In collaboration with MSU College of Education and Pakistan National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE), the Visiting International Professional Program is offering a program to address the equity gap in women’s higher education leadership in Pakistan.
The two-year program, which started in September 2021, focuses on equipping and empowering women at different stages of faculty and leadership development, a process that occurs at the individual, institutional and system levels. The program is multi-layered with actions that will
Designed in partnership with stakeholders, including Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) and American Council on Education Women’s Network of Michigan (MI-ACE), the training is tailored to women leaders at different stages of their academic careers. Both face-to-face and online/virtual learning and networking opportunities are adopted in the program delivery. In addition to regular online learning and exchange, in-person programming will engage two cohorts of women faculty leaders from Pakistan:
Further, the development of a virtual platform will enable broader participation by women faculty and leaders beyond the two-year program.
Visit this webpage and take the learning journey with us as the program progresses.
For more information about the program, please contact:
Visiting International Professional Program (VIPP)
Michigan State University
October 7 – 11, 2023
Islamabad, Pakistan
We are excited to announce that the Pakistan Higher Education Women’s Leadership Summit will take place on October 7 to 11, 2023 in Islamabad. Following two years virtual and in-person interactive learning, mentoring and inquiry project design and implementation, the Empowering Women in Higher Education project led by Michigan State University (MSU) in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad will conclude with this five day in-person Summit. The event will bring together the MSU team, high profile U.S. higher education women leaders, all the program participants, and other Pakistan leaders for topical discussions around the program themes. The event will showcase the senior women leader cohort’s inquiry projects and reflect on the learning journey of both senior and aspiring women leaders. We anticipate valuable networking, inspiring conversations, lots of fun and laughter and long-lasting friendship.
Cohort 1. Senior Women Leaders
October 6 Afternoon: Registration and hotel check-in
October 7 Full Day: Interactive Workshop
October 7 Evening: Group Dinner
October 8 Full Day: Interactive Workshop
October 9 Full Day: Main Conference
October 9 Evening: Conference Dinner
October 9 or 10: Departure
Cohort 2. Aspiring Women Leaders
October 8 Afternoon: Registration and hotel check-in
October 9 Full Day: Main Conference
October 9 Evening: Conference Dinner
October 10 Full Day: Interactive Workshop
October 10 Evening: Group Dinner
October 11 Full Day: Interactive Workshop
Oct 11 or 12: Departure
The Aspiring Leaders Cohort consists of 75 women faculty and administrators from diverse backgrounds in higher education across Pakistan. The goal of this Cohort 2 program is to further support the advancement of Pakistani women leaders in higher education by improving gender equity and enhance women’s leadership skills.
Shama Dossa, Associate Professor, Habib University
Nadia Ayub, Associate Dean, Institute of Business Management
Syeda Iffat Naqvi, Assistant Professor, University of Engineering and Technology Taxila
Saba Tariq, Head of Department, The University of Faisalabad
Najmunnisa Khan, Head of Department, SZABIST
Raana Malik, Chairperson, University of the Punjab
Shazia Nauman, HoD & Professor; Associate Dean, Riphah International University
Humaira Nadeem, Professor/HOD, Riphah International University
Seema Lasi, Assistant Professor, Aga Khan University
Tehmina Ayub, Professor, Thar Institute of Engineering, Sciences and Technology (TIEST)
Saima A. Kayani, Professor, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
Bilquees Gul, Co-Founder & Former Director, University of Karachi
Noor Shad, Chair, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan
Dur-e-Jabeen, Assistant Professor, Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology
Sumaira Kausar, Assistant Professor, Bahira University
Najma Memon, Professor, University of Sindh, Jamshoro
Amber R. Solangi, Professor, University of Sindh
Sadia Saleem, Acting Dean, University of Management and Technology
Rizwana Bashir, Associate Dean, Lahore Garrison University
Nadia Anwar, Associate Professor/Acting Dean/Chair, University of Management and Technology
Mona Lisa, Professor, Quaid-i-Azam University
Saima Jafri, Assistant Professor, University of Sindh
Rizwana Hussain, Assistant Professor, Ayub Medical College
Iram Murtaza, Chairperson, Quaid-i-Azam University
Arabella Bhutto, Vice Chancellor, SABS University of Arts, Design and Heritage, Jamshoro
Mehrunisa Memon, Chairperson, Sindh Agriculture University
Munazza Yaqoob, Associate Professor/Former Chair, International Islamic University Islamabad
Satwat Hashmi, Associate Professor/Vice Chair, Aga Khan University
Fariha Tariq, Chairperson/Acting Dean, University of Management and Technology
Wajeeha Shahid, Associate Professor/Head, National University of Modern Languages
Saima Saleem, Associate Professor, University of Karachi
Shahlla Imam, Associate Professor, Jinnah Sindh Medical University
Huma Zafar, In Charge Chairperson/Assistant Professor, Social Work Department, University of Balochistan, Quetta
Samina Malik, Vice President Professor of Education, International Islamic University
Humaira Siddique, Associate Professor/Head of Department, Jinnah Sindh Medical University
Arifa Tahir, Chairperson, Lahore College for Women University Lahore
Noor Fatima, Chairperson, International Islamic University
Rabia Ali, Assistant Professor, International Islamic University
Atika Hashmi, Assistant Professor, University of Management and Technology
Sadaf Zamir Ahmed, Assistant Professor, Air University
Rubina Bhatti, Dean, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur
Brekhna Jamil, Director of Institute of Health Professions Education & Research, Khyber Medical University
Aneela Anwar, Department, University of Engineering and Technology
Amina Zuberi, Professor/Chairperson, Quaid-i-Azam University
Saadia Irshad, Associate Professor, The Women University Multan
Noreen Saher, Chair, International Islamic University
Lubna Kamani, Professor, Liaquat National Hospital
Abida Bano, Senior Lecturer, University of Peshawar
Nazia Iqbal, Assistant Professor, International Islamic University
Mariam Rehman, Professor, Government College University
Bushra Allah Rakha, Assistant Professor, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University
Zainab Jehan, Associate Professor, Fatima Jinnah Women University
Saima Batool, Associate Professor and Acting Dean, NUR International University
Saima Ashraf, Assistant Professor, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Shariyeh Hosseini Nasab, Head of Department, COMSATS University Islamabad (Lahore Campus)
Tehreema Iftikhar, Professor/Chairperson, Government College University
Syeda Sadiqa Firdous, Chair/Registrar, Women University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir
Bushra Hassan Jan, Chair/Associate Professor, The University of Agriculture Peshawar
Sumaira Rehman, Rector, Superior University
Anila Ali/ Zafar, Professor Balochistan University of IT, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS)
Nargis Bibi, Chairperson, Fatima Jinnah Women University
Nida Hussain, Pro-Chancellor, Ziauddin University
Attiya Almas, Registrar, GC Women University
Arshia Hashmi, Associate Professor, University of Central Punjab
Sabahat Haqqani, Assistant Professor/Head, Capital University of Science and Technology
Saima Anjum, Assistant Professor/Director, Govt. Sadiq College Women University
Shumaila Memon, Director, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology
Khadija Malik Bari, Associate Professor/Director/Former Chair, Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi
Ghazala Kaukab Raja, Professor, University Institute of Biochemistry & Biotechnology
Iram Anjum, Dean of Applied and Pure Sciences, Kinnaird College for Women Lahore
Zahra Hasan, Professor/Director, Aga Khan University
Nosheen Fatima Warraich, Director, University of the Punjab
Sobia Khurram, Professor, University of the Punjab
The Senior Leaders Cohort consists of 25 women in leadership positions in higher education from all across Pakistan. Read the interview with Senior Leaders Cohort members Dr. Anoosh Khan and Dr. Ambreen Usmani to learn more about their experiences in the program.
Ayesha Sohail, Registrar, the University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir
Anoosh Khan, Chair Department of Gender Studies, University of Peshawar
Hafsa Zaneb, Chair Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Rahila Umer, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences
Robina Farooq, Vice Chancellor, Government College Women University
Ambreen Usmani, Dean, Health Sciences, Bahria University Karachi
Wasima Shehzad, Professor Linguistics, Department of English, Air University
Uzaira Rafique, Dean, Faculty of Science &Technology, Fatima Jinnah Women University
Khadija Qureshi, Chair Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology
Sajida Zaki, Chair, Department of Humanities, NED University of Engineering & Technology
Tehmina Mangan, Chair of the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sindh Agriculture University
Hafsa Jamshaid, Dean/Director of General Studies, National Textile University
Huma Ali, Principal of Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinnah Sindh Medical University
Sayma Zia, Principal of Bahria Business School, Bahria University Karachi
Azra Yasmin, Dean, Faculty of Law Commerce Management & Administrative Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University
Saiqa Imtiaz Asif, Vice Chancellor, the Government Sadiq College Women University
Amna Mahmood, Professor at Department of Politics and International Relations, International Islamic University
Hadia Awan, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Central Punjab
Najma Iqbal Malik, Chairperson Department of Psychology, University of Sargodha
Sammia Shahid, Professor & Dean ORIC, University of Management and Technology
Farhat Jabeen, Dean Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad
Syeda Kaniz Fatima Haider, Head Department of Human Development & Family Studies, University of Peshawar
Fareeha Armughan, Research Fellow/Head of Centre of Evidence Action Research, Sustainable Development Policy Institute
Razia Sultana, Professor of History, Quaid-i-Azam University
Zahida Abro, Head of Larkana Campus, SZABIST
Shazia Anjum, Professor of Chemistry & Dean Faculty of Chemical & Biological Sciences, Islamia University of Bahawalpur
Ghazala Yasmeen, Vice Chancellor, Women University Mardan
The Senior Women Leaders Cohort enjoyed meeting and sharing ideas with university administrators, community leaders, and educators. Learn more about the speakers.
Members of the Senior Leaders Cohort speak with MSU Provost Dr. Teresa Woodruff
Dr. Ann Austin
Interim Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs
Ann E. Austin previously served as associate dean for research (2016-2021) and the interim dean of the college (2021-2022). As part of the Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education programs at MSU, she has been selected twice to hold the Mildred B. Erickson Distinguished Chair. Austin's research concerns faculty careers and professional development, organizational change in higher education, teaching and learning in higher education, doctoral education, reform in STEM education, the academic workplace, equity and inclusion in academe and higher education in the international context. She has worked with colleagues at the national and institutional levels on higher education issues in a number of countries, including Australia, China, Egypt, Finland, Malaysia, Oman, Thailand, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
Dr. Cindi Leverich
Director of Academic Leadership Development, Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Development
Cindi Leverich joined the Academic Advancement Network (then Faculty & Organizational Development) in March 2008 and has been serving as Director of Academic Leadership Development programs since 2013. In this role, Cindi is responsible for a full portfolio of leadership development opportunities including workshops, peer mentoring and learning communities, fellowship programs, and awards. Currently serving as MSU’s MI-ACE Institutional Representative, Cindi also works on programming designed to move the needle and increase opportunities for women in higher education. In partnership with Health4U, Cindi oversees the Academic Women’s Forum which combines space for skill-building opportunities with open conversations. Cindi, along with Deb DeZure and Allyn Shaw, won the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education Innovation Award in 2009 and was a finalist again in 2010 for programs focusing on new ways to support mid-career faculty. Cindi graduated with her MBA in Strategic Management from Davenport University and her B.A. in Hospitality Business from Michigan State University. Cindi is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in the Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education (HALE) program in the College of Education at MSU.
Danielle Soto
Operations Coordinator, WorkLife Office
Dani Soto is the Operations Coordinator for the WorkLife Office. Dani graduated from MSU in 2017 with a dual bachelor degrees in Political Science and Arts & Humanities (RCAH), with a minor in Spanish. As a self-identified people person and “connector,” Dani has worked in the nonprofit sector for five years and specializes in community engagement, operations management, and data analysis. Dani was an ATHENA nominee for "ATHENA Young Professional" in 2021, recognizing her impact on the Grand Rapids landscape through advocacy, community engagement and successful holistic programming, addressing the needs of marginalized women and communities in Kent County.
Dr. Jabbar R. Bennett
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer
Jabbar R. Bennett, Ph.D. (he/him), is MSU’s vice president and chief diversity officer. Bennett works to advance MSU’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategic priorities along with staff in the Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion and partnership among senior executives, deans, faculty, staff, students and alumni. Bennett is also a professor of medicine in the College of Human Medicine. Prior to joining MSU in December 2020, Bennett served as the inaugural associate provost for diversity and inclusion, and chief diversity officer at Northwestern University. Previously, he worked as associate dean of the Graduate School, and associate dean for diversity in the Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown University. Bennett also held administrative appointments at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, and served on the faculty at Harvard, Brown and Northwestern. Bennett received a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in Spanish from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and earned a doctoral degree in biomedical sciences from Meharry Medical College. Bennett completed postdoctoral research training at Harvard Medical School and is an alumnus of the Harvard University Administrative Fellows Program and Massachusetts Education Policy Fellowship Program.
Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackson
Dean, College of Education and the MSU Foundation Professor of Education
Jerlando F. L. Jackson holds both the Rupple-Bascom Professor of Education and Vilas Distinguished Professor of Higher Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, he serves as Department Chair of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis and the Director and Chief Research Scientist of Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory (Wei LAB). Fueled by more than 125 publications, Professor Jackson’s research on hiring practices, career mobility, workforce diversity, and workplace discrimination has evolved into his focus on organizational disparities, a term he is credited with coining. The recipient of more than 20 honors and awards, Professor Jackson was awarded the Mildred Garcia Senior Exemplary Scholarship Award from the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Alumni Achievement Award from the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University, Distinguished Scholar Award from the Committee on Scholars of Color at the American Education Research Association, and the Brown Award for Excellence in Higher Education and Community Service from the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute. He was named to Education Week’s 200 Most Influential Education Scholar list in 2019 - 2021, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education’s list of “Nine Distinguished Educators that Are Making a Mark” and Madison365’s “Black Power List” both in 2018. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Iowa State University. Professor Jackson is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2021 and a member of Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society.
Dr. Kelly Millenbah
Interim Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Dr. Kelly F. Millenbah was named interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources on July 1, 2021. As interim dean, Millenbah’s responsibilities encompass the teaching, research and mission areas of the college, including fiscal resources, personnel, infrastructure, development and stakeholder relations. Millenbah is a scholar of natural resources education with a focus on teaching and learning within the classroom, curricular design and development, and recruitment and retention of students in the sciences. She earned her B.A. degree in Biology from Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife at MSU. In May 2018, Millenbah was awarded the inaugural 2018 Simmons Chivukula Award for Academic Leadership at MSU. She has also been recognized for her commitment to teaching and learning through several awards including a Lilly Teaching Fellowship, the MSU Alumni Club of Mid-Michigan Quality in Undergraduate Teaching Award, the Sigma Alpha Agriculture Advocate Award, and the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Distinguished Faculty Award.
Dr. Kendra Cheruvelil
Dean, Lyman Briggs College
Dr. Kendra Cheruvelil is a professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Lyman Briggs College. She is co-director of the Data Intensive Landscape Limnology Lab, and she conducts big-data research on lakes to understand how global climate change and land use intensification affect lakes across regions and continents. In September 2020, Cheruvelil was named special advisor for faculty affairs and belonging in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the CANR Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Cheruvelil previously served as associate dean of research and faculty affairs in the Lyman Briggs College. She was a fellow in the Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program, and co-authored the book chapter, "Professional Development of Women Leaders," in the 2019 edited book, Women Leading Change in Academia.
Dr. Khalida Zaki
Assistant Professor Emerita, Department of Sociology
Dr. Zaki received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Michigan State University (MSU), M.A. in Sociology from the University of Baltimore, M.A. in Economics & B.A. Honors from the University of Punjab, Lahore. Professor Zaki established a distinguished 33-year career in the Department of Sociology, College of Social Science, MSU including her prior experience at Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad. Because of the breadth of her interdisciplinary academic training and experience, Dr Zaki assumed an impressive range of faculty assignments including the Center for Integrative Studies, Institute of International Health, Asian Studies Center, Global Gender Center, and Muslim Studies Center. As globally acclaimed scholar and gender expert, she was honored with the prestigious MSU All-University Faculty Excellence in Diversity Award. Dr. Zaki, as a Citizen Leader & Senior Gender Scholar has contributed significantly to the development of programs on Religious & Ethnic Diversity in the US, Education, Demography, and Diversity of Muslim Societies at MSU, and abroad. She has served on several Female Empowerment, research capacity & curriculum development projects that led to international, civil society & university-community partnerships in the U.S. & Pakistan. Her numerous successes in the pioneer peace-building exchange programs have been highly recognized in building bridges between the U.S., Middle East and South Asia. Professor Zaki was awarded a Fulbright Specialist Scholarship to deliver Higher Education Faculty Capacity-Building programs in Muslim countries of the world. That, and Pakistan-PPQP provided her an opportunity to deliver university faculty training programs in Pakistan.
Dr. Kris Renn
Professor Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education; Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies for Student Success
Research; Midred B. Erickson Distinguished Chair in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education Dr. Kris Renn’s research centers on college student learning, development, and success in higher education, with current projects focusing on low-income, first-generation students and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender college students. Other interests include college student identity development, student affairs administration, and women's higher education in international contexts. Dr. Renn is one of MSU's liaisons to the University Innovation Alliance and leads several grants related to college student success.
