Advancing Health & Safety in Education Abroad 

The Institute on Health, Safety, Security, and Risk Management (Health & Safety Institute) was held in Boston, Massachusetts, in June 2026, where education abroad professionals gathered for the field's premier event focused on risk management-related issues.

As the field continues to navigate ongoing challenges, the Institute underscored the essential contributions of health, safety, and risk management professionals in fostering responsible and resilient education abroad programs.

Participants left with tangible tools to strengthen institutional and organizational strategies for risk mitigation, incident prevention, emergency response, and the overall well-being of education abroad participants.

The Institute was hosted by Boston College (140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467).​

Read the Recap

Hosted By: 

---

Key Upcoming Dates

• ​January 26, 2026: Call for Proposals Ends 
• February 19, 2026: Institute Schedule Available & Sara’s Wish Foundation Scholarship Open 
• March 20, 2026: Sara’s Wish Foundation Scholarship Deadline 
• April 3, 2026: Early Registration Rates End 
• May 22, 2026: Regular Registration Rates End 
• June 18, 2026: Late Registration Rates End ​

​​Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, the Forum News, so you don’t miss any updates about Health & Safety Institute 2026.

---

Registration & Travel Grants

The Sara’s Wish Foundation generously supported health and safety programming at The Forum on Education Abroad. Registration and travel grants were available to help organizations and individuals meet their education abroad health and safety objectives and attend the Health & Safety Institute.

he Health and Safety Institute Registration Grant supported attendance at this annual institute, a mini conference focused exclusively on health and safety in education abroad. Senior risk managers and education abroad directors attended the 1.5-day conference to share best practices and develop new protocols to respond to the health and safety needs of students traveling abroad.

Travel Grants for the Health and Safety Institute were designed for individuals from Minority Serving Institutions with limited professional development resources.

• Application Opened: February 19, 2026
  
• Application Deadline: March 20, 2026

---

Sponsorship Opportunities

The Forum offers unparalleled opportunities for visibility to audiences across the education abroad and global learning space. To sponsor a future Health & Safety Institute or one of our other events, please visit our​ Institute Sponsorship Opportunities page. ​

---

2026 Committee Members

Special thanks to our Health & Safety Institute Committee for their guidance in preparing for the 2026 Institute.
​
Co-Chairs

• Jordan Viars-Whisinnand, Assistant Director, Global Health & Safety Duke University
• Margaret Wiedenhoeft, Executive Director, Center for International Programs, Kalamazoo College

Vice-Chair

• Andrea Drake, Executive Director of Global Safety and Security University of Massachusetts Amherst

Committee

• Patrick Barker, Director of Health, Safety, and Security, WorldStrides Higher Ed
• Lishanthi Caldera, Safety Abroad Advisor, Toronto Metropolitan University
• Benjamin Cluff, Global Security Advisor, Brigham Young University
• Matthew Cullinane, Director of Global Health, Safety and Security, Michigan State University
• Kevin Dostal Dauer, Director of International Health, Safety, and Compliance, University of Minnesota
• Samuel Gras, Associate Director, Global Safety and Security, Boston College
• Jeff Heerdink-Santos, Director of International Experiences, Indiana University
• Vanessa Hoi Wan Ho, Assistant Director, Undergraduate Travel Safety, Columbia University
• Kevin Kugel, Associate Director, Health, Safety & Security, Boston University
• Theodore Maleas, Head of Student Life and Safety, The American College of Thessaloniki
• Larry Pickener, Director, Office of Global Education, Boston College
• Kim Priebe, Associate Director, International Health, Safety, and Crisis Management, University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP)
• Adam Rubin, Assistant Vice Provost and Director of Education Abroad, University at Buffalo
• Namita Shetty, Head of Global Alliances, iEXP360
• Alicia Stanley, Senior Director of Student Mobility and Global Safety, Grinnell