Region VIII Team Members
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Nichole Hunley
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Lehigh University
Past Chair
Nichole is currently the Associate Director for the Office of International Student and Scholars at Lehigh University. Originally from Kentucky, Nichole has worked in Massachusetts for the last 10 years in various positions. Most recently as International Scholar and Student Advisor at University of...
Jean Wenner
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University of Pittsburgh
Chair
Jean (she/ her/ hers) is an immigration specialist in the Office of International Services at the University of Pittsburgh. She currently serves as the NAFSA Region VIII Chair-Elect. After growing up in the City of Bridges, she has studied, worked, and lived around the world before returning to her...
Sarah Souza
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Duquesne University
Treasurer
Sarah Souza is the Assistant Director of International Admissions at Duquesne University. She has worked in international admissions for the past five years, serving in both strategic recruitment and DSO advising. Prior to moving into international admissions, Sarah was based in Shanghai, China...
Shannon Fuhrman
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Regent University
Chair-Elect
Dr. Shannon Fuhrman has over 10 years of experience in the higher education field, with the bulk of her time spent serving Christian colleges and universities. Presently, she serves as the Director of Training & Development for Regent University, where she also received her Ph.D. in Higher Education...
Vince Guarino
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Pennsylvania State University
Conference Planner
Vince Guarino began his career in international education in 2013 working in International Student Services at the University of South Carolina and later went on to work in international admissions and recruitment at UofSC. He currently works as an International Faculty Adviser at The Pennsylvania...
Ryan Geiger
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Penn State University
Sponsorships and Strategic Partnerships Coordinator
Ryan Geiger has been working in international education for over 10 years. He is currently serving in the role of Northeast region international student adviser and global education coordinator at The Pennsylvania State University. Ryan advises international students on immigration and a wide...
Angeline McMullin
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James Madison University Center for Global Engagement
Region VIII, EA KC Liaison
Angeline McMullin is the Associate Director of Study Abroad at the James Madison University Center for Global Engagement. Before beginning her work in higher education, she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Liberal Arts in Organizational Leadership specializing in student...
Katrina Knudsen
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University of Maryland, Baltimore County
ISSS KC Liaison
Katrina Knudsen serves as the Director for the Office of International Students and Scholars within the Center for Global Engagement at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Katrina has been working in higher education for over 20 years and specifically in the field of International Student...
Mingzhi Li
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Virginia Tech
Regulatory Ombudsman- Scholar Issues
Mingzhi (pronounced “min-jur”) has been working in International Student and Scholar Services for 15 years. She is currently a Senior Immigration Program Manager and the RO for the J-1 program at Virginia Tech, working primarily with employment-based immigrant and non-immigrant visas, J-1 scholars...
Jana Jaffa
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Penn State University
TLS KC Liaison
Dr. Jana Jaffa is the Assistant Director of Graduate Career Services at Penn State University. Her background spans ISSS, international research, and international student engagement. She has been working in the field since 2014. Dr. Jaffa has been active in the NAFSA community as a NAFSA Academy 18...
Erin Carney
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Hollins University
Region VIII, Virginia State Representative
Erin has been working in the field of international education for the past 10 years, starting with her time as Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) Young Professional fellow in Germany, to her time working in Japan as an educator, and now as the director of International Student...
Lucinda Morgan
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University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
2026 Regional Affairs Committee Chair, Region VIII Pennsylvania State Rep.
Lucinda Morgan is the Director for International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Previously she worked in international education at Allegheny College and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She formerly taught English in China at the university-level and was the...
Semhar Okbazion
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University of Maryland, Baltimore
Academy Coach
Semhar Okbazion is an accomplished professional with nearly 20 years of experience in the international education and immigration space, supporting international students and scholars across higher education institutions. She currently serves as Assistant Director at the University of Maryland...
Zelideth Rivas
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Assistant Provost for Global Education
Academy Coach
Dr. Zelideth María Rivas is the Assistant Provost for Global Education at Marshall University in West Virginia. As the senior international officer, she actively works to recruit international students, remove admissions barriers, build programs with partner institutions, and create education abroad...