Elaine Meyer-Lee: Moving Forward

On January 1, 2017, Elaine Meyer-Lee, EdD assumed her role as NAFSA president and chair of the Board of Directors. She is associate vice president for global learning and leadership development at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, and has been a senior international officer and intercultural leadership, diversity, and inclusion educator for 14 years. She previously served within NAFSA’s International Education Leadership Knowledge Community and on the Annual Conference Committee.

How and why did you initially become involved in NAFSA and what made you want to become NAFSA president?

NAFSA has played an absolutely pivotal role in my career for the past 2 7 years. As part of my early career discernment in the late 80s, I first attended a conference in Region XI, which ignited my passion to enter the [international education] field.

I initially went the faculty route of research and teaching and consulted on external outcomes assessment of others’  intercultural education efforts. In 2001, when I was ready to transition to direct full-time involvement in the field, the first thing I did was attend a Region VII conference. I have attended every annual conference since 2003.

Having gained so much from NAFSA, I was eager to contribute in return, which I first did through presenting many sessions, mostly on outcomes assessment or leadership. In 2009, I helped to start the Women’s College & University Institutional Interest Group, and became chair of it in 2010. Given all of this positive experience with NAFSA as a member-leader, I