2021 Schedule

What questions do we need to ask ourselves and our offices to ensure that we are best supporting transgender, gender non-binary, and gender non-conforming students? This session will dive deep into complex and nuanced questions surrounding gender identity and gender expression in education abroad. Through interactive discussion and engaging activities, participants will explore topics such as advising communication materials, overseas housing placements, and international travel logistics.

Presenters  

Clau Castaneda - SAI Programs

Roger Adkins - Earlham College

This practice-based and interactive workshop will provide professionals within international education a snapshot and a taste of an interactive session with StoryCrafting (as conducted at The Hague University, The Netherlands): an inclusive and empowering dialogical approach. It will be geared to you, as an inclusive internationalization professional, to provide you with tools and strategies to help students find their inner voice and define their leadership towards career readiness while abroad, through “identity learning” and mind-shifting, moving from a 1st to a 2nd Story, following the Transformation through Writing Model and U- theory.

Experience StoryCrafting & feel empowered!

Presenters

Adela Garabal Gómez - The Hague University of Applied Sciences

Mariëtte Harlaar - The Hague University of Applied Sciences

Jenny Sullivan - Rochester Institute of Technology

Dara Levy (Student) - Rochester Institute of Technology

International Education is changing and diverse student representation is increasing within marketing and other opportunities, however, IE institutions/organizations may unknowingly be contributing to a long history of tokenism. In this session, we'll explore the roots of tokenism in diversity advertising, how its impacted people of color today, and share best practices of how we can re-approach marketing to move away from tokenism and towards inclusion.

Presenters

Stephen Gonzalez - University of Michigan

Christina Thompson - Barcelona SAE

What are some unique opportunities presented by international education programs which bring together students sharing common identities? What lessons can we draw from identity-focused programs to support students who do not choose these types of programs and vice versa? This session will explore themes of identity, community, intersectionality, and more through the lenses of two unique programs, including a CIEE Access Grant-winning program centering around Black Deaf experiences; and a cross-disability outbound leadership program.

Presenters 

Ashley Holben - Mobility International USA

Maegan Shanks - Gallaudet University

The Diversity Abroad AIDE Roadmap is a framework for assessing diversity participation in study abroad. Presenters from Diversity Abroad and two universities will share their experiences with the Roadmap, providing Access, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity information, implementation strategies, and lessons learned. Participants will have an opportunity to develop individual action plans.

Presenters 

Holly Hudson - Texas A&M University

Kelly Brannan Trail - University of Dayton

Arielle Gousse - Diversity Abroad

As study abroad participation diversifies, student feedback describing acts of micro-aggressions and even overt acts of prejudice and discrimination abroad is increasing. Simultaneously, overseas resident staff and US faculty leading programs are struggling to find ways to connect and support a generation that is more diverse and eager to talk about issues of social justice and privilege. This presentation will share programming and training examples of how to navigate this phenomena on education abroad programs.

Presenters 

Lisa Johnson - Smith College

DuBois Jennings - IFSA

Ebony Ellis - University of Michigan

Fiona Pearson - IFSA

Diverse perspectives are missing from education abroad scholarship, and while many education abroad practitioners aren't trained researchers there is a need for their work to reach broader audiences. Especially for those working to make education abroad more accessible and inclusive, highlighting such work can ensure international educators are better equipped to support students from underrepresented backgrounds. This skills-focused session covers the basics of publication and provide space for participants to begin developing their research agendas.

Presenters 

Lily Lopez-McGee - Howard University

Eduardo Contreras - University of Portland

David Wick - Middlebury Institute of International Studies

Tasha Willis - California State University, Los Angeles

How do we amplify the rhetoric of intercultural competency in one direction to all directions so to facilitate greater interaction between international/exchange students and local students? This session will discuss the relevance of intercultural competency for both domestic and international students in order to bridge the gap between local and global interactions as well as how to integrate intercultural competency into existing institutional priorities and goals.

Presenters 

Asabe Poloma - Brown University

Gabriella Santoro - University of Connecticut

Vivian Yamoah - Towson University

How deep can you really go into a student's intersecting identities in 15 minutes? Actually, pretty far with Appreciative Advising. During this engaging session we practice the art of this model. We will be preparing, taking action, giving feedback, and reflecting about this practice to implement in and out of short advising appointments. This session will be highly interactive and involve direct practice that will help you to reach that next level with your advisees.

Presenters

Caroline Zeiher - Arizona State University

Abel Estrada - University of Colorado, Boulder

Diversity Abroad continues to grow and has been working on exciting new services and resources over the past year. This session will provide a short overview of organizational resources, membership as well as important updates and opportunities to stay engaged with Diversity Abroad throughout the year.

Presenter:

Christopher LeGrant: Partnership Development Manager - Diversity Abroad

Interested in exploring strategies for maximizing Diversity Abroad member resources & benefits to meet your diversity and inclusion goals? Whether you are new to Diversity Abroad's consortium or a veteran member, this session will provide an overview of key resources, professional development offerings, and engagement opportunities available to you as a Diversity Abroad Member.

