Educator Events


Build Your Expertise
Register to attend an upcoming webinar designed especially for international education professionals or watch a recording of a past webinar you may have missed. All events are 60 minutes or less.
Upcoming Webinars
A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad day Without Adderall
Thursday, Apr. 24, 2025
2 p.m. Eastern | 11 a.m. Pacific
Presenters from Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ-Butler and Brown University will join MIUSA staff to share what educators should know about the medications that students take with them. This webinar will share learn the ins and outs of medication overseas including importation, traveling through airports and customs, and obtaining medications outside of the United States. Additionally, presenters will share how to prepare students through advising and pre-departure orientations to continue their treatment plans abroad.
Presenters: Christine Sprovieri, Senior Director, Office of Global Travel Operations, Risk & Resilience (Brown University); Jennifer Fullick, Ph.D., Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Associate Vice President for Health, Safety, and Wellbeing; Justin Harford, Program Specialist (MIUSA)
Upcoming In-Person Events
Mental Health in Study Abroad: Workshop & Discussion
Pomona College
Claremont, CA
Jan. 10, 2025
Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ and Pomona College have partnered to explore how study abroad professionals can support the mental health needs of our students. Led by Nicole Desjardins Gowdy, Senior Director of International and Domestic Programs, Pomona College; Jenn Fullick, Ph.D., Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Director for Health, Safety, and Security; and Wayne James, Ph.D., Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Associate Vice President, Partner Engagement, we’ll identify needs, evaluate resources, and discuss how we can advance this important topic collaboratively across our institutions. Join us for this collaborative session at Pomona College. For additional information or to register, please email our Institutional Engagement Team.
The Forum Conference

The Forum 2025 Annual Conference
Toronto, Canada
March 19–21, 2025
Join the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Team at The Forum Annual Conference in Toronto. Make sure to schedule a meeting with one of our team members or visit our booth.
Exhibit Table: #2
Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Team Delegates:



Heather Barclay Hamir
President and CEO
Let’s meet during Forum
Tyler D’Andrea
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Let’s meet during Forum
Gretchen Cook-Anderson
Associate Vice President, Career Readiness & Global Industry Partnerships
Let’s meet during Forum



Ewelina Lacey
Regional Director for
Europe Operations
Let’s meet during Forum
Margaret McCullers
Senior Director of
Student Engagement
Let’s meet during Forum
Javier RodrÃguez
Institutional Engagement
Senior Manager
Let’s meet during Forum

Eric Tarbell
Institutional Engagement
Senior Manager
Let’s meet during Forum
Sessions: How Accessible Are We Really?
Friday, March 21, 2025 | 8:30 a.m.
Access. Access! Access? Occam’s razor, a principle stated by the philosopher William of Ockham (1285-1347/49) gives precedence to simplicity: of two competing theories, the simpler explanation of an entity is to be preferred. The principle is also expressed as “Entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity.â€
In education abroad, we think and talk and do much focused on increasing access to study abroad experiences for students, faculty and others. In diving deep to analyze and solve for access, are we inadvertently overlooking some of the most basic facets of accessibility to ed abroad guidance? This session will explore the notion of access points, and will test on a fundamental level the accessibility of the experience, our programs, our processes, and our offices. Join us for an interactive exercise to consider the basic accessibility of your organization’s education abroad opportunities, and to leave with actionable ideas and tools that can easily and immediately increase your student body’s access to global learning opportunities.
Presenters: Tyler D’Andrea, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Director of Strategic Partnerships; Emily Wheeler, Senior Study Abroad Coordinator, University of Colorado, Denver; and Angie Schaffer, Executive Director, Fund for Education Abroad
NAFSA Conference

2025 Annual NAFSA Conference & Expo
San Diego, CA
May 27–30, 2025
Join the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Team at the annual NAFSA Conference in Washington, D.C. Make sure to visit our booth (1140) and schedule a meeting with one of our team members. Full details coming soon!
Exhibit Booth: 1140
Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Team Delegates:



Heather Barclay Hamir
President and CEO
Let’s meet during NAFSA
Wayne James
AVP, Partner Engagement
Let’s meet during NAFSA
Gretchen Cook-Anderson
AVP, Career Readiness & Global Industry Partnerships
Let’s meet during NAFSA



Emily Keene
Senior Director of
Custom Programs
Let’s meet during NAFSA
Sean Campbell
Student Engagement Manager
Let’s meet during NAFSA
Zipporah Gaines
Institutional Engagement
Assistant Manager
Let’s meet during NAFSA

Makenzie Walck
Institutional Engagement
Assistant Manager
Let’s meet during NAFSA
DA Global Impact Conference

2025 Global Impact Conference
Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 28–31, 2025
Join the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Team at the DA Global 13th Annual Global Impact Conference in Minneapolis. Make sure to visit our exhibit table, schedule a meeting with one of our team members, and attend sessions presented by Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ team members.
Exhibit Table: To be announced
Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Team Delegates: To be announced
Available On Demand
Advising for Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Programs
New to advising for Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Australia or New Zealand programs, or just need a refresher? Join Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ to learn details about Oceania program locations, academic offerings, and the unique support and cultural engagement opportunities we provide on-site. This webinar will help you guide your students to the right Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ program to meet their goals and allow you to articulate how they can make the most of their time abroad.
The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge are two of the most prestigious universities in the world, with unique educational opportunities for students. Join Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ and special guests from Whitman College (WA) and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor to review the key details of the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Oxford and Cambridge programs and discuss advising strategies for helping students develop competitive applications.
With an expanded curriculum across four programs, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s semester-length programs in Prague offer students the opportunity to experience a city that is leaning boldly into the future and the ability to gain the professional skills most desired by employers. Join us to learn about the new name of the Reimagining Europe in Prague program plus our three new program options. Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ will present the newly designed social science and computer science classes, our two vibrant host institutions, customized internship placements, and the daily life that students can experience in this exciting capital city!
Join Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ leaders for a discussion of the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Tech Career Accelerator program. This program was intentionally designed in consultation with computer science faculty from partner universities across the US. This webinar will explain the program structure, course offerings, experiential learning activities, and extracurricular experiences available on this unique program. Located in Prague, this program is an ideal choice for students looking to remain on track with their computer science degree and engage with an international tech community while spending a semester in a European capital.
Join the Director for Peru Programs, as we discuss advising for the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Peru program. He will cover some of the dimensions of the culture, an overview of the educational system and teaching traditions, and what students can experience in their daily life while living and studying in this country. The session will include dedicated time for discussion of how to effectively advise students about the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Peru program.
How do the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Rome programs differ from what is already out there? Join Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Rome Resident Director Francesco Burzacca, Ph.D. as he explores the structure of the five Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ programs in Rome and shares the intentional program components that will bolster student engagement and success on these academically rigorous programs.
With two locations in Spain, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ gives your students the ability to find precisely what they are looking for in a study abroad and internship experience — in Spanish or English. Available in Seville and Barcelona, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ programs are intentionally designed to broaden our participants understanding of Spanish culture and maximize their interactions with their host community. Learn key details of the programs to highlight in your student advising sessions.
Custom Programs
Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ is pleased to share our exciting Ready to Go! faculty-led program templates. Featuring opportunities in Buenos Aires, Edinburgh, London, Prague, Shanghai, and Sydney, these templated programs include co-curricular activities, logistical, and health and safety support, and can be tailored to your institution’s learning objectives and faculty plans. Danny Gibbons discusses how Ready to Go! programs can enable you to quickly deliver faculty-led programming on your campus.
Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s Custom Programs Team is pleased to share insights on working with faculty to successfully develop impactful custom programs. In this presentation, we will share tools and strategies to make the program development process simpler and more efficient and introduce Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s new Ready to Go! program templates which enable you to jumpstart faculty-led programming on your campus. (Presenters: Jill McKinney, Director of Global Engagement at Butler University; Anne Frey, Education Abroad District Manager at Portland Community College; and Emily Beck, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Senior Director of Custom Programs)
Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ General
Join us for an overview of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s innovative approach to Health and Safety. Tania Gonzalez, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Health and Safety Regional Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean, will walk us through real-world examples to introduce and illustrate our comprehensive and customized approach. We will share an overview of the Regional Health and Safety Model at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ and discuss tackling tough questions from students and parents.
Short engaging refreshers on working with Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ, our programs, and our processes. Perfect for new and experienced advisors alike! We’ll spend a few minutes reviewing some basics and then open things up for Q&A based on what you need to support your students as they consider and apply for programs.
Join us for an introductory webinar on Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ. In this session, we will discuss the commitments that frame Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ, what’s included in Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ programs, the student application process, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ scholarships and grants, demonstrations of our Advisor Portal and CHART: Searchable Course Database, and more! This session is perfect for new advisors or folks looking for a refresher on Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ offerings.
Join Margaret McCullers, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Director for Strategic Initiatives, to discuss Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ program and academic updates that have occurred during the pandemic. Discussion will include Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s approach to Spanish language instruction in Latin America, new models for semester and short term programs, including the Career Accelerator program structure, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ customized Health and Safety support, and Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s efforts to promote equitable access to study abroad programs.
From pharmaceuticals to forensic science, bioscience majors have a wealth of career options. Now students can explore them all, continue critical coursework, and gain experience that stands out on a resume—all in a city known worldwide as a hub for bioscience innovation. Join Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Academic Affairs and the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ London Team to learn about the new Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Biosciences Career Accelerator program.
Helping computer science majors get career-ready, this program teaches the skills today’s employers want as students complete essential computer science coursework, developed and launched in partnership with elite U.S. universities and STEM colleges.
Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Career Accelerator programs are designed to help students prepare for life beyond college. By blending study abroad with career preparation, Career Accelerator programs provide the most complete skill set available today, giving students a competitive edge in sea of job applicants. Stop by this Q&A session to speak with the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ team about this new innovative program structure.
Join Dr. Ray Casserly, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s new Director for Global Learning and Assessment for a virtual event to discuss the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ vision for student-centered, future-focused learning that emphasizes inclusive intercultural growth. This event is for campus-based staff, please use your institution email to register. Those that register will receive a recording of the session following the event.
Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Life
Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ programs in Australia and New Zealand are ripe with opportunities for your students no matter what their future goals may be! Connect with the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Team in Australia and New Zealand to learn more about programs and the student experiences available in this region! You learn about your students will connect with local cultures, housing options, and more! Refresh your advising talking points for programs in this region with this virtual event, you may even win a prize during our live event!
Meet the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ team working on the Emerald Isle during this virtual event. Suzi Breslin, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Director for Ireland and Northern Ireland Programs, will share information about the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ student experience in Ireland and Northern Ireland. We are excited to share information about academics, Irish identity and culture, housing and more! This event is great for advisors looking to connect with our Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ team in Ireland, strengthen advising talking points for Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Ireland programs, and even have a virtual sneak peak of the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Ireland office! Join us for the live event and you may even win a prize!
Join Diana ArÃzaga, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Regional Director for Latin American and Caribbean, and Tania Gonzalez, Regional Manager for HSS Latin America, to learn about the wide variety of cultural experiences and opportunities students have access to within Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Latin America and Caribbean programs! Resident staff will talk through what a typical week can look like for an Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ student at each Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ site within this region. Our team will share details about language, food, housing, academics, student support, health and safety, and more! This session is for advisors looking for a taste of all the variety and different cultural experiences Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ programs within Latin America and the Caribbean have to offer.
