Adria Baker, EdD

Adria Baker, EdD, associate vice provost for international education and executive director, Office of International Students & Scholars at Rice University, has held a variety of positions and served on committees in her 25+ years of working in international education. Her focus on public policy in international education topics allowed her to serve several years on NAFSA’s State Whip Network as Texas’ key congressional liaison. This opened doors for her to serve also on the Governor’s Council for the Department of Homeland Security, as well as lead the Committee for an International Education Policy in Texas. She currently leads a Task Force on Scams Targeting Internationals.

Adria has written articles and presented on subjects including advocacy issues supporting international education, international student & scholar advising, foreign credentials evaluation, immigration topics, and other related issues promoting international education exchange. Through utilizing NAFSA’s strategic advocacy programs, she strongly believes that each individual has an important voice to be heard. Her passion is to promote scholarships to send NAFSA members to Advocacy Day every year.

She is a past chair of NAFSA Region III and was awarded the Region III Outstanding Service to International Education award, as well as being recognized with the inaugural awards for Advocate of the Year and KCISSS Award of Excellence. She attended the Fulbright International Education Administrators and is now a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Ambassador. Adria studied as a Rotary International Research Fellow at the University of Costa Rica.