Presenter:

Arielle Gousse: Senior Program Coordinator, Professional Services - Diversity Abroad

Despite best intentions around diversity and inclusion goals, offices may be stuck with the same application processes cycle after cycle. This session provides colleagues, new and veteran, an overview of approaches and resources to advance diversity and inclusion goals through the application process. Presenters from Elon University and CIEE highlight lessons learned from the evolution of their applications and elevate conversation about how application processes and criteria shape application numbers.

Presenters

Janelle Papay Decato: Elon University

Allegra Laing: Elon University

Stacy Benjamin: CIEE

Bill Burress: Elon University

Is your office having trouble getting a seat at the Advancement table at your institution? Is your company considering growing your Alumni network? This session will provide methods, best practices, and examples for developing relationships with the Advancement Office that could support your programs and students. Attendees will obtain tips on how to engage effectively and advocate for their financial objectives.

Presenters

Nasha Lewis: William & Mary

Dafina Diabete: Lincoln University

The At Home in the World (AHITW) course internationalization program supports faculty in redesigning courses that prepare students for international experiences at home and abroad. This program opens international education to all students broadening students' worldviews regardless of whether they will go on to study abroad. Presenters will provide an example of how AHITW engaged students in international initiatives in a Violence Prevention and Intervention course and present course internationalization examples involving faculty-led study abroad.

Presenters

Ezequiel Peña: Our Lady of the Lake University

Kathryn Anderson: Our Lady of the Lake University

First Generation students, often the family's academic trailblazers, are recently reported as being a third of university student populations.This increased number of First Gen students however doesn't correlate to more of them studying abroad.This talk describing how a single university created a cohort study abroad group, will describe the programming, detail recruitment & advising and finalize with how the in-country academic structure & mentoring all contribute to the successful orchestration of this program

Presenters

Mary Alice Soriero: CEA Study Abroad

Lucila (Luci) Loera-Herrera: Washington State University

Rafael Pruneda Benavides: Washington State University

Students studying abroad come from a broad range of religious traditions. Religion is likewise an important element in many of the societies where students study. What are the impacts of religious beliefs, or lack thereof, on students' well-being abroad? This session explores the topic of religious identity and its impact on students' health, safety and security abroad. The session, presented by members of the Diversity Abroad Religious Identity Task Force, will not focus on one religion or location specifically, but will ground workshop content in specific examples from various religious perspectives.

Presenters

Mariette Thomas: A. B. Freeman School of Business, Tulane University

Aley Bedair: ISA-Veritas

Leticia Kahya: San Diego State University

Presenter

Lindsey Sitler: The University of Maryland, College Park

Coming out in the workplace can be a difficult process- coming out as an identity that colleagues may need educated on seems outright impossible. I will discuss my own personal experiences of coming out as a non-binary trans person, the perceptions of gender, and the role of allyship not just for students but colleagues in an international culture focused industry.

Presenter

Arielle Gousse: Diversity Abroad 

Gain insights into the results of Diversity Abroad’s 2019 Survey of Diversity & Inclusion Among International Educators. As we continue to increase outreach and support for diverse students going abroad, this survey allows us to explore the support efforts for diverse professionals in international education specifically their sense of belonging, retention and advancement within the field.

Presenter

Monica Malhotra: Mobility International USA (MIUSA)

Diverse professionals, including professionals with disabilities, have many unique experiences to share within the international education field. Come learn about professional opportunities to not only benefit yourself, but to also further advance the field at the same time.

Presenter

Jill Manske: Michigan State University

As we embrace increasing diversity among both study abroad participants and destinations, international educators have the opportunity -- and the responsibility -- to shift programs to be more critically conscious, ultimately towards dismantling oppressive systems and structures that have been prevalent. This session will introduce effective yet accessible reflective questioning methods derived from principles of critical literacy, which attendees can practice and integrate into new or existing programs in order to deepen reciprocal exchange and learning.

Presenter

Asabe Poloma: Brown University

Through intercultural exchange programs and institutional partnerships, global education acts as a site of interplay between cultural and educational values. What cultural values are transmitted and reflected in prevalent international and institutional internationalization strategies? How do those values perpetuate continuity between the colonial past and current global hierarchies that continues to reproduce a Eurocentric ideology? What possibilities does a critical and postcolonial analysis offer for decolonizing international education frameworks and practices?

Presenter

Nicole Webster: Pennsylvania State University

An understanding of decolonizing actions must begin in the mind, focusing on the creative and consistent way that decolonized thinking shapes and empowers the mind. Within the study abroad discourse, we often create false narratives (whether it be consciously or unconsciously) that preserve colonial attitudes such as power and privilege.Within this discussion, participants will learn to assess the impact of colonialization within the study abroad context.

Presenter

Delia Gillis: University of Central Missouri

This session allows you to follow us for one year exploring three different opportunities that were used to create diverse study abroad experiences for primarily first generation, low income and minority students, but also resulted in a remarkably creative year of professional development that includeda month long program in Spain, a faculty-led study tour in Jamaica, a cultural excursion in Toronto Canada and a semester long exchange in Ghana.

Presenter

Angie Klimko: Washington State University - TRIO Student Support Services

This session will add to strategies to dismantle barriers related to student success by informing participants about a successful first-generation study abroad program that was implemented at Washington State University in 2014. The success of the 1st Gen Abroad program is due to the partnerships built across student affairs and academic affairs and the diverse backgrounds of our committee and traveling advisors. To date we've had 110 first-generation students participate in this study abroad experience.

Presenter

Hernando Sevilla-Garcia: IES Abroad

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are those colleges and universities that enroll a minimum of 25% Latinx students. However, even though these institutions enroll a disproportionate number of Latinx students, they only account for approximately 7% of all Latinx students going abroad. Thus, this session explores the resources, individual challenges, and institutional obstacles that play a role in enrollment of Latinx students HSIs in study abroad programs.

Presenter

Yumi Pak California State University, San Bernardino

In "Challenging Negative Stereotyping and Monolithic Constructions Through Caribbean Studies," Camille Hernandez-Ramdwar writes that she wants her students to "address their subjectivity and their own context. The questions [she] want[s] them to be asking are: who am I? Who am I in relation to others? Who and where am I in time and space?" (78). How might study abroad programs utilize histories of slavery, colonialism and structural oppressions to aid our students in doing so?

Presenter

Shahreena Shahrani: The Ohio State University

Inspired by Anzaldúa's autohistoria-teoria and the Arab concept of adab, this presentation describes the processes undertaken by a student-researcher to re-negotiate positionality and access in Amman, Jordan. It offers insights on how minority students and professionals can respectfully navigate context-specific perceptions of race, ethnicity, gender, and class while studying and conducting research in the region. This presentation also brings attention to the need for greater training on racial dynamics in Arabic study abroad programs.

Presenter

Brittani Smit: Arcadia University

In this session, examples of decolonized programming that amplifies indigenous voices and engages reciprocally with marginalized communities will be presented, along with suggestions for reframing the marketing of locations that are posited as "developing" relative to so-called "developed" countries. This approach to decolonizing international education equips students to truly be ethical global citizens and incorporates stakeholders both in the US and abroad in the process.

This session will offer an example of an innovative approach to increasing study abroad access to underrepresented students. Through intentional program design and recruitment targeting transfer, first-gen, and low-income students, Stetson University was able to bring a group of 8 diverse participants to the Dominican Republic. In this session, you will learn about the program's funding model, course design, and hear the experiences directly from the professors and one of the student participants.

Presenters

Paula Hentz: Stetson University

Pamela Cappas-Toro: Stetson University

Andy Eisen: Stetson University

Come explore issues impacting transgender, gender-non conforming, and non-binary students. LGBTQI+ issues are often discussed as a monolith without recognizing the unique needs and characteristics of the "T". Through case studies and group discussions, we will focus on how the international education community can support this student population in achieving their goals while also setting realistic expectations. We will walk through effective resources and how to construct more inclusive global education programming.

Presenters

Marissa Mitchell: Dickinson College

Lauren Chow: Babson College

Alexandria Waters: CET Academic Programs

Kyndall Cox: CIEE

Kate Osmond: St. Edward's University

This session will explore best practices in effectively communicating to our diverse students how professional and personal skills gained in Academic internships abroad translate into a key element for future employability. How International Education Offices, Diversity and Inclusion Offices and Career Development offices can work together to develop tools to enable cultural, professional and academic (self)-evaluation, before, during and after study abroad to increase diversity inclusion.

Presenters

Jon Hutchinson: EUSA - Academic Internship Experts

Lisa Fleury: Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Paris

Kelsey Gillett: State University of New York at Oswego

Many of us find that an increase in diverse program offerings, specialized workshops and scholarships doesn't necessarily result in an increase in participation by underserved students in study abroad. So where are we missing the mark? The roadblocks to access by these populations stem from a deeply entrenched thread of inequities woven into the fabric of the higher education system. How do we, as practitioners, begin to unravel the system?

Presenters

Andra Jacques: UC San Diego

Luis Legaspi: UC San Diego

Jay Minert: UC San Diego

Darin Smith-Gaddis: CAPA The Global Education Network

Many studies have highlighted the benefits of study abroad for minority undergraduate students, however, limited research and conversations center on minority graduate students, specifically black students. This session will unpack the influence of study abroad on black graduate students. Do these benefits align with graduate school academic programs and more importantly the importance of black graduate students' participation in study abroad experiences and the necessity for them to be a part of this discourse.

