NAFSA 2025 Annual Conference Committee (ACC)
The NAFSA annual conference brings together the global international education community to reflect, celebrate, inspire, and create. Together, we recognize and learn from the strength and expertise of the community, renew our mission, and chart the course for the future.
Each year, the Annual Conference Committee uses the principles below to develop the conference program:
- Meet challenges by sharing lessons learned, diverse perspectives, and innovative approaches.
- Explore trends in professional development and career advancement, and advocate for the well-being of all as we plan for the future of international education.
- Create intentional community-building and networking experiences.
- Ensure that the conference is accessible to all.
- Highlight global thought leadership and multigenerational perspectives.
- Underscore the global imperative for social justice and access, and the importance of inclusive internationalization for long-term impact at our institutions, as well as our local and global communities.
Executive Team
The Executive Team provides vision and oversight and ensures the conference is aligned with NAFSA’s strategic plan. They set content and networking priorities for the conference, including both concurrent sessions and poster events. They lead the content planning meeting to review the program submitted by the Conference Content Team and, with their help, engineer or re-engineer sessions, seminars, and workshops to meet content goals. In addition, they evaluate data from the previous year’s conference to inform their goals for the upcoming conference.
- Conference Chair: Sara Thurston, Kansas State University
- Content Chair: Namiki Bagirimvano, U.S.-Japan Council
- Poster Chair: Anna Hayes, Duke University
- Chair-Designate, 2025 Annual Conference Committee: Jiangyuan Zhou, James Madison University
- Vice President for Scholarship and Institutional Strategy: Ahmad Ezzeddine, Wayne State University
- President of the Board of Directors: LaNitra Berger, George Mason University
Sara Thurston, PhD
Namiko Bagirimvano
Anna Hayes
Jiangyuan (JY) Zhou, EdD
Ahmad Ezzeddine, PhD
LaNitra Berger, PhD
Content Team
The Content Team develops a content plan for the conference and helps shape the Call for Proposals. They solicit and review proposals for sessions, poster events, and workshops that fit the conference theme and advance knowledge and skill-building for the field of international education and exchange. Each team member develops a ranked set of session and workshop proposals for their respective audience group to contribute to the creation of a coherent, comprehensive, and cutting-edge program. The team reviews and organizes posters under the direction of the Poster Chair.
- Education Abroad Knowledge Community Representative: Susan Lochter Atkinson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- International Education Leadership Knowledge Community Representative: Parinaz Zartoshty, San Jose State University
- International Enrollment Management Knowledge Community Representative: Aleks Morawski, Scholaro, Inc.
- International Student and Scholar Services Knowledge Community Representative: Regina George, Princeton University
- Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship Knowledge Community Representative: Ling LeBeau, Syracuse University
- Global Perspectives Member: Craig E. Hastings, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge