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Strategies to Enhance Access, Support Well-Being, and Address New Challenges in Education Abroad​

Austin, Texas 
Friday, December 13, 2024
10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CST
Reception to Follow

Education abroad is a proven tool for student success, but not all students have equitable access to these transformative experiences. Historically underrepresented and underserved students often face barriers that limit their engagement, while both students and staff are increasingly impacted by mental health challenges in a complex global landscape. The Forum’s Regional Seminar in Austin was designed to help education abroad professionals explore tangible ways to create impactful, inclusive programming that supports all students and sustains professional resilience.

This day-long seminar, hosted in collaboration with The University of Texas at Austin, EF Study Abroad, and The Forum on Education Abroad, brought together educators, administrators, and mental health experts from across Texas and the region. Early and mid-career education abroad professionals gained fresh insights and practical strategies to expand access, address mental health needs, and foster a sense of belonging in an increasingly interconnected and complex world. Following a packed day of learning, the collaboration and relationship building continued at a reception hosted by EF. 

Read the Event Recap

Why You Should Attend

Strengthen your toolkit by joining discussions and workshops led by experienced leaders in the field, covering essential topics such as:

• Access through Asset-Based Advising: Learn how to break down barriers for underrepresented students by focusing on their strengths and potential, fostering career readiness and retention.
• Mental Health and Well-Being: Explore strategies for supporting the mental health of both students and staff, especially in the face of today’s global challenges.
• Supporting Access for all Student Identities: Examine the unique challenges around promoting funding opportunities and student support resources for students from all backgrounds.
• Identity as a Factor in Risk and Safety: Discover how institutions are addressing generational, cultural, and identity-based differences as part of risk management strategies to better support both students and staff.

Making the case to attend with your supervisor? We've prepared an email template to help you get started. Download it now and edit as you need!

Outcomes you can expect

At the end of the day, participants will walk away with:

• Real-World Tools: Have a plan to use actionable strategies in your work to prepare students to navigate diverse cultural contexts while maximizing their education abroad experiences.
• Insight into Student Experiences: Develop a deeper understanding and learn ways to empower all students to fully integrate education abroad into their academic and personal growth journeys.
• Strategies to Make Education Abroad More Accessible: Learn how to implement asset-based advising models that enhance access for all students, creating more equitable education abroad opportunities.​

AGenda & Location

Agenda is tentative and subject to change.
10:00am – 4:30pm CT (1 hour lunch) 
10:00 | Welcome + The Day’s Agenda
10:15 | Access and Well-Being: Framing the Issues
10:30 | Leveraging Education Abroad as a tool for Student Retention and Career Readiness 
11:15 | Approaches to Supporting Access to Education Abroad
12:00 | Lunch (included in program)
1:15   | New Aspects of Risk and Safety: Considering Diverse Identities, Generations, Cultures, and More
2:45   | Break 
3:00   | Managing Mental Health and Wellness for Our Students and Ourselves
4:30   | Closing Remarks 
4:45   | Reception Sponsored by EF Study Abroad
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Location:
EF Study Abroad - Austin
1221 S Congress Ave Suite 400
​Austin, TX, 78704

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Speakers

Thomas Ward
Director, Education Abroad, The University of Texas at Austin

Tommy's Bio

​Tommy has worked in International Education for over 18 years, first at the University of Texas at Austin’s International Office and then at the McCombs School of Business. While in the International Office Tommy developed exchange, affiliated, and faculty-led programs across five continents. At McCombs Tommy expanded faculty-led program offerings sending more than 500 MBA students abroad annually to over 30 countries and designed experiential learning models to integrate students from different programs. Prior to joining UT Austin, Tommy worked in Special Education at the Austin Independent School District. He earned a Master of Education and a bachelor’s degree in History, Spanish Literature, and Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

Tommy speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic and enjoys studying, learning, and playing Brazilian folk music.

Holly Hudson
Associate Vice President, Global Engagement, Texas A&M University

Holly's Bio

​Dr. Holly Hudson serves as the Associate Vice President for Global Engagement in the Division of Academic and Strategic Collaborations. In this capacity, she provides leadership and oversight of the new Global Engagement department working across the University to promote, support and ensure the execution of Texas A&M's global strategic plan.

Dr. Hudson has worked in International Education for two decades and has emerged as a leader in the field, holding memberships and serving in various roles in the Association of International Education Administrators, NAFSA: Association of International Education, the Forum on Education Abroad, and Diversity Abroad. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Center for International Studies Abroad and as Chair of NAFSA's Education Abroad Regulatory Practice Financial Aid Subcommittee.

She earned a Master of Science in Economic Development with an emphasis on International Development from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Alabama.

Dr. Hudson came to Texas A&M in 2018 as the Executive Director of Education Abroad, where she successfully led initiatives to improve campus relations, create organizational efficiencies, and elevate Education Abroad. Her primary responsibilities included policy and program development, safety and risk management, and strategic planning. She advocates for access, equity and inclusion in education abroad and frequently presents regionally and nationally on topics such as risk management, diversity and inclusion, and partnership and program development.

Whitney Longnecker
Director of Study Abroad, Texas Tech University

Whitney's Bio

​Whitney has served as Director of Study Abroad since 2018. In this role, Whitney leads all aspects of TTU Study Abroad including student and faculty support before, during and after a study abroad experience. Whitney has a passion for ensuring Red Raiders stay healthy and safe while abroad, and she manages all emergency and risk management for approved study abroad programs. Whitney presents regularly on the topic of student health and safety abroad.

As an undergraduate student, Whitney studied and interned abroad in London, England, and Hangzhou, China. Whitney's personal study abroad experiences ignited her passion for international travel and education abroad and in turn, Whitney earned a M.A. in International Education from SIT Graduate Institute. During her graduate work, Whitney participated in a faculty-led study abroad program in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. Whitney has ventured to nearly 40 countries for professional work and personal travel.

Carolyn Lutes
Vice President, Health, Safety and Student Success, Academic Programs International (API)

Carylyn's Bio

​Carolyn is the Vice President of Health, Safety and Student Success at Academic Programs International (API). At API, she leads the Student Success team in their responsibilities over risk management, student preparation, and emergency management. Carolyn is heavily involved with the work of API's on-site directors, managing incidents and conducting ongoing trainings on health and safety topics. She has worked in the Education Abroad field since 2003, in the private university and third party provider settings. In 2019, she began specializing in health and safety, leading the Student Success team at API and also joining the Pulse network of international safety and security professionals in higher education. Carolyn is a regular participant in Pulse, OSAC and Forum events and workshops and was most recently certified in Mental Health First Aid by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. She received a Bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University where she studied English literature, French and Psychology, complemented by a semester immersion program in Dijon, France.  

Annette Mares-Duran
Member Services Manager, The Forum on Education Abroad

Annette's Bio

​Annette Mares-Duran serves as the Membership Services Manager. She develops and implements strategies for membership engagement and outreach related activities. She serves as the primary liaison to current and prospective members and systematizes opportunities for members to engage and provide feedback on services.

​Prior to joining The Forum, Annette was the Faculty-Led International Program Coordinator at the University of New Mexico and an elected Forum Council member. As a program leader herself, she facilitated group programs to Ecuador and Peru. As a student, she studied abroad in Spain and Nicaragua. Annette received her B.S. in Education and M.A. in Language, Literacy, & Sociocultural Studies at the University of New Mexico.

Maggie Mahoney
Director, Global Engagement, University of Houston

Maggie's Bio

Maggie supports university-wide internationalization efforts including student mobility, campus global initiatives, and university partnerships. She has worked within the UH global area since 2015, with a focus on holistic student advising and support, faculty-led program development, risk management, and strategic planning and outreach. She has over a decade of experience in higher education, working previously within residence life, intercultural education, and career services. Maggie earned a Doctor of Education in Ethical Leadership from the University of St. Thomas with a focus on Global Competence and Student Involvement. She also has a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Arts in French with a minor in Spanish from Centenary College of Louisiana. She has studied abroad in Belgium, France, Guatemala, and traveled to Australia, South America, and across parts of southwestern Europe. 