Presenters

Nicole Webster: Pennsylvania State University

Janelle Rahyns: Yale-NUS College

In the predominantly white field of international education, those who identify as professionals of color are many times the only or one of very few in their offices. This often brings challenges and opportunities for growth in the office culture. In this session we will discuss how professionals of color can navigate a workplace that was not developed with inclusivity in mind as well as discuss best practices for creating a more inclusive work culture.

Presenters

Randeep Kullar: Academic Internship Council/CIEE

Kory Saunders: North Carolina State University

Kandice Rose: IES Abroad

Keara DeKay - CIS Abroad

According to the Institute of International Education, less than 6% of American college students who study abroad are Black and less than 2% of those participants are Black males. During this session we will share the cultural, financial, and social barriers we have encountered as researchers, educators, and advocates of increasing minority male study abroad participation. Sharing these tips we hope to provide guidance for campuses across the country who struggle with diversifying their enrollment.

Presenters

Ruby Maddox: Leaders of the Free World

Kimberly Boulden: Augsburg University

Vincent Harris: Male Success Initiative (California State University, Fullerton)

International students with disabilities are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other disability-related laws, but access for these students must go beyond the ADA when considering their unique needs in a cross-cultural context. Learn about the nuances for international students with disabilities studying on a U.S. campus and proactive strategies to support these students towards their academic and professional goals.

Presenters

Monica Malhotra Mobility International USA

Jill Grana: IREX

Annette Whatley: University of Texas at Austin - Texas Global

David Levin: U.S. Department of State

This session brings together researchers and practitioners to provide insights on study abroad trends specific to minority serving institutions (MSIs). The panelists will provide data that can be used for benchmarking and to help institutions understand profiles of students engaging in study abroad by each MSI type, discuss best practices to increase study abroad, and explore strategies to overcome institutional and student challenges to studying abroad.

Presenters

Julie Baer: Institute of International Education

Daniel Blake: University of Pennsylvania

Jewell Winn: Tennessee State University

Perzen Akolawala: Lone Star College System

Join London Metropolitan University - the most diverse university in the UK - to hear about how they are meeting the needs of the communities they serve, including how they are giving back to their city and ensuring the institution’s social mission continues to have impact in a cosmopolitan, modern capital.

In this session a faculty member from African-American Studies and the Director of International Programs will share the struggles of creating a first ever short-term faculty-led study abroad to West Africa. Particularly, they will discuss how transparency and collaboration were pivotal in being student-focused. The main goal was to ensure that ANY student interested in the trip, would be able to attend. Staying student-focused created several obstacles. Come hear what it took to overcome them.

Presenters

LaToya Brackett: University of Puget Sound

Makenna Hess-Fletcher: University of Puget Sound

Sammie Walimaki: University of Puget Sound

Daniel Espinoza: University of Puget Sound

Now more than ever, it is critical that we expose our students to other cultures and help them gain a global perspective in their professions. Xavier University of Louisiana is an institution which is helping close the disparity gap for minority students abroad, and we will share our tactics for success.

Presenters

Giti Farudi: Xavier University of Louisiana

Karen Lee: Xavier University of Louisiana

Short-term faculty-led courses are a rapidly growing form of study abroad. While students usually go through some form of intercultural pre-departure orientation, the academic part of these experiences remains beholden to more traditional, normative combinations of traveling and learning. This session describes how Agnes Scott's faculty development workshops center inclusion and diversity from course design to student placement and to risk management. Attendees will leave with a toolkit for implementing practices at their home institution.

Presenters

Gundolf Graml: Agnes Scott College

Clementine Hakizimana: Agnes Scott College

This doctoral research study collected quantitative data at a Hispanic-Serving Institution in Northern California in order to determine if study abroad programming, as a high-impact educational practice (HIP), had any correlation with the campus's efforts to improve graduation completion and retention rates, and to eliminate equity gaps amongst its historically underserved student populations.

Presenter

Jennifer Gruber: California State University, Chico

Every day students with intellectual disabilities participate in classes, extracurricular activities and social life alongside non-disabled students in university settings. Why not international exchange? Explore the current landscape of Comprehensive Transition Programs (CTPs) that support students with intellectual disabilities in higher education across the U.S. Then find examples of students who have studied or volunteered abroad and the strategies that made their experiences inclusive. Finally, learn how YOU can get involved in these pioneering programs!

Presenter

Ashley Holben: Mobility International USA

Looking through a lens of equity and inclusion focusing on racial identity and whiteness, "Beyond the Buzzwords" examines The Experiment in International Living's practices in hiring and training program leaders on short-term exchanges abroad for secondary school students. Drawing upon principles of experiential learning, identity development abroad, and social justice education theories, the framework comprises three core areas: access (diversity of the educator cohort), awareness (critical identity self-reflection), and action (equitable and inclusive practices).

Presenter

Chelsea Johnson: The Experiment in International Living

Are you an educator at an MSI that has interest in learning how to engage student learning and motivation to study abroad?Join this session to learn culturally responsive teaching and learning strategies that are effective with engagement of minority students.