Dr. Lisa Frace
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Lisa Frace was named senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer in May 2021. In this role, Frace oversees financial management for the university and is responsible for managing financial progress including developing long-range financial plans. She brings more than 15 years of higher education leadership experience, having served as senior associate vice chancellor and chief finance and budget officer for the University of California, Davis and as associate vice president, budget and planning and chief budgeting officer for Arizona State University. She has been in higher education association, serving on the board, in a variety of professional development leadership roles, and as an instructor with the Western Association of College and University Business Officers. She also recently served on the board of the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Frace received the association’s Rising Star Award in 2017. Frace received a bachelor’s degree in health planning and administration and a master’s degree in business administration with concentrations in marketing and finance from Pennsylvania State University. She also attended the executive program in the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.
Dr. Marilyn Amey
Assistant Provost for Faculty and Academic Staff Development
Marilyn Amey is a professor of higher, adult, and lifelong education. In 2017, she was appointed as the Dr. Mildred B. Erickson Distinguished Chair in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education. She studies educational partnerships, particularly those of community colleges, leadership, including how leaders learn, post-secondary governance and administration, and faculty concerns, including interdisciplinary academic work. Her current work focuses on education partnerships including a multi-year evaluation of a multiple- institutional interdisciplinary consortium and factors affecting student transfer and degree attainment.
Dr. Melissa Woo
Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Information Officer
Melissa Woo, Ph.D., is the executive vice president for administration, providing leadership for enterprise-wide administrative services including University Infrastructure planning and facilities, human resources, procurement & logistics, university stores, campus mail services, sustainability, and real estate. Additionally, Melissa serves as MSU’s chief information officer, and as president of the MSU Foundation. Dr. Woo served as senior vice president for information technology and enterprise chief information officer for Stony Brook University. She has also held IT leadership roles at the University of Oregon, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign where she earned her Ph.D. in biophysics. Melissa received her bachelor’s degree in biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley. Melissa was named to EdTech Magazine’s, “The 2020 Dean’s List: 30 Higher ED IT Influencers Worth a Follow.” In 2019, she won the inaugural EDUCAUSE DEI Leadership Award for her actions leading to improved diversity, equity, and inclusion in the higher education IT community, as well as the 2012 EDUCAUSE Rising Star Award, recognizing her as an emerging leader in higher education IT. She remains actively engaged with higher education professional organizations and is passionate in her support of aspiring leaders from diverse backgrounds. She currently serves in an assortment of capacities, such as the chair of the Merit Network board of directors, co-chair of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), Modernizing Talent Management Working Group, an advisory committee member of The NSF Cybersecurity Center of Excellence and on the policy advisory committee with EDUCAUSE. Additionally, Melissa was appointed to serve on the EDUCAUSE board of Directors.
Nicole Schmidtke
Title IX Coordinator
Nicole J. Schmidtke is a trial attorney who practices in general civil law, with an emphasis in labor and employment law, and criminal defense. She has a passion for constitutional law, whether it is in an employment dispute with the state or defending the rights of someone charged with a crime. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Ingham County Bar Association's Young Lawyers Section, and the Michigan Association for Justice. Ms. Schmidtke has been admitted to practice in the Eastern and Western District Courts of Michigan.
Dr. Rob Glew
Associate Dean for Academic Programs- International Studies and Programs
Robert Glew is Associate Dean for academic programs in the Office of International Studies and Programs, director of the Center for Advanced Study of International Development, and professor of international development studies at Michigan State University. Dr. Glew has 25 years of experience working in African societies on issues of international development in the areas of coping and livelihood strategies, health, political and social change, education, and identity politics. He has taught courses on international development, cultural change, and socio-cultural diversity. Dr. Glew was formerly the faculty coordinator for MSUÆs Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, a U.S. Department of State-funded professional development program for mid-career professionals from developing countries working on issues of economic development. He has co-directed successful collaborative projects with university, NGO, and governmental partners in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania. He speaks French and Hausa and has also studied Fulfulde. Dr. Glew earned his BA in African Languages and Literature from the University of Wisconsin--Madison, an MA in African Languages and Literature from the University of Wisconsin--Madison and a PhD in anthropology from Michigan State University.