Join the Director for England and Wales Programs and the Director for Scotland Programs as they describe an average day in the life of an Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ student in the UK—even though there is nothing average about an Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ study abroad experience! The variety of options in the UK give your students the ability to find precisely what they are looking for in a study abroad experience. Learn key details about Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ staffing, housing options, academics, student support, health, and safety that students have access to during their program.
Leadership Series
As education abroad providers work to cultivate the long-term impacts of study abroad, we may be overlooking an important partner. On campuses everywhere, career service centers focus on leveraging four-year degrees for professional careers. How can we team up with them to make study abroad part of this conversation? Join us for an intriguing look at how innovative efforts could help give education abroad a more integrated role in higher education outcomes. (Presenters: Godlove Fonjweng, Ph.D., Executive Director of International & Intercultural Programs, Prairie View A&M University; Joseph Catrino, Executive Director of Career & Life Design, Trinity College Connecticut; Judy Hopkins, Internship Development & Career Coach, Washington State University)
Higher education is under increasing pressure to validate the return on investment (ROI) of a college degree. A growing body of research has shown education abroad’s relevance to the critical value higher education seeks to provide, including degree completion, deeper learning, and career readiness among others. However, most outcomes are incidental benefits for which programs were not originally designed. This discussion explores how we might demonstrate the value of studying abroad differently as we design for intentional outcomes. (Presenters: Holly Hudson, Ed.D., Texas A&M University; Gary Rhodes, Ph.D., California State University at Dominguez Hills; and Jennifer Summerhays, Trinity College-Hartford)
This Women’s History Month, join a discussion on women’s leadership in international education. Built on a legacy of white male leadership styles, how can we leverage the strengths of women’s leadership in today’s work? From how women get started in this field to how they navigate their career journeys as they rise, this session explores how women support each other, pay equity, advocating for oneself and the role men can play in leveling the playing field. (Presenters: Lily Lopez-McGee, Ph.D., Diversity Abroad; Sarah E. Spencer, M.A., OnPoint Global Strategies & Coaching)
As champions of education abroad we endeavor to help students find the program that best meets their goals, and our advising structures play a key role in our efforts. Should advising be organized by program location, academic major, type of program, or something else? How are campuses approaching advising given pandemic staff cuts or consolidated budgets? Presenters will host an interactive discussion on the pros and cons of different advising structures and offer advice for campuses considering a switch. (Presenters: Mandy Brookins, Depauw University; Dongming De Angelis, Rice University; and Andra Jaques, University of California—San Diego)
This moderated panel discussion explores the sustainability of our practices, a provocative and dynamic topic for our field as we address ongoing global challenges and consider the alignment of our work with our values. This webinar interrogates some of the long-term practices of our field like paper-based advising materials, in-person student events versus remote/asynchronous options, evolving partnership strategies, flights and carbon production and impact on local host country communities. Join us for a robust discussion on how we as a field can address the fact that our work is inherently resource heavy and put forward ideas to reconsider our longstanding practices.
This webinar launches the You Belong Here Series, a monthly discussion exploring critical topics to fulfill the promise of inclusion in education abroad. Based on the forthcoming book A House Where All Belong: Redesigning Education Abroad for Inclusive Excellence (The Forum on Education Abroad, 2021), presenters will foster a discussion on why the field has not achieved better outcomes on achieving inclusion in education abroad. The two editors of the book and the principle architect of the concept Inclusive Excellence come together for a powerful discussion on our field’s most critical work. (Presenters: Alma Clayton-Pedersen, Ph.D., Emeritus Consulting Group; Nick Gozik, Ph.D., Elon University; and Heather Barclay Hamir, Ph.D., Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ President & CEO)
Study abroad programming in nontraditional locations holds value for a wide range of stakeholders both in the U.S. and in host communities, yet the pandemic has left some programs vulnerable. While Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ maintains its commitment to programming in non-traditional locations, the ripple effect of other closures could undermine our collective access to non-traditional perspectives and intercultural exchange. This discussion examines the importance of study abroad programming in nontraditional locations to our future. (Presenters: Nicole Desjardins Gowdy, Director of Study Abroad at Pomona College, and Heather Thompson, Director of Education Abroad at the University of Texas at Austin)
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, study abroad leaders at US institutions are taking a closer look at their list of approved programs. From location, to risk mitigation, to addressing systemic racism to overall costs, there are so many factors to consider. Join members of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s NAC Executive Committee to discuss this timely and complex topic. (Presenters: Martha Johnson, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, and Cori Filson, Skidmore College)