Presenters

April Jones: Tuskegee University

Rhonda Collier: Tuskegee University

It is important to consider the host country's cultural attitude towards gender identity. With at home university policies that support gender inclusive housing, this session will provide an insight into university specific policies, challenges and possibility of gender inclusive housing on campus and specifically abroad. Specific experiential case studies will be discussed and guided with session facilitators.

Presenter

Daniella Lubey: University of San Francisco

Erasmo Mendez: Fordham University

Short-term student research projects are an easy opportunity to make progress on long-term goals and open up communication channels across campus. Hear from project stakeholders (study away professional, chief diversity officer, and graduate students) about their experience collaborating over 14 weeks, what they learned from each other, and how you can use their experience to tackle your own projects, bridge silos, and build more productive relationships on your campus.

Presenters

Jon Mayfield: ArtCenter College of Design

Aaron Bruce: ArtCenter College of Design

How can you create opportunities for brave conversations between domestic and international students? This poster presentation will examine ways to create a culture for students to reflect on diversity and inclusion. In creating a space for students to understand the context of how we at NC State define diversity and inclusion, students examine their personal definitions with those of the university. Thus, we encourage our students to build community, acknowledge and respect everyone's lived experiences.

Presenters

Maura McCarthy: North Carolina State University

Kory Saunders: North Carolina State University

Many say, "no way! I don't know what to do." Many just give up. But, the time and effort needed to secure the resources and support to include students with disabilities into study abroad programs makes it worth the effort. Read the story and engage in discussions about the challenges and success experienced at one university over a 4-year period that resulted in having not just one, but five students with disabilities study abroad.

Presenter

Alexis McKenney: Temple University

In 2017, following an honorable mention from the 1st Diversity Abroad Innovation Competition, DePauw University launched the Global Access Initiative Challenge scholarship, providing dedicated funds to students of color who participate in two international study experiences. Three years later, the GAIC scholarship has successfully supported two cohorts, but faces uncertainty about its future. This session will share insights/lessons learned about building a scholarship from the ground up, and discuss developing systemic sustainability for future cohorts.

Presenter

Neal McKinney: DePauw University

"Never Have I Ever..." thought studying abroad was a possibility for my college major or been part of the majority. This session reviews the steps for creating a study abroad program that reached students traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields for a fully-funded study abroad experience. Traveling through the program creation timeline, we unpack various layers of diversity, identify meaningful campus collaborations and explain funding opportunities for diversity and inclusion study abroad programs.

Presenters

Kimberly Mulligan: Auburn University, College of Sciences and Mathematics

Lauren Roalkvan: Auburn University

Participatory Research Intervention/Integration Service to Mankind (PRISM)
The conceived model includes incorporating student research experiences, advising, mentoring and professional development through community-based research, service-learning, and formal coursework.
Components include: 1) advising student-led pre-professional organizations; 2) teaching experiential courses on community-based participatory research methods and ethics class; and 3) supervising selected students on a service-learning study abroad capstone.

Presenters

Veronica Oates: Tennessee State Univesity

Rhonda Mitchell: Tennessee State University

Increasing study abroad participation among underrepresented students is a conversation common to EA offices today. However, with over 70% of IE professionals having a homogeneous racial background, how can IE staff recruit minority students if they aren't leading by example? Drawing from the pool of diverse faculty on campus can aid IE offices in recruiting. Faculty members are in a unique position to create intentional programming and play an integral role in reaching underrepresented populations.

Presenter

Anuja Parikh: University of South Carolina

As International Educators, we aspire to build programs that meet the needs of our students and their identities. However, there is a population most of us miss. Nearly one quarter of college students have dependents, or children, that they are caring for as they pursue a degree. This session will discuss students who have children, the barriers that prevent their participation in our programs, and highlight campus structures that have enabled them to study abroad.

Presenter

Noah Goldblatt: Champlain College

Cultivating new relationships and epic explorations throughout the world has broadened the horizons of many, and possibly even your own. Freedoms are constantly redefined for people of color, and travel has become a conduit for exercising those freedoms. Instagram, specifically, has created a highlight of international exploration through "The Black Travel Movement." Join us on a journey of researching international travel necessities for students of color using social media engagement tactics and data.

Presenters

Quiana Rivers: London Metropolitan University

Marissa Pierre: ISEP Study Abroad

In my work as an ESL teacher and department chair over the past two years, I designed an exemplar ESL curriculum for high school students. This curriculum is rooted in social justice theory and is also tied to the Common Core standards as well as to the WIDA Can Do descriptors. This curriculum develops students in all four language domains while exploring topics of identity, immigration, gentrification, workplace bias, etc.

Presenters

Kristina Skotte: Hult International Business School

Alumni experience is often acknowledged as an important tool for both recruiting and supporting diverse participants in study abroad. But how can this experience be shared in an authentic and effective way? Since 2015, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program's Alumni Support Network has facilitated unmediated conversations between participants and alumni of shared backgrounds and identities for additional support before, during, and after their experiences abroad. Join this conversation to learn about these experiences.