Dr. Stephanie Nawyn
Director, Center for Gender in Global Context
Stephanie J. Nawyn is the Director at the Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen) and an associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Michigan State University. Her research and teaching expertise are in migration, refugees, and gender. Nawyn has co-edited The Routledge International Handbook of Migration Studies (with Steven J. Gold) and Gender Through the Prism of Difference (with Maxine Baca Zinn, Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, and Michael Messner). Her most recent articles were published in Journal of Refugees Studies, Journal of Ethnic and Racial Studies, Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, and Disaster and Emergency Medicine. As Director of the GenCen, Nawyn oversees the Women’s and Gender Studies academic programs at MSU and leads gender-focused multi-investigator projects that connect faculty across campus. She works with faculty, staff, and students at MSU and in the surrounding community to achieve greater equity on and off campus.
Dr. Steve Hanson
Associate Provost and Dean
Steven Hanson has served as associate provost and dean for International Studies and Programs since April 2014. Prior to that he served as interim dean of International Studies and Programs. Beginning in 2009, Dr. Hanson assumed the position of assistant dean in International Studies and Programs, where he worked with Dean Riedinger in an effort to move MSU toward aligned and engaged scholarship with a goal to develop local, national, and global opportunities related to food, health, environment, and education. Dr. Hanson is professor and chair of the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics; he has served in the latter role since 2003. His research focuses on risk management with financial contracts and the valuation of financial contracts and assets, such as land. He has taught graduate and undergraduate financial economics and management courses and served as chair of the National Association of Agricultural Economics Administrators. Dr. Hanson received his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the Economics Department at Iowa State University.
Dr. Terah Venzant Chambers
Professor and Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion
Terah Venzant Chambers is a professor of K-12 educational administration and the associate dean for equity and inclusion. Her research interests include post-Brown K-12 education policy and urban education leadership. Specifically, she is interested in the ways within-school segregative policies influence African American students` academic achievement and school engagement, as well as the price of school success for high-achieving students of color (racial opportunity cost). She has been an associate editor for several journals and currently serves on the editorial boards of AERJ, JRLE, and Urban Education. She has previously served as a Congressional Fellow with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) with placements in the Office of Rep. Diane E. Watson (retired) and the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education.
Dr. Teresa Woodruff
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D., is Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Michigan State University. She is an MSU Foundation Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, and the Department of Biomedical Engineering. As a leading research scientist, Woodruff was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mentoring by President Obama in an oval office ceremony in 2011. Most recently, Woodruff was a recipient of the Endocrine Society’s 2021 Laureate Award, a top honor that recognizes the highest achievements in the field of endocrinology. She holds 13 U.S. Patents and is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2020), the National Academy of Medicine (2018), the National Academy of Inventors (2018), the American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineers (2017), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2006). Woodruff earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology from Northwestern University and holds a B.S. in Zoology and Chemistry from Olivet Nazarene University.
Dr. Lynn Paine
Associate Dean, International Studies, and Professor, Teacher Education
Lynn Paine is Professor of Teacher Education and Associate Dean in the College of Education at Michigan State University. She is a core faculty member in MSU’s Asian Studies Center as well as the Center for Gender in Global Context. Her research examines the relationship between educational policy and practice, the links between education and social change, and issues of equity and diversity. Much of her scholarship involves the comparative study of teachers, teacher development, and mentoring. She is currently studying circulating notions of teaching in the context of globalization and how international research influences policy and practice. As associate dean, she supports MSU’s College of Education international collaborations in research, international institutional partnerships and exchange, internationalization of the curriculum, and global outreach. Professor Paine currently is leading the OECD’s Future of Education and Skills 2030 Thematic Working Group 1, which is charged with developing a framework for a future vision of teachers and teaching.
Dr. Julie Sinclair
Associate Director, Office of International Studies and Education
Julie Sinclair has worked in the field of international education for more than 25 years and is currently the associate director in the Office of International Studies in Education. She previously worked with sponsored international student recruitment at Michigan State University and in international student admissions and services at Oklahoma City University. She completed her Ph.D. in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education at MSU. Her research interests focus on graduate student learning abroad experiences and organizational scholarship related to internationalization of postsecondary education. She has served for many years as a member leader with NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
Dr. Samantha Caughlan
Curriculum Coordinator for Global Education Engagement
Samantha Caughlan, PhD., is Curriculum Coordinator for the College of Education’s Global Education Engagement program. Dr. Caughlan has coordinated curriculum and directed short-term training of international educator groups since 2015. Some of her roles in different projects include being program lead for Pedagogical Innovations for University Instructors (a ten-month program for university instructors in Kazakhstan), coordinator for a two-week professional development program for faculty and instructors from Open University China and director, PRESTASI (a USAID program for Indonesian teacher educators). Prior to this experience, she was faculty head of English language arts teacher preparation at two universities. She is widely published in the areas of teacher preparation, English education, and discourse analysis. Prior to earning her PhD, she was an English and theater teacher. In all of these endeavors, she has maintained a focus on assessment as a learning tool for teachers and students.
