NAFSA's leadership structure is led by a Board of Directors. The board guides the work of the association through its Strategic Plan that sets out goals and objectives over a three-year horizon. Specific objectives are assigned to member committees, teams, task forces, and knowledge communities.
Board Officers
Ravi Shankar
University of Rochester
NAFSA President and Chair of the Board of Directors
Ravi Shankar has been in the field of international education for more than 20 years and has worked in various types of institutions, ranging from small professional institutions and community college to a major research institution. He was recently the director of the Office of International...
Diana Carlin, PhD
Saint Louis University
NAFSA Secretary
Diana Bartelli Carlin served as the senior international officer at Saint Louis University and at the University of Kansas. She retired from Saint Louis University in January 2016. She has been a NAFSA member since 2000. In 2007 and 2008, she served as dean-in-residence and director of international...
Barry Morris, PhD
University of Central Florida
NAFSA Treasurer
Barry J. Morris, PhD, is the former chief global strategist and senior international officer at the University of Central Florida. He also serves as internationalization consultant for Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU). At BJTU, he was the founding vice dean for strategic planning and...
LaNitra Berger, PhD
George Mason University
NAFSA Vice President for Public Policy and Practice
LaNitra Berger, PhD, is the senior director of fellowships in the honors college at George Mason University (GMU), where she has helped students secure more than 50 prestigious fellowships such as the Fulbright, Boren, Gilman, Truman, Udall, and Critical Language Scholarship awards. At GMU, Berger...
Shinsaeng Ko
Emory University
NAFSA Vice President for Professional Development and Engagement
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...
Jeff Riedinger, PhD
University of Washington
NAFSA Vice President for Scholarship and Institutional Strategy
Jeff Riedinger, PhD, is the vice provost for global affairs and professor of law at the University of Washington in Seattle. He has leadership and administrative responsibility for the University of Washington’s diverse global programming, including support for international research; study abroad...
Board Members
Stephen Appiah-Padi, PhD
Bucknell University
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
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...
Bonnie Bissonette, EdD
University of Maryland-Baltimore
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
Bonnie Bissonette, EdD, is currently director, education abroad and international safety for the Center for Global Education Initiatives at the University of Maryland-Baltimore. Bissonette’s NAFSA experience began as a mentee in the second NAFSA Academy class, followed by service as the Wisconsin...
Susana Carrillo
The World Bank
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
Susana Carrillo has more than 20 years of experience in international development, strategy and business and global partnerships. She serves as the senior adviser to the International Department, Brazilian System for Workforce and Skills Development. She was an adjunct professor at the Honors...
Nelson W. Cunningham, JD
McLarty Associates
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
Nelson W. Cunningham, JD is president and cofounder of McLarty Associates. Under Cunningham's leadership, McLarty Associates has developed into a firm with global reach and a global team of more than 80 seasoned international specialists in 18 countries. Previously, Cunningham served in the White...
James Dorsett, PhD
Maryland Institute College of Art
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
James Dorsett, PhD has worked in international education for more than 20 years, mostly at large public universities. Currently he is the interim director of the Office of International Education at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Dorsett’s NAFSA involvement includes serving as chair of the...
Ahmad Ezzeddine, PhD
Wayne State University
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
Ahmad Ezzeddine, PhD, is the associate vice president for educational outreach and international programs 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...
Joël A. Gallegos
University of North Carolina-Charlotte
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
Joël A. Gallegos is assistant provost of international programs at the University of North Carolina (UNC)-Charlotte. Previously, he served as the director of education abroad at UNC-Charlotte and as the director of study abroad at the University of Toledo. Gallegos, who was the chair of NAFSA's 2014...
Heather Barclay Hamir, PhD
Institute for Study Abroad
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
Heather Barclay Hamir, PhD, is president and CEO of the Institute for Study Abroad. Hamir has worked in international education for two 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...
Fernando León-García, PhD
Centro de Enseñanza Técnica Y Superior (CETYS) University
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
Fernando León-García has served as president of Centro de Enseñanza Técnica Y Superior (CETYS) University since 2010, leading the institution to accreditation in the United States (WASC, ACBSP, ABET) and one of the highest student mobility rates in Mexico. He was previously chancellor of City...
Nancy Kidd
American Sociological Association
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
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...
Ann Mason, PhD
Mason Education Group
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
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...
Lawrence Schovanec, PhD
Texas Tech University
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
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...
Julie Sinclair
Michigan State University
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
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...
Sara Thurston, PhD
Kansas State University
Member-at-Large, NAFSA Board of Directors
Sara Thurston, PhD, has more than 18 years of professional experience in international education, including the last eight years that she has been at Kansas State University. Thurston’s past involvement with NAFSA includes presenting on numerous topics, mentoring, and serving in the Trainer Corp and...
Esther D. Brimmer, DPhil
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
Executive Director and CEO
Esther Brimmer, DPhil, serves as the executive director and chief executive officer of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Dr. Brimmer’s distinguished career includes three appointments within the U.S. Department of State, serving most recently as the assistant secretary for international...