Presenters

Liz Sinclair: Critical Language Scholarship Program

Natalie Spencer: Critical Language Scholarship Program

How do institutions decide what our own study abroad programs look like and which partner/provider programs we will permit students to pursue? What are the criteria for approving a program? Who is (not) involved in this process?
The program approval process determines the opportunities available to students and in turn impacts both access to study abroad and the student experience. This poster presents findings from a national baseline research study on these processes.

Presenter

Kerry Stamp: Vassar College, Office of International Programs

When properly trained, international education advisors can provide important guidance for LGBTQIA students traveling abroad. Additionally, these advisors are well-positioned to support transgender and non-binary students in obtaining updated identification documents such as passports. Learn how colleagues from an LGBTQIA center and a study abroad office collaborated to train international advisors to work with LGBTQIA students. The panel will also discuss the creation of the Trans Visibility Passport Day to support transgender and non-binary individuals.

Presenter

Katie Lopez: University of Michigan School of Social Work

The central African Biodiversity Alliance is an international consortium spanning three continents. Through NSF funding, the alliance has built an integrated research and educational program focused on conserving biodiversity in the face of climate change. In addition to professional development and bioinformatics workshops, this program has offered immersive field schools to US and African students that have provided a bridge between continents, languages and cultures. These field schools have engaged a highly diverse US student body from a wide range of institutions and promoted international collaboration and reciprocity between students and faculty.

Presenter

Nicola Anthony: University of New Orleans

Based on Diversity Abroad's AIDE Roadmap Guidelines, the AIDE Roadmap Assessment evaluates diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and policies within education abroad offices and provider organizations and is an essential tool in facilitating positive growth towards diversity and inclusion goals. Institutions and organizations may access the full Assessment through enrollment in Diversity Abroad’s Inclusive Excellence Program, a comprehensive and collaborative program which guides education abroad offices and organizations through the AIDE Roadmap, recognizes their success, and promotes continued growth, operational effectiveness, and progress toward inclusive excellence.

Presenters

Arielle Gousse: Diversity Abroad

Erica Ledesma: Diversity Abroad

Rural areas cover 97% of land in the USA yet the needs of the rural student are rarely addressed, especially in education abroad. In this session we will explore who rural students are, where they come from, and where in the world they choose to study abroad. We will also discuss how to best support rural students from the advising process to on-site support and how to facilitate the return to their home campus.

Presenters 

Christina Brooks: Institute for Study Abroad

Todd Karr: University of New Mexico

Kerry Uniyal: Institute for Study Abroad

Asian-Americans often fall through the cracks in discussions of diversity and inclusion; the international education profession is no exception. This interactive session will explore the question of why there are so few Asian-American professionals in international education, what this means for framing conversations around race/ethnicity as a whole, and how we can begin to address this underrepresentation going forward. Purposeful dialogue and creative solutions require multiple perspectives: all are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Presenters 

Lauren Chow: Babson College

Clare Overmann: Institute of International Education

Brett Chin: California Lutheran University

Developing strong partnerships between study abroad and support offices such as TRIO is crucial to empowering first-generation/high financial need students to pursue global study opportunities. During this interactive session, attendees will explore collaborative strategies such as a first-time travelers' workshop, cross-unit departmental advising, pre-departure & onsite budgeting tools, and innovative technological resources including video testimonials. Take-aways from the session include creating an action plan for harnessing intra-institutional partnerships in order to promote global education.

Presenters 

Dana Currier: University of Chicago

Sarah Wagner: University of Pittsburgh

Brooke Baslee: Illinois Abroad & Global Exchange, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Althea Counts: University of South Carolina

How can diverse on-site staff uniquely contribute to supporting identities abroad? The University of Minnesota has found the engagement of on-site staff of color or from a third culture particularly powerful in diversity and inclusion training and student support. In this session, two long-time residents of Spain who are not Spanish will share how their own personal experiences have proven an asset in supporting diverse students negotiating complex identities abroad and increased their empathy and effectiveness.

Presenters 

Bradley Titus: University of Minnesota

Yukiko Okazaki: University of Minnesota Study and Intern in Toledo

Saúl Oliveros Lerin:  University of Minnesota Study and Intern in Madrid

Based on the marketing campaign for the Higher Education in the Dominican Republic: Access, Equity and Opportunity education abroad program at The Ohio State University, this session will explore how to reach diverse populations within Generation Z through videography and photography, how to create a college campus-wide marketing plan and the importance of repurposing content for future use.

Presenters 

Hannah Hackworth: The Ohio State University

Joshua Edmonds: The Ohio State University

Sly Worthy: The Ohio State University

As marginalized members of American society, students of color often feel limited in their privilege and access daily. However, while abroad, HBCU students along with their peers of color from other institutions, often report that their perspectives on privilege, access, and equity are challenged and enhanced as a result of having experienced a foreign country. This session will explore the concept of privilege and its impact from the perspective of non-white students who study abroad.

