NAFSA 2026 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: JY Zhou, James Madison University
Content Chair: Anna Hayes, Duke University
Poster Chair: Whitney Longnecker, Texas Tech University
Chair-Designate, 2026 Annual Conference Committee: CK Kwai, Ohio University
Vice President for Scholarship and Institutional Strategy: Julie Sinclair, Michigan State University
President of the Board of Directors: Ahmad Ezzeddine, Wayne State University

Jiangyuan (JY) Zhou, EdD

James Madison University

Chair, 2026 Annual Conference Committee

Jiangyuan (JY) Zhou, EdD, is the executive director, Center for Global Engagement at James Madison University. Her work focuses on internationalization, faculty empowerment, global learning, and assessment. JY keeps an active research agenda on a new theoretical framework to define and assess...

Duke University

Content Chair, 2026 Annual Conference Committee/ Trainer Corps Development Team

As Director of Global Health and Safety at Duke University, Anna provides strategy and vision for risk assessment, mitigation, health and crisis preparedness, faculty leader training, and response plans for undergraduate programs and students undertaking Duke-sponsored travel domestically and abroad...

Posters Chair, 2026 Annual Conference Committee, eLearning Dean

Whitney Longnecker is the Director of Study Abroad at Texas Tech University (TTU) where she oversees all aspects of TTU study abroad programming, including traveler advising, training, and support, program development, emergency preparedness and response, and more. Her personal study abroad...

Cleveland State University

Chair-Designate, 2026 Annual Conference Committee

C.K. Kwai, director of the Center for International Services and Programs at Cleveland State University, has extensive experience in all areas of international education. C.K.’s research interest is in the areas of international education and cross-cultural communication and management. He holds a...

Michigan State University

NAFSA Vice President for Scholarship and Institutional Strategy

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...

University of Washington

NAFSA President and Chair of the Board of Directors

Ahmad Ezzeddine, PhD, is the vice provost for Global Affairs at the University Washington in Seattle, Washington, where he leads and manages the Office of Global Affairs and serves as a strategic thought leader for the University’s global engagement efforts. Previously, he served as the vice...

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.

Education Abroad Knowledge Community Representative: Autumn Beechler Stebing, Western Reserve University
International Education Leadership Knowledge Community Representative: Parinaz Zartoshty, San Jose State University
International Enrollment Management Knowledge Community Representative: George F. Kacenga, William Paterson University of New Jersey
International Student and Scholar Services Knowledge Community Representative: Julie Wilbers, Vanderbilt University
Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship Knowledge Community Representative: Whitney Wotkyns, Northeastern University
Global Perspectives Member: Soledad Zapiola, Universidad de San Andrés in Buenos Aires

Autumn Beechler Stebing

Case Western Reserve University

2026 Annual Conference Committee Member & Co-Chair, Education Abroad Knowledge Community (EAKC)

Autumn Beechler Stebing oversees all elements of education abroad at Case Western Reserve University and works strategically with Center for International Affairs leadership to further internationalization and global citizenship on campus. Beechler Stebing has been an active member of NAFSA for the...

San Jose State University

2025 Annual Conference Committee Member, IEL KC

Parinaz Zartoshty, EdD is the Senior Director of Global Programs and Services at San Jose State University (SJSU). In her role, she serves as the Senior International Officer (SIO) and is charged with leading and facilitating the university’s comprehensive internationalization efforts through...

William Paterson University of New Jersey

2026 Annual Conference Committee Member, IEM KC; Past Chair, IEM KC

George F. Kacenga, PhD, has been a champion for the value of higher education for over twenty-years. He is currently the Vice President of Enrollment Management at William Paterson University of New Jersey. He recently worked as the AVP of University Partnerships with M Square Media. Kacenga has...

Vanderbilt University

2026 Annual Conference Committee Member, ISSS KC; Past Chair, ISSS KC

Julie Wilbers has worked in international education for more than 15 years. She has extensive experience advising international students and scholars on nonimmigrant visas, as well as filing employment-based permanent residency petitions. Wilbers previously served as the International Scholar...

Northeastern University School of Law

2026-27 Annual Conference Committee Member, TLS KC

Whitney Wotkyns is the Director of LL.M., Study Abroad, International Student Services, and the Visiting Scholar program at the Northeastern University School of Law as well as a scholar practitioner and communications expert with years of experience in teaching, research, and administration. She...

Universidad de San Andrés

2026 Annual Conference Committee Member, Global Perspectives

Soledad is currently Executive Director of International Programs Universidad de San Andrés in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She previously served as CIO at Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina and as President of the Argentinean Forum for International Education (FAEI). Her NAFSA Annual Conference...

NAFSA 2026 Annual Conference Committee (ACC)

2026 Annual Conference & Expo