Monya Lemery
Director of Study Abroad and International Student Services at Southwestern University

Monya's Bio

Monya Lemery, Director of Study Abroad and International Student Services at Southwestern University, brings over two decades of leadership in international education. Her experience spans large public, medium-sized public, and small private universities, as well as program provider roles. Monya's notable achievements include leading the Latin America Initiative at the University of Texas at Austin, increasing regional engagement by 50%. An active participant in the international education community, she has contributed to Forum Working Groups and served on the Forum Council, demonstrating her commitment to shaping the field's future.

Godlove Fonjweng
Executive Director of International Programs & Senior International Officer, Prairie View A&M University

Godlove's Bio

Dr. Godlove T. Fonjweng is the Executive Director of International Programs & Senior International Officer, concurrently serving as Associate Professor of Practice at Prairie View A&M University. He earned degrees from Swarthmore College (B.A. in Geochemistry) and the University of Pennsylvania (M.S. and Ph.D. in Geology). He served on the faculty at Philadelphia University and was the inaugural chair of the environmental science program he helped found. He then returned to the University of Pennsylvania where he served as Assistant Dean for Academic Advising in the College of Arts and Sciences and Adjunct Faculty in the College of Continuing Education. He subsequently served as Special Assistant to the Provost and Director of Academic Advising at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania before moving to Wilkes University as founding director of the Center for Global Education and Diversity. He later transitioned to Hartwick College in NY as Senior International Officer and instructor in the Honors Program. He was later promoted to Assistant Provost for Global Education & Field Studies while concurrently providing oversight to the College’s Honors Program.

Christie Johnson
Assistant Director, Global Risk and Safety, The University of Texas at Austin

Christie's Bio

​Christie Johnson has worked in the field of education abroad since 1998. Prior to her tenure at Texas Global, Christie worked for twenty years at a study abroad provider based in Austin, where she amassed a wide array of experience as Vice President for University Relations, Senior Communications Director, and a Student Program Coordinator. Christie’s background includes crisis management, emergency communications, working with students and their families as they prepare for their study abroad experiences, and supporting staff and faculty leading groups abroad. Christie has also served on the Diversity Abroad task force, and presented widely in the field of international education on subjects of both health and safety and supporting underrepresented and underserved students in study abroad.

Christie is a child of career military and diplomat parents, born in Bogotá, Colombia, and has lived in Austria, Hong Kong and Myanmar. She is a Longhorn with a B.A. in German, and a parent of two (one a graduate of the UT Austin School of Social Work, the other pursuing a degree in linguistics), both of whom grew up traveling across the U.S. and abroad. She is an avid distance runner, loves exploring new trails, an active volunteer with Austin Parks (and other organizations), and loves to read and explore new places. Her travel bucket remains long and ever growing.

Sonia Feigenbaum
Senior Vice Provost for Global Engagement and Chief International Officer, The University of Texas at Austin

Sonia's Bio

Dr. Sonia Feigenbaum joined UT Austin in 2019 as the inaugural senior vice provost for global engagement and chief international officer. She rebranded Texas Global to reflect a broader vision for international engagement, launched the first UT Austin Global Gateway in Mexico City, and raised over $37M to support internationalization programs. Under her leadership, UT Austin received the Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization and published its first biennial global engagement report. She has also established new units to drive global strategy and innovation.

Dr. Feigenbaum has advanced global initiatives through funding for transnational research, international internships, displaced scholar support, and campus internationalization events. Texas Global has awarded $1.38M in grants to foster partnerships in 57 countries and built collaborations with top-ranked institutions worldwide. Her strategic efforts have expanded UT Austin’s global footprint, including the establishment of an Institut des Amériques pôle on campus.

