph.D. in International Education Policy from the University of Maryland (2025) and an MA in TESOL from Seattle Pacific University (2009). Before joining ECU she spent 14 years teaching English to international students, immigrants, and refugees in community college and university settings. She has also served as an English Language Fellow and English Language Specialist through the U.S. Department of State, supporting cultural exchange and English language teaching capacity in Georgia and Pakistan.
Jami Liebowitz, PhD, Associate Director of Global Affairs/Director of Global Academic Initiatives, East Carolina University
In Jami’s current position, she leads ECU’s award-winning Virtual Exchange efforts. Her primary responsibilities include working with faculty and staff to promote, help develop and support virtual exchange activities at ECU as well as lead and manage Global Partners in Education (GPE), a consortium of more than 50 international partner institutions in over 30 countries that actively participate in GAI activities each semester. She and her team also work on professional development activities designed to help faculty and staff at ECU and GPE partner institutions around the world develop intercultural skills and implement global learning strategies. Jami also serves as the Vice President of the International Virtual Exchange Consortium. She received her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Connecticut in 2003 and was faculty in the Department of Anthropology at East Carolina University from 2002 until 2013 when she left the department to take on a full-time administrative position within Global Academic Initiatives. She recently completed a Fulbright Global Scholar Award for which she worked on a project to promote virtual exchange and global learning in Namibia, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan.
B) Universal Access to Study Abroad: Practical Approaches to Supporting Students with Disabilities
Shane Sanders, Assistant Director of Global Opportunities, Susquehanna University
Shane has a particular interest in courses and international programming that focus on intercultural development. With experience creating courses and study away programs with that emphasis, she has been able to work with faculty, staff, and students to further that goal. She has managed the development of a myriad of long & short-term traveling programs for Susquehanna University, where their cross-cultural immersion requirement has every student work towards the advancement of their intercultural skills and understanding before graduating. Without the option of a waiver, the office of Global Opportunities works consistently with students with disabilities, teaming up with students and their supporters to curate experiences that facilitate their successful immersion into another culture.
Anna Ogunnaike, Virtual Study Abroad Facilitator, Susquehanna University
Anna began her work with virtual study abroad in 2021, toward the end of the pandemic, to help students at Susquehanna University meet their intercultural development graduation requirement despite the ban on international travel. Since then, her virtual program has enabled students who have been unable to travel to develop intercultural competence while engaging in a rich, engaging virtual experience. Anna also has previous experience leading in-person programs for the University of Delaware.
2026 Session Presenters:
| Sarah Akiwumi serves at Bennett College, one of the nation’s two all-women HBCUs. Passionate about making higher education accessible, she draws on her experiences as a global citizen to support students from underrepresented backgrounds. She is a Gilman Advisor Ambassador who strengthens ties between higher education and global scholarship opportunities. Sarah has presented at national conferences and was selected to study abroad in Costa Rica through Bennett’s IDEAS Grant. She holds a B.A. in International Studies from NC State University. |
| Luz Maria Alvarez is a foreign language professor at Johnson County Community College. She has co-led service learning trips to Mexico for the Nursing and Dental Hygiene programs. After a Covid-related break, she recently spearheaded a faculty-lead program to take Spanish students to the Guadalajara to explore art, culture and language. She attributes the success of the Guadalajara trip to the ideas generated at the WISE conference she has attended in the past. |
| Clara Arent has been in the field of international education for the past 12 years at four universities throughout the United States. After spending years abroad, she is continuously looking for ways to promote intercultural learning and development. She has been in the Learning Abroad Center at the University of Minnesota since 2022. |
| Mona-Lisa Bango is a Program Designer at EDU Africa, a leader in international and study abroad education. Her experience is in crafting innovative, immersive educational experiences that connect students with African cultures and communities. Her work involves designing impactful programs that go beyond the classroom, focusing on experiential learning and global citizenship. She is passionate about creating transformative journeys for students, fostering cross-cultural understanding and sustainable development. |
| Rachel Beard serves as an advisor to students for the Valpo Study Abroad programs. She manages the student interns and the Study Abroad social media. Additionally, she conducts pre-departure orientations and events for the Study Abroad programs. Rachel also maintains and updates the Study Abroad program database. Rachel has her master’s degree in Second Language Acquisition, Policy, and Culture and her B.A. in German Language Studies from the University of Southern Indiana. |
| Kimberly Bellows works in the UC Davis Global Learning Hub as Global and Intercultural Programs Manager. She is passionate about developing and facilitating programs that help students work across differences and see the world through a globally-aware lens. Prior to joining UC Davis, Kimberly coordinated faculty-led study abroad programs at another university, and worked on programs at a peace and reconciliation centre in Northern Ireland. She also worked for a member of Congress in Washington, D.C. and taught English in Chile. |
| Christy Freadreacea Brady is an Associate Professor in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Her primary teaching areas include global health, cultural humility in healthcare, and the social determinants of health. She leads faculty-directed education abroad programs in the summer exploring international variation in health and healthcare, and researches the development of intercultural knowledge, skills and attitudes through education abroad. |
| A Professor of English at Elon University in North Carolina, Steve Braye has led experiences in Louisiana, New York, China, Costa Rica, England, Ireland, Zambia and across Europe. He has been teaching “The Impact of Study Abroad: Coming Home” for returning study abroad students every semester for the past ten years. |
| Tynisha Brice, Assistant Director for International Career Development at Davidson College. Tynisha works with international students and helps them find internships, jobs and aids in their overall career development. Tynisha also administers the East Asia Internship Program which is generously funded by the Freeman Foundation. She holds a M.A in Applied Linguistics w/ TESOL certificate from the University of Pittsburgh and has been working in higher education for over 8 years. |
| Laura Call designs and instructs courses in French on all levels at NC State University. In addition to teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, Dr. Call co-directs the Summer Study Abroad Program in Paris & Lyon. In addition, she conducts research on study abroad experiences and student perceptions of AI in second language studies. |
| Adriana Castelo was an exchange student from Quito, Ecuador at the University of Minnesota in 2011, and because of her unforgettable experience as a UMN Gopher she decided to focus her career in international education to help future international students make the most out of their college experience at the University of Minnesota. Her research interests include second language speech development outside the classroom and English pronunciation for Spanish speakers. |
| Liz Combs currently serves as a Bill Gatton Foundation Assistant Professor in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment at the University of Kentucky. Liz’s research focuses on assessing the effect of high-impact teaching practices on student learning, most notably during education abroad courses. She hopes her findings will specifically aid in the creation of novel, evidence-based pedagogical approaches that could promote student success through the development and assessment of high-impact practices. |
| Alessia Dalsant is a senior lecturer in the Modern Languages Department and directs the Center for Languages and International Collaboration at Bentley University. She holds a doctorate in Spanish language and literature and is interested in second language acquisition and the use of technology to enhance language learning. |
| An economic geographer, Joel Deichmann earned his PhD from the University at Buffalo (1999). His research focuses upon the spatial aspects of Foreign Direct (FDI) and International Tourism. He is author of “Passion for Place: Embracing Global Wanderlust” (2014) and editor/co-author of “Foreign Direct Investment in the Successor States of Yugoslavia: A Comparative Economic Geography 25 Years Later” (2021). He teaches Globalization, Global Regions, Comparative Government, Contemporary Europe, Global Transportation and Tourism, and has led more than 20 short-term study tours to Central Europe, Ghana, and Panama. |
| Sarah E. Dietrich teaches in and coordinates the Masters in TESOL at Southeast Missouri State University. Over her career, she has worked with students and teachers from over 40 countries. She is a co-author of Person to Person Peacebuilding, Intercultural Communication and English Language Teaching: Voices from the Virtual Intercultural Borderlands. Her current research focuses on developing community in online and Hyflex courses, person to person peacebuilding, and international virtual exchange as teacher education. |
| Danielle Dietz is a Teaching Assistant Professor at East Carolina University specializing in Special Education and an interest in intercultural competency. With extensive experience supporting neurodiverse learners and leading inclusive initiatives, she has presented nationally on transitions to college. Danielle is a published course writer, Special Olympics coach, and advocate for equitable education. |
| Gina Difino has been a Director at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s Honors Carolina for the past ten years. She is passionate about facilitating and enhancing international educational opportunities to promote intercultural understanding and global commitment. |
| Rahul Divekar is an assistant professor of Experience Design at Bentley University. His research is at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Human Computer Interaction. His work on language learning with AI agents in immersive environments has been noted for its innovative approach to teaching and learning. |
| Michael Ehrecke is the People & Culture Administrator at Clarkson College in Omaha, Nebraska. In his role, Michael leads the development, implementation, and assessment of programs and initiatives that cultivate human skills for engaged, global citizenship within all Clarkson College constituents. He is a Qualified Administrator (QA) of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and leads an internal team of QAs that conduct individual and group debriefs after respondents complete their IDI assessments. |