Presenters 

MaRaina Montgomery: Howard University

Participants will learn about successful study abroad design elements for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The session will explore the specific needs of students with ASD in a study abroad context. Features that can be added to any international program will be discussed. Presenters will share their experience designing a three-week, faculty-led program specifically for students with ASD. Participants will have the opportunity to share experiences and brainstorm ideas for their own institutions.

Presenters 

Jessica Lindoerfer: Landmark College

Peg Alden: Landmark College

The Experiment, an international education provider, and The Fellowship Initiative, a youth leadership and mentoring organization, discuss their successful collaboration in creating international program experiences for 275 young men of color. The session delves into the value of such opportunities for students K-12 as a way to strengthen the high school-to-college pathway for underserved youth, and how educators and institutions can support this pipeline to spur systemic change.

Presenters

Jessika Macias: The Experiment in International Living

Imani Farley: JP Morgan Chase & Co Global Philanthropy

Two HBCUs and one PWI collaboratively built a "study away" program to New Orleans and Ghana designed to reach a traditionally underserved students. Through cooperative goal-setting and planning, faculty and administrators built a program at breakneck speed. 15 students and four faculty explored the human experience related to the African diaspora with an emphasis on cultural ties between Louisiana and West Africa. Hurricanes to contracts, travel delays to home stays, there were many lessons learned.

Presenters

Patrick McMurdo: Global Education Oregon

Cynthia Bryant: Southern University and A & M College

Akwasi B. (AB) Assensoh: University of Oregon

Yvette Alex-Assensoh: University of Oregon

Homestays abroad are not controlled environments, but brave spaces where students can explore and compare host culture norms, traditions, lifestyle and language. Increasingly, colleagues abroad are charged with helping students better discern nuanced meaning and impact of identity and diversity during homestays when often viewing the world through their US cultural lens. Learn and discuss ways to empower students to differentiate unsafe from uncomfortable and directness from discrimination in homestay family environments.

Presenters

Gretchen Cook-Anderson: IES Abroad

Natalia Garcia Caballos: IES Abroad

Dimeji Togunde: Spelman College

Gretchen Young: Wheaton College

This session will focus on the experiences of faculty of color who lead study abroad programs and their motivations for engaging in international learning programs. The presenters surveyed faculty of color at various institutions across the country and will present the findings for the audience.Audience members will have the opportunity to discuss the findings as well as share effective strategies for supporting faculty of color who lead programs at their institution/organization.

Presenters

Paula Hentz: Stetson University

Matthew Yates: University of Connecticut

Due to the increase in students with disabilities studying abroad, additional attention is needed to provide the necessary support prior to, during, and after their programs. This interactive session will equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to increase or improve support currently being provided to students with disabilities seeking to participate in an international program, examining individual or institutional practices which may lessen or contribute to roadblocks that they experience in their programs.

Presenters

Hanni Geist: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

Alexis McKenney: Temple University

Laura Vesga Villalba: University of San Francisco

Jessica Lindoerfer: Landmark College

Are you a professional of color looking for career advancement? Are you a hiring manager looking to diversify your team? Join us for a candid conversation about creating inclusive and equitable work environments. By infusing Bolman and Deal's Four Frames of Leadership with Diversity Abroad's AIDE Roadmap, this session will equip professionals with the necessary tools to effectively form dynamic coalitions, engage stakeholders, and secure a seat at the table.

Presenters:

Sharde Johnson: CIEE

Kyndall Cox: CIEE

Noelle Baldwin: IES Abroad

Savon Jackson: CET Academic Programs

Inclusion and diversity are two key pillars of international education, yet Native American and indigenous students are underrepresented in study abroad and can be unintentionally excluded from outreach efforts. Join this panel session and hear from two future leaders about their experience studying abroad as Native American women in New Zealand and through discussion, explore best practice in indigenous inclusion in study abroad outreach and marketing efforts.

Presenters

Ed Tuari: Education New Zealand

Hailey Suina: Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)

Angel Geller: Lincoln Public Schools

As funding is often the main deterrent for underrepresented student participation in education abroad, the MSI Taskforce has conducted research on strategic funding practices implemented by a diverse range of MSIs.Attend this session to expand your knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of effective funding models.Highlights include collaborative partnerships, sustainable pathways, and high underrepresented student engagement in education abroad.

Presenters

Daisy Rodriguez Pitel: Pima Community College

Dr. Maria Czyzewska: Texas State University

Education abroad and international student programming is often carried out separately and silos students and offices on campus, neglecting many potential synergies between these populations. This session will present examples and facilitate dialogue on developing and implementing impactful and inclusive programming for international students and education abroad students at U.S. institutions through hands-on activities and collaborative conversations. Participants will brainstorm new ideas and create an action plan for programming that fosters inclusion and diversity.