Prior to UT Austin, Dr. Feigenbaum held leadership roles at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Brown University, and the U.S. Department of Education. She has extensive experience in global policymaking, managing budgets exceeding $250M, and securing external funding for internationalization. A trained cellist with a doctorate in Spanish, Dr. Feigenbaum is fluent in multiple languages, including French and Spanish, and is studying Korean.

Marissa Lombardi
Vice President and Chief Learning Officer, The Forum on Education Abroad

Marissa's Bio

Dr. Marissa Lombardi serves as the Vice President and Chief Learning Officer, implementing an impressive array of programs, resources and materials related to the Standards of Good Practice, equity, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, and other topics that promote and facilitate the highest quality education abroad programs.

Prior to joining The Forum’s team, Marissa was with EF Education First, where she served as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Partnerships.Previously, Marissa was an Assistant Teaching Professor and Director of the Master of Science in Global Studies and International Relations program at Northeastern University, where she developed a concentration and certificate in Global Student Mobility. She also served as a faculty scholar and lead scholar at the university’s Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning through Research.

​She served as dean of students at Lorenzo de’Medici Italian International Institute in Florence, Italy, where she was part of a senior leadership team responsible for the oversight of campuses in Florence, Rome, Venice, and Tuscania. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bennington College, a Master’s of Arts in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University and a Doctorate of Education, with a specialization in International Education, from Northeastern University.

Kate Berge
Director, Health and Safety, EF Study Abroad

Kate's Bio

Kate Berge is the current Director of Health & Safety at Education First with EF Study Abroad in Cambridge, MA. Kate brings 18 years of experience managing residential communities and leading study abroad programs across six continents. Prior to EF, Kate was the Director of The N.U.in Program at Northeastern University. During Kate’s time at Northeastern, she oversaw the hiring and training process of all temporary site staff and was responsible for updating N.U.in’s emergency response protocols. Her background also includes serving as the Student Affairs Manager in Turks and Caicos with The School for Field Studies, sailing as a Living Learning Coordinator on Semester at Sea and leading summer student travel programs with Global Routes. Kate holds a Bachelors in Psychology from Ithaca College and a Masters of Science from Northeastern University in College Student Development and Counseling.

Lindsay Calvert
Director, IIENetwork and Center for Access and Equity, Institute of International Education (IIE)

Lindsay's Bio

​Based at IIE Houston since 2006, Lindsay advances diversity, equity, inclusion, and access strategies and initiatives in international education, with experience in U.S. student participation in study abroad, partnerships, membership engagement, and scholarship/grant management. Overseeing the IIENetwork, the global membership association, she manages member-supporting team and programs, including the IIE Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education, events, communications, and publications. In addition, Lindsay is the inaugural Director of the IIE Center for Access and Equity, aiming to advance accessible programming and equitable practices to enrich and expand international education for all. In this role, Lindsay works internally and externally to advance IIE’s commitment to DEIA for stakeholders, including team members, partners, members, and participants. She manages the Center’s partnerships and programs, including the IIE American Passport Project, as well as conducts research and produces informational resources and publications.
 
Lindsay had early international experiences as a high school student in China and as a volunteer with Amigos de las Américas in Paraguay, as well as a college semester studying in Chile through IFSA. She is a graduate of Trinity University (TX) with a B.A. in both International Studies (Latin America concentration) and Spanish. She completed Rice University’s Leadership Institute for Nonprofit Executives Certificate Program in 2020 and obtained the Certified Diversity Professional credential from the Institute for Diversity Certification in 2023.

Laura Caloudas
Assistant Director of Experiential Learning

Laura's Bio

​Laura joined Texas Global as a faculty-led Program Coordinator in Education Abroad in 2015, then taking a Senior Program Coordinator position leading the President’s Award for Global Learning program in 2018.

Laura earned her Master’s degree in international development from George Washington University and a bachelors degree in international relations from American University. She studied abroad at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Working with international development NGOs, Laura has overseen international programs in Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Balkans and traveled to Bangladesh, Bosnia, DRC, Rwanda, and Turkey.

As Assistant Director of Experiential Learning, Laura oversees global internship and service learning programs as well as new program initiatives for first year students.