| Mark Frydenberg is a Distinguished Lecturer of Computer Information Systems at Bentley University in Waltham, MA, and director of the CIS Sandbox, Bentley’s technology social learning space. An inaugural Presidential Faculty Fellow, Mark spent the last year working with faculty across disciplines to integrate immersive learning into their courses. His research focuses on data and digital literacy and using collaborative technologies with students to co-create immersive artifacts for experiencing digital culture. |
| Autumn River Gallegos is a Spanish Lecturer at UNC-Greensboro. A Spanish language educator and avid traveler, River displays a deep commitment to global learning. She studied abroad three times throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies, experiences that sparked a lasting passion for international education. This led her to direct two Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs to Costa Rica and Peru. She is dedicated to expanding access to transformative study abroad opportunities and fostering intercultural preparedness for students and faculty. |
| A veteran international educator and leader, Todd Goen is Founder & Principal of the consulting firm Global Puzzles, LLC. He previously held administrative and faculty appointments at Virginia Military Institute, Christopher Newport, Purdue Fort Wayne, and Clemson. He is active with AIEA, NAFSA, the Forum on Education Abroad, and the World Council on Intercultural and Global Competence. He is recipient of SSCA’s Sisco Excellence in Teaching Award and NAFSA’s Lily von Klemperer Award. |
| Gisela González-Elías is a psychologist and professor at Albizu University, Mayagüez Center, where she coordinates the Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Program in Psychology and Speech-Language Therapy. With over 20 years of professional experience, she also co-directs the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Intercultural Learning (DEIJI) Laboratory. Her academic and clinical work focuses on intercultural competence, service-learning, and innovative approaches to psychological education and practice. |
| As Director of Valparaiso University’s Language and Intercultural Learning Center, Carol Goss is a longstanding member of the Department of World Languages and Cultures with over two decades of classroom teaching experience, also licensed as a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. The center supports language learners through tutoring, programming, and language exploration groups. Additionally, since the recent relaunch of the learning center, Carol now facilitates intercultural learning opportunities for students and faculty/staff. |
| Emmy Grace is the program manager for global education at UNC Global Affairs. She supports opportunities for all Carolina students to pursue a global education in their coursework and outside the classroom on campus. Emmy contributes to Carolina’s COIL program, offering meaningful global engagement and intercultural learning for faculty and students. She collaborates frequently with campus partners, global affairs practitioners, faculty, staff, alumni and students to organize programs for the Diplomacy Initiative, equipping students with resources and skills to pursue careers in global affairs. |
| Beth Gulley is a professor of English at Johnson County Community College. She served as a visiting scholar to Northwestern Polytechnic University in China. For many years her students have participated in virtual exchanges with students in Russia, New Zealand, and China. She graduated from a high school in Ecuador and has extensive experience in Latin America. As a writing teacher and poet, she was instrumental in leading students through writing reflections and interviews. |
| Tara Harvey is a highly-regarded specialist in intercultural teaching and learning in higher education. She brings to her work broad experience in global education and a deep understanding of the intercultural development process. In 2016, Tara founded True North Intercultural, which provides training and professional development to higher education faculty, staff, and institutions around the world to help them better navigate cultural differences and facilitate students’ intercultural learning (at home and abroad). |
| Chris Hass is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Early, Elementary, and Reading Education at JMU. His teaching and scholarship focus on culturally relevant teaching, social justice education, and student activism. He serves on the Executive Board of the Early Childhood Education Assembly and is a column editor for Language Arts where his “Civic Literacy” column supports educators to promote civic engagement in K-5 classrooms. Additionally, he co-created the Equity thru Education Collaborative, a diverse group of educators, students, and advocates working together to use education as a means of addressing issues of injustice and inequity in their communities. |
| Anne C. Hayes serves as the Executive Director of Global and Interdisciplinary Studies and Sustainability Lead at Bennett College. Dr. Hayes has earned two Fulbright-Hays awards, an IDEAS Grant, and several environmental justice grants. She won the 2024 Exemplary Teacher of the Year Award from the UMC’s General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Her passion is community-engaged teaching and learning. Dr. Hayes completed her doctorate from the University of Virginia in anthropology of education. |
| Kylie Holloway is a Senior Study Abroad Advisor at Wake Forest University. She holds a B.S. in Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University, and studied abroad in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. Kylie has been working in International Education since 2022. |