The pandemic has brought about many creative solutions to advising, partner meetings, conferences and fairs that were traditionally held in-person. The sudden transition to virtual created challenges, yet some education abroad offices have also found unexpected benefits with virtual advising and events. What will best serve our students and offices in the future? Join us as we explore what pandemic-era practices can be retained and what should shift as we look towards a new normal in education abroad. (Presenters: Sue Mennicke, Associate Dean for International Programs at Franklin & Marshall College, and Alisha Cardwell, Director of Study Abroad at Brandeis University)
You Belong Here Series
The first Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ You Belong Here Series event of 2022 examines successful approaches of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in education abroad. Drawing from ideas highlighted in the forthcoming book The Half Yet to Be Told: Study Abroad and HBCUs edited by Andre Stevenson and Keshia Abraham, this discussion goes beyond eliminating barriers and takes a page from the experts on leveraging strength-based approaches to serving Black students for extraordinary outcomes. (Presenters: Keshia Abraham, Ph.D., The Abraham Consulting Agency; Marisa Gray, Morgan State University)
The next edition of the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ You Belong Here Series explores inclusive practices within an established model of appreciative advising. Inclusion begins from our first engagement with students. Appreciative advising provides a framework to engage all students around their strengths, meeting them where they are and building trust early in the advising process. Based on a chapter in the forthcoming book, A House Where All Belong: Redesigning Education Abroad for Inclusive Excellence (The Forum on Education Abroad, 2021), this session highlights practical examples of how practitioners can implement appreciative advising techniques in their student support strategies, transforming the advising experience for students and advisors. (Presenters: Opal Leeman Bartzis, Ed.D., Michigan State University; Diana ArÃzaga, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Regional Director for Latin America)
The next installment of the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ You Belong Here Series is dedicated to exploring how to create a sense of belonging for students and advance inclusion through faculty-led program design. With a majority of study abroad students participating on short-term programming each year, this work is more critical than ever. From addressing intragroup dynamics to key program elements like excursions and extracurriculars, presenters and participants alike will have the opportunity to share tactics and strategies to move us toward a more inclusive norm. (Presenters: LaNitra Berger, Ph.D., Senior Director of Fellowships at George Mason University; Danny Gibbons, Resident Director for Peru, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ)
Application processes and policies often create unintended barriers for students in the beginning stages of the study abroad cycle. Based on the chapter Dismantling Exclusive Practices: Applications as Tools for Inclusion in the forthcoming book, A House Where All Belong: Redesigning Education Abroad for Inclusive Excellence (The Forum on Education Abroad, 2021), the presenters will highlight practices which are often exclusionary, building awareness and offering alternative ideas and strategies for study abroad practitioners who support students in the planning stages of an education abroad experience. (Presenters: Jeremy Gombin-Sperling, Fulbright Diversity & Inclusion Liaison Western Hemisphere Programs/Ph.D. Candidate at University of Maryland; Qimmah Najeeullah, Director of Programming & Training at Peace Corps Malawi/Ph.D. Student at University of Maryland; Taylor Woodman, Ph.D., Internationalization Specialist and Affiliate Assistant Professor of International Education Policy, University of Maryland)
The second installment of the You Belong Here Series discusses how our ability to be inclusive is only as strong as our own capacity to be nimble organizations, where an inclusive organizational culture shapes priorities, hiring practices, policies and behavior. Based on the chapter Inclusion Begins with Us: Developing Inclusive Organizational Cultures and Hiring Practices in the forthcoming book, A House Where All Belong: Redesigning Education Abroad for Inclusive Excellence (The Forum on Education Abroad, 2021), this session dives into the internal, reflective work necessary to address implicit biases that negatively impact inclusivity within organizational cultures and covers strategies for recruiting, onboarding, and retaining diverse talent. (Presenters: Aileen Bumphus, Ph.D., the University of Texas at Austin; Patricia Izek, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities; Heather Barclay Hamir, Ph.D., Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ)
This webinar makes the case for designing equity-minded education abroad programs intentionally to foster inclusive excellence and belonging. Presenters share research highlights, model practices, and a design process. The webinar is informed by the chapter Equity-Minded Program Design for Inclusive Excellence from the forthcoming book A House Where All Belong: Redesigning Education Abroad for Inclusive Excellence (The Forum on Education Abroad, 2021). This discussion offers a program design model aligned with The Forum on Education Abroad Standards of Good Practice related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. (Presenters: David Wick, Ed.D., Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey; JoAnn Doll, Prestigious Awards & Education Abroad Assistant Coordinator at East Tennessee State University; Alexandra Ramos Lopez, MIIS Alumna; Anna Mei Gubbins, MIIS Student; Hayley Singleton, MIIS Student)