NAFSA's Board of Directors

LaNitra Berger, PhD, is the Associate Professor of Art History and Director of African and African American Studies at George Mason University (GMU). She has helped students secure more than 60 prestigious fellowships such as the Fulbright, Boren, Gilman, Truman, Udall, and Critical Language...

Julie Sinclair is the associate director of the Office of International Studies in Education at Michigan State University (MSU). In this role, she works with the international engagement of the College of Education, including education abroad, curriculum internationalization, international...

Nancy Kidd has been the executive director of the American Sociological Association since 2016. She spent the last 8 years serving as executive director of the National Communication Association. Earlier in her career, she worked as a program officer at the Russell Sage Foundation, policy director...

Shinn Ko serves as Assistant Vice Provost of international student and scholar services, global strategy, & initiatives at Emory University. She has presented numerous sessions and workshops at conferences and seminars. She has also held various national and regional leadership positions within...

Joanna Regulska, PhD, vice provost and dean of global affairs and professor of gender, sexuality, and women’s studies at the University of California-Davis, has for more than 30 years led large-scale programs that transform institutions, establish collaborative partnerships, and significantly...

Ahmad Ezzeddine, PhD, is the vice president for Academic Student Affairs and Global Engagement at Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, Michigan, where he leads the university’s national, global, and corporate educational outreach programs. As the senior international officer, he is responsible...

Shabeer Amirali currently serves as VP of enrollment management at D'Youville University, previously, he was the director of graduate admissions and enrollment management at the University of Louisville. He has a MBA degree in the area of management and leadership from Bradley University and a...

Stephen Appiah-Padi directs Bucknell University’s Office of Global & Off-Campus Education and leads its international education initiatives, including strategic planning and campus internationalization efforts. He is an active member of NAFSA, having served as chair of the Africa Member Interest...

Nelson Cunningham co-founded McLarty Associates in 1998 and led the firm for almost 25 years. Under Mr. Cunningham’s leadership, McLarty Associates developed into a firm with global reach and over one hundred employees and advisors in 21 countries around the world. Mr. Cunningham managed the...

Samba Dieng is the Senior International Officer (SIO) and Executive Director of International Programs at Louisiana State University, where he leads global engagement initiatives. Prior to LSU, he served as Director of International Students and Scholars at several institutions. He is active in...

Feinstein has served in senior positions in the U.S. government, including principal deputy director of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff and ambassador to Poland. He has been a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Brookings Institution. Feinstein is a trustee of the...

Fernando León-García, PhD, has been president of CETYS University since 2010, leading the institution to accreditation in the United States (WASC, ACBSP, ABET) and to one of the most internationalized universities in Mexico. Prior, he served as chancellor of City University of Seattle’s...

Heather Barclay Hamir, PhD, is president and CEO of the Institute for Study Abroad. Hamir has worked in international education for 2 decades at both public and private universities. Over her career, she has focused on inclusion in study abroad and enhancing the quality of the educational experience...

Samantha Lu is the director of international student services in the International Students Scholars Office at Columbia University. Lu has worked in the field of international education for more than 22 years. She is an active member of NAFSA, serving in many roles both at regional (Region XII...

Francisco Marmolejo serves as the president of higher education at the Qatar Foundation. From 2012 to 2020, he worked at the World Bank as a global higher education coordinator, based in Washington, DC, and more recently he served as lead higher education specialist for India and South Asia, in...

Ann Mason has more than 20 years’ experience in international education, higher education administration, and U.S.-Latin American academic cooperation. Mason currently directs her own international higher education consulting firm, Mason Education Group, based in Bogotá, Colombia. Her previous...

Francis J. Ricciardone was appointed the 12th president of the American University in Cairo and began his term on July 1, 2016. He had served as a foreign service officer from 1978–2014, including appointments as U.S. ambassador to Egypt, Turkey, and the Philippines, and chargé d’affaires and deputy...

Lawrence Schovanec, PhD, began his role as the 17th president of Texas Tech University in August 2016. He previously served as chair of the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, interim university president, and, most recently, provost. During Schovanec’s...

Malaika Marable Serrano is the VP for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) at Guild and leads the integration of DEIB principles and best practices across the organization. Most recently, she was the inaugural Head of DEI at WorldStrides and has served in a number of leadership and...

Prior to joining Central College in 2017, Muddassir Siddiqi, PhD, served as provost and chief academic officer at Morton College and executive director at the City Colleges of Chicago. Siddiqi’s career profile also includes decade-long work experience with multinational corporations. Siddiqi...

Fanta Aw, PhD, has been a dedicated member and leader within NAFSA since 1996 and currently holds the position of Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. From 2013 to 2016, she served as NAFSA's President and Board Chair. Dr. Aw is a recognized and highly respected figure in the fields of...