| Stacy Hoult is a Professor of Spanish and Chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Valparaiso University, where she has taught Spanish language and Latin American literatures and cultures for 25 years. As a Qualified Administrator for the Intercultural Development Inventory, she helps community members to chart their own pathways to intercultural learning. Recently, she has partnered with Valpo’s Office of Intercultural Programs to create a faculty-led study trip to South Korea. |
| Sarah Kegley is the International Teaching Assistant (ITA) program manager in the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Sarah designs ITA programming, which includes training in teaching skills and cultural awareness for work in the U.S. university classroom. With a background in TESOL and intercultural communication, Sarah has a wide array of experience in education and international education. She began her teaching career in Atlanta public schools, earned her Master in Applied Linguistics, moved to Spain where she worked with both undergraduate and graduate students at the International Institute in Spain and Saint Louis University’s Madrid campus. Subsequently, she was a senior lecturer in the Department of Applied Linguistics & ESL at Georgia State University, teaching graduate and teacher-training courses. She also taught undergraduate composition and intercultural communication courses at GSU. |
| Laura Levi Altstaedter is Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies at East Carolina University, where she serves as co-director of the Summer in Buenos Aires study abroad program, associate chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, and associate director of ECU’s Quality Enhancement Plan. She has presented and published on language teaching, IVE, and intercultural learning. She has received multiple teaching awards, including the prestigious 2025 Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award. |
| Purificación Martínez is Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies at East Carolina University (Greenville, NC, USA). Since 2022 she is the Director Go Intercultural!, ECU’s Quality Enhancement Plan. The project, an integral component of the institution’s reaccreditation process, seeks to enhance the intercultural competence of undergraduate students by designing strategic curricular interventions at all levels of the curriculum. Martínez promotes and coordinates the design of these interventions. Her research has shifted from feminist medieval and cultural studies to intercultural competence and curricular development. She has received multiple leadership awards, including ECU’s James R. Talton Jr. Leadership Award. |
| Kiara A. Martínez Maldonado is a Psychology Student in Clinical Practice under the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at Albizu University (San Juan, PR). Aiming to collaborate with other students and professionals across the globe, her areas of interest include Ecopsychology, Health Psychology, Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, and Intercultural Development. As a Teaching Assistant for the Intercultural Development course, she supports reflective learning, cross-cultural communication skills, and peer mentoring; contributing to innovative curriculum initiatives. |
| Ana I. Medina Andújar is an Adjunct Professor at Albizu University, specializing in intercultural development. Her research interests include the exploration of intercultural competence and the development of a culturally adapted instrument for the Puerto Rican community. Ana has lived in Jordan and Spain, where she worked with local communities and Moroccan immigrants on adult literacy, language acquisition, and cultural adaptation. |
| Sara C. Nobles, Assistant Director in International Student Engagement at Davidson College, with nine years experience. She primarily manages the office’s experiential grant, regularly collaborating with the Center for Career Development and Center for Civic Engagement, drafts F-1-related communications, and coordinates the logistics of the college’s multi-day international orientation. She holds an MS in Education from Old Dominion University, specializing in International Higher Education Leadership. |
| Brendan O’Farrell is an Assistant Professor in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky where he teaches coursework in the Clinical Leadership and Management and Human Health Sciences programs. As a scholar-practitioner, his areas of interest include the scholarship of teaching and learning and high-impact programming. He has extensive experience with international education and learning communities. |
| William Pryor IV William Pryor IV is a doctoral student in Culture, Curriculum, and Teacher Education at UNC-Chapel Hill. His research focuses on community-engaged experiential learning and reciprocal university-community partnerships. He has taught at elementary, middle, and university levels, including language immersion teaching in St. Louis with TFA and experiential education with Fulbright Taiwan. |
| Shahadur Rahman is a doctoral student in linguistics at the University of Memphis. His professional experience includes teaching English at secondary schools in Dhaka, Bangladesh and composition at Southeast Missouri State University. Among his research interests are communicative language teaching and second language methodology. |
| Jennifer (Jen) Ramos currently serves as a Senior Global Programs Specialist in the Polytechnic Institute at Purdue University with a focus on student intercultural development. Prior to her current role, she served as the Director of Study Abroad and International Student Services Specialist at a small liberal arts institution. Jen’s teaching experience varies from Communication to ESL to U.S. American culture at the high school and University level in Chile and the United States. She has designed and led short term programs to various countries in Latin America as well as Spain. Jen is an Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Qualified Administrator (QA), Beliefs, Events Values Inventory (BEVI) Certified Administrator and holds a M.A. in International Education from SIT Graduate Institute. |
| Sophia Sanders is currently a second-year student at Wake Forest University, majoring in Politics and International Affairs. As a 2025 Richter Scholar recipient, she conducted independent research on the lived experiences of those affected by the devastating 2024 floods in Valencia, Spain. |
| Adrienne Shank works as Program Coordinator in the Global Training Initiative (GTI) office at NC State. GTI’s programs focus on global skills training in relation to career readiness for domestic and international students, scholars and professional clients. Adrienne teaches a US Culture and Business course to students studying in the U.S. for a semester or longer, and enjoys helping students understand how global skills training can benefit them in both personal and professional endeavors. |
| Shenna M. Shearin is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Bennett College. She obtained a PhD in Computational Science and Engineering at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She currently serves as the Program Coordinator for the STEM Mentoring Program which aims to enhance STEM retention and learning through research collaborations. She traveled to Tanzania in the summer of 2023 and to Morocco in June 2025. |
| Rachel S. Shinnar is a professor in the department of Management at the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University. Dr. Shinnar has extensive international experience, having lived and worked in several countries and led faculty-led study abroad programs to France, Spain and Cuba. Since 2021, Rachel has taught four Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) courses with universities in Taiwan, Israel and Germany. |
| Jana Soto is an Immigration Advisor at Wake Forest University. She completed her graduate thesis research in international student perseverance while studying at universities in the U.S. Jana has been working in International Education since 2021. |
| Stephanie Tignor is Executive Director of Global Learning at Virginia Commonwealth University, overseeing education abroad, global learning initiatives, and international student engagement. In two decades at VCU, she has expanded access to global learning opportunities and helped secure a $2.5 million gift to support these programs. A three-time Gilman Advisor Ambassador and member of the GoAbroad Innovation Awards Academy, Stephanie is an active presenter and advocate dedicated to cross-cultural understanding and student success. |
| Hécmir Torres-Cuevas is a professor of psychology and an IDI Qualified Administrator. She coordinates the psychology program within the Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Degree at Albizu University in San Juan. Her work centers on intercultural competence, community-based learning, and student development. She designed and teaches the Intercultural Development course in both in-person and online formats, and co-directs the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Intercultural (DEIJI) Laboratory. |
| Encarna Turner is an Associate Professor of the Practice. She graduated with a BA in Spanish Translation and a MA in Spanish, with emphasis in Linguistics from Brigham Young University. She worked for AT&T and Lucent Technologies as a technical translator for over five years prior to coming to teach at Wake Forest University. While at Lucent Technologies she was also able to work in the area of software localization and had experience working with oversees translation houses, in Spain and Mexico. |
| Sharmila Udyavar is Associate Director for Global Education at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she oversees initiatives that advance internationalization at home. She collaborates with faculty to integrate global learning into course curriculum, supports graduate student development and fosters career readiness skill-building through IaH programming. Sharmila also directs the Carolina Diplomacy Fellows program, equipping students with global competencies through experiential learning, mentorship, and diplomacy-focused training for careers in global affairs and beyond. |
| Kristofor Wiley is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at James Madison University. He is a Longview Global Teacher Education Fellow and has served as the Global Engagement Liaison for the College. In that role, he works to develop cultural self-awareness and facility in future educators by supporting global and international programming, faculty development, and curricular integration. He taught middle school, served in Peace Corps Ukraine, and has accompanied teacher candidates to multiple international sites. |
| Freddie Wood is the coordinator for Research on Abroad and International Student Engagement (RAISE Center) at Wake Forest University. Freddie’s research focuses on the technological impact on Study Abroad and International Student experiences. |
| Katherine Yngve is a career international educator and social justice systems-thinker, dedicated to eradicating “un-belonging” in higher education. She’s worked for some of the leading institutions in comprehensive internationalization, including Macalester College, SIT Study Abroad, the University of Minnesota, the American University of Beirut & Purdue University. She’s facilitated educational exchange for three decades & has been an advocate-practitioner of COIL since 2002. She now offers consulting assistance and empowering workshops centered on healing polarization. |