NAFSA 2025 Annual Conference Committee (ACC)
The NAFSA annual conference brings together the global international education community to reflect, celebrate, inspire, and create. Together, we recognize and learn from the strength and expertise of the community, renew our mission, and chart the course for the future.
Each year, the Annual Conference Committee uses the principles below to develop the conference program:
- Meet challenges by sharing lessons learned, diverse perspectives, and innovative approaches.
- Explore trends in professional development and career advancement, and advocate for the well-being of all as we plan for the future of international education.
- Create intentional community-building and networking experiences.
- Ensure that the conference is accessible to all.
- Highlight global thought leadership and multigenerational perspectives.
- Underscore the global imperative for social justice and access, and the importance of inclusive internationalization for long-term impact at our institutions, as well as our local and global communities.
Executive Team
The Executive Team provides vision and oversight and ensures the conference is aligned with NAFSA’s strategic plan. They set content and networking priorities for the conference, including both concurrent sessions and poster events. They lead the content planning meeting to review the program submitted by the Conference Content Team and, with their help, engineer or re-engineer sessions, seminars, and workshops to meet content goals. In addition, they evaluate data from the previous year’s conference to inform their goals for the upcoming conference.
- Conference Chair: Sara Thurston, Northwestern University
- Content Chair: Namiki Bagirimvano, U.S.-Japan Council
- Poster Chair: Anna Hayes, Duke University
- Chair-Designate, 2025 Annual Conference Committee: Jiangyuan Zhou, James Madison University
- Vice President for Scholarship and Institutional Strategy: Ahmad Ezzeddine, Wayne State University
- President of the Board of Directors: LaNitra Berger, George Mason University
Sara Thurston, PhD
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Northwestern University
Chair, 2025 Annual Conference Committee
Sara Thurston, PhD, has more than 18 years of professional experience in international education, including the last eight years that she has been at Kansas State University. Thurston’s past involvement with NAFSA includes presenting on numerous topics, mentoring, and serving in the Trainer Corp and...
Namiko Bagirimvano
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U.S.-Japan Council
Content Chair, Annual Conference Committee
Nami Bagirimvano is with the TOMODACHI Initiative in Tokyo, overseeing program development and stakeholder collaboration. With 15+ years of experience in International Education, Nami has held various roles in U.S. higher education, most recently as a director managing recruitment and support for...
Anna Hayes
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Duke University
Poster Chair, Annual Conference Committee/ Academy Coach, Region VII
As Director of Global Health and Safety at Duke University, Anna provides strategy and vision for risk assessment, mitigation, health and crisis preparedness, faculty leader training, and response plans for undergraduate programs and students undertaking Duke-sponsored travel domestically and abroad...
Jiangyuan (JY) Zhou, EdD
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James Madison University
Chair-Designate, 2026 Annual Conference Committee
Jiangyuan (JY) Zhou, EdD, is the executive director, Center for Global Engagement at James Madison University. Her work focuses on internationalization, faculty empowerment, global learning, and assessment. JY keeps an active research agenda on a new theoretical framework to define and assess...
Ahmad Ezzeddine, PhD
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Wayne State University
NAFSA Vice President for Scholarship and Institutional Strategy
Ahmad Ezzeddine, PhD, is the vice president for Academic Student Affairs and Global Engagement at Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, Michigan, where he leads the university’s national, global, and corporate educational outreach programs. As the senior international officer, he is responsible...
LaNitra Berger, PhD
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George Mason University
NAFSA President and Chair of the Board of Directors
LaNitra Berger, PhD, is the Associate Professor of Art History and Director of African and African American Studies at George Mason University (GMU). She has helped students secure more than 60 prestigious fellowships such as the Fulbright, Boren, Gilman, Truman, Udall, and Critical Language...
Content Team
The Content Team develops a content plan for the conference and helps shape the Call for Proposals. They solicit and review proposals for sessions, poster events, and workshops that fit the conference theme and advance knowledge and skill-building for the field of international education and exchange. Each team member develops a ranked set of session and workshop proposals for their respective audience group to contribute to the creation of a coherent, comprehensive, and cutting-edge program. The team reviews and organizes posters under the direction of the Poster Chair.
- Education Abroad Knowledge Community Representative: Susan Lochter Atkinson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- International Education Leadership Knowledge Community Representative: Parinaz Zartoshty, San Jose State University
- International Enrollment Management Knowledge Community Representative: Aleks Morawski, Scholaro, Inc.
- International Student and Scholar Services Knowledge Community Representative: Regina George, Princeton University
- Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship Knowledge Community Representative: Ling LeBeau, Syracuse University
- Global Perspectives Member: Craig E. Hastings, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge
Susan Lochner Atkinson
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University of Wisconsin-Madison
2025 Annual Conference Committee Member & Past Chair, Education Abroad Knowledge Community (EAKC)
Susan Lochner Atkinson, MA, is the associate director for advising in international academic programs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Parinaz Zartoshty, EdD
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San Jose State University
2025 Annual Conference Committee Member, IEL KC
Parinaz Zartoshty, EdD is the Senior Director of Global Programs and Services at San Jose State University (SJSU). In her role, she serves as the Senior International Officer (SIO) and is charged with leading and facilitating the university’s comprehensive internationalization efforts through...
Aleksander Morawski, MA
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Scholaro, Inc.
2025 Annual Conference Committee Member, IEM KC; Past Chair, IEM KC
Aleks Morawski is the director of evaluation services at Scholaro, based in Chicago, IL. He holds a BA and MA degrees in political science earned in the United States. His professional experience includes credential evaluation at private agencies, international admissions and recruitment at major US...
Regina George
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Princeton University
2025 Annual Conference Committee Member, ISSS KC; Past Chair, ISSS KC
Regina George has 20 years of experience working in the field of International Education. She is currently Associate Director for International Students at the Davis International Center at Princeton University. Ms. George has presented at the Mississippi Association of International Educators (MAIE...
Ling LeBeau, PhD
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Syracuse University
2025 Annual Conference Committee Member, TLS KC
Ling Gao LeBeau, PhD, is director of international student success at Syracuse University. LeBeau is a scholar practitioner in the field of international higher education with many years of experiences in teaching, research, and administration. She has served in various roles in international...
Craig E. Hastings
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Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge
2025 Annual Conference Committee Member, Global Perspectives
Craig E. Hastings is an advisor to the Abu Dhabi Scholarships Division at the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), where he has worked for the past four years and currently serves as the Global Perspectives Member on the Annual Conference Committee. He has over 30 years of...