Dr. Adam Grimm
Postdoctoral Researcher, College of Education
Dr. Adam Grimm, currently a postdoctoral researcher in the College of Education at Michigan State University, is a scholar-practitioner engaged in global higher education. Specifically, his research explores how the cross-border mobilities of students, scholars, and faculty influence and are influenced by relevant policies at the institutional and national levels. Utilizing critical qualitative methods, Adam seeks to understand the stories and experiences of mobile persons as related to their transnational positionalities to learn how their worlds, spanning boarders, are socially constructed in undefined and often contested spaces. Adam’s ongoing research agenda explicitly explores the intersections between (higher) education, policy and (global) mobility, with a deliberate effort to inform related policy and practice through both research and his own direct engagement in global education. As part of Adam's postdoctoral assignment, he supports the Office of International Studies in Education in a variety of programmatic efforts.
Suha Gangopadhyay
PhD Student, Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education
Suha Gangopadhyay is a PhD student in the Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education program at Michigan State University. Suha has a background in academic administration, teaching undergraduate and post-graduate students courses in sociology and feminism, and has also worked as a digital curriculum creator for courses on professional development. Her research interests lie in the intersection of international and comparative education and digital learning, with a special focus on teacher gender and teacher identity. She has gained experience in the field while working on multiple projects in the field of education across the world, including Tanzania, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, etc.
Aliya Bizhanova
PhD Student, Education Policy
Aliya Bizhanova is a third-year doctor student in the Education Policy program and the president of the Eurasian Student Association. Her research interests are international and comparative education, teachers’ policies, and immigrant education. Prior to joining MSU, Aliya worked at the World Bank country office in Kazakhstan and consulted the OECD for the Kazakhstan Skills Strategy project. She has a master’s degree in international education policy and management from Vanderbilt University through E. Muskie Fellowship and worked at Chemonics International and Academy for Educational Development in Washington, DC.
Dr. Xinyu Wu
Director, Visiting International Professional Program
Dr. Wu is the Director of the Visiting International Professional Program (VIPP) at MSU, overseeing multiple programs that serve international visitors and scholars. Additionally, Wu was appointed as Co-Director of the Office of China Programs (OCP) in 2018. Dr. Wu has over 20 years' experience in international higher education and worked in the UK and Ireland before joining MSU in 2015. She has a strong reputation in establishing and managing collaborative links with internationally reputable universities around the world.
Lynn Zhou
Program Coordinator, Visiting International Professional Program
As a Program Coordinator at the Visiting International Professional Program, Ms. Lynn Zhou has a successful track record on grant proposal development, program design, and implementation of (USG and non-USG) international training programs. Examples include Department of State’s International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP), U.S. Embassy/Consulate grants, USDA Borlaug Fellowship Programs etc. She has almost five years of professional experiences in international training in higher education and five years in secondary school setting. Zhou has a master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Imperial College London.
The senior leaders cohort was welcomed to MSU and East Lansing by Dr. Jerlando Jackson, dean of the College of Education, and East Lansing Mayor Pro Tem Jessy Gregg, East Lansing City Council Member after a short cultural excursion in Detroit.
The senior leaders cohort enjoyed a panel session on women leadership in higher education moderated by Dr. Ann Austin, Interim Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs, and featuring three outstanding women leaders at MSU: Provost Dr. Teresa Woodruff, Chief Information Officer Dr. Melissa Woo, and Chief Financial Officer Dr. Lisa Frace.
Members of the cohort hosted a panel discussion entitled "Perspectives on Women, Leadership and Educational Transformation." Topics included the importance of women in strategic decision-making, government education initiatives, training and mentorship, the role of cultural exchange, and ways to promote gender equality in leadership positions. The program’s final event was a ceremony and farewell dinner at the University Club of Michigan State University.
This program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan and administered by Michigan State University
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