Presenters

David Saide: University of California, San Diego

Ashley Arvanites: University of California, Davis

Tyler Young: Tulane University

Does study abroad improve student success, especially for minoritized students? Yes! Come and learn about CASSIE (Consortium for the Analysis of Student Success through International Education).We will share research results indicating education abroad is connected to academic success for students across a variety of demographic and socio-economic groups.We find underrepresented groups who studied abroad show the largest gains in degree completion.Join the discussion on using data to better advocate for students!

Presenters

Coryn Shiflet: University System of Georgia

Rachana Bhatt: University System of Georgia

Carolina Robinson: The University of Alabama

This session will explore the question: How can we support black women to study abroad despite the historical and sociocultural challenges? Presenters share personal narratives while exploring theoretical frameworks, such as the black feminist theory, and an adapted strength-based advising method.Through interactive discussions and activities, participants will gain an understanding of how best to spin the narrative from lack of opportunity to study abroad to empowerment and support black women in these experiences.

Presenters

Adriana Smith: Presbyterian College

Christina Thompson: Barcelona Study Abroad Experience (SAE)

Let's be frank, studying abroad is financially intimidating for many high school students, and their supporting stakeholders. To increase access and to diversify the population of high-schoolers who study abroad, professionals must address the funding gap. The Diversity Abroad High School Task Force will discuss how to identify financial need, and share different funding models and creative strategies for targeting this gap. The goal of this session is to offer professionals both solutions and hope.

Presenters

Anna Stewart:American Councils for International Education

Kayla Dorsey-Twumasi: Boston Public Schools

Kristiana Graves: Wellesley College

National studies show that only about 5% of students who study abroad are African-American. Consistently money and culture have been used to explain this gap; however, this group has traveled long before data mining, social media, and study abroad offices caught wind. Join us as we explorethe ways in which historical factors mixed with current attitudes and behaviors of Gen Z impact the decision making process and advising of Black students.

Presenters

Candace Ricks: International Studies Abroad

Charis Tucker: Mary Baldwin University

Education Abroad practitioners rightly devote immense time and resources to health & safety. Student identity is rarely central to these efforts. We propose reimagining health and safety as holistic student wellness and present models for partnering with students to develop skills for managing their wellness at home and abroad. Participants will examine our models and determine which approaches they will adapt to better support wellness for all student identities throughout the EA process.

Presenters

David Wick: Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

Julie Santos: Occidental College

Marissa Mitchell: Dickinson College

Participants in this session will explore approaches to international student integration and programming from four different institutions.Presenters from Ireland, Scotland, and the U.S. will also discuss how the concept of diversity differs from one cultural context to another and how this shapes the experience of international students both on campus and abroad.Participants will also be invited to share their experiences to facilitate robust dialogue about this very important topic.

Presenters

Christian Wilwohl: SUNY New Patlz

Katherine Martin: University of Limerick

Jeff Sullivan: Northeastern University

Sean O'Rourke: University of Dundee

As university campuses across the country become more diverse, our traditional marketing strategies must be examined and revised to attract underrepresented students to education abroad. As a result, it is absolutely imperative for education abroad professionals to have an understanding of marketing principles and frameworks to adequately promote education abroad opportunities to a broad and inclusive base of students.

Presenters

Tyler Young: Tulane University

Daniel Watson: University of Utah

In seeking to supportunderrepresented student identities, how can education abroad professionals use data to enhance program development, create advising resources and expand access? This session presents two case studies from CIS Abroad and the University of Maryland on data collection to expand support for LGBTQ+ students and students with disabilities. We share good practices for transforming qualitative data into advising resources for students that advance diversity and inclusion in our field.

Presenters

Conrad Zeutenhorst: University of Maryland, College Park

Keara DeKay: CIS Abroad

Interested in exploring strategies for maximizing Diversity Abroad member resources & benefits to meet your diversity and inclusion goals? Whether you are new to Diversity Abroad's consortium or a veteran member, this session will provide an overview of key resources, professional development offerings, and engagmeent opportunities available to you as a Diversity Abroad Member.

Presenter

Arielle Gousse: Senior Program Coordinator, Professional Services - Diversity Abroad

The goal of the Action Planning Session is to support attendees with unpacking the conference content and provide structured time to map out action items for implementation at their home institutions/organizations. Discussion will be facilitated by members of the conference planning committee and will include opportunities to engage with colleagues in table groups organized around common institutional characteristics.

Facilitators:

Helena Gillespie, Academic Director of Widening Participation & Senior Lecturer in Education - University of East Anglia 

Rikke Kolbech, Project Manager - DIS Abroad

Join the Diversity Abroad Team to learn about the latest tools to help students navigate each phase of the global education experience. This session will provide a in-depth look at the various resources available on our flagship website, DiversityAbroad.com and introduce attendees to Abroad360, an innovate student success platform that includes micro-learning & advising modules, online workshops, and Country Diversity & Inclusion Guides.

Christopher Le Grant, Partnerships Manager, Diversity Abroad
Joelle Tolifero, Associate Director Student Services, Diversity Abroad