NAFSA's Board of Directors

Ravi Shankar is the NAFSA President and Chair of the Board of Directors. 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...

Shinn Ko is the NAFSA Vice President for Professional Development and Engagement. Ko serves as director of international student and scholar services, global strategy, and initiatives at Emory University. She has presented numerous sessions and workshops at conferences and seminars. She has also...

Jeff Riedinger, PhD, is the NAFSA Vice President for Scholarship and Institutional Strategy. Riedinger 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...

Barry J. Morris, PhD, is the NAFSA Treasurer. Morris is 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...

Michael Adewumi, PhD, is the executive vice president for academic affairs at the IES Abroad. Previously Adewumi was vice provost for global programs at Pennsylvania State University, and professor of petroleum and natural gas engineering. In this role, Adewumi oversaw the university’s global...

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 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 House...

James Dorsett 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, 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...

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, has served as president of Centro de Enseñanza Técnica Y Superior University (CETYS) University since 2010, leading the institution to institutional and program accreditation in the United States (WASC, ACBSP, ABET) and one of the highest study abroad rates among...

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...

Cecil P. Staton, DPhil, became the 11th chancellor of East Carolina University (ECU) on July 1, 2016. He is a tenured professor in ECU’s Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. Prior to his role at ECU, Staton served as vice chancellor for extended education for the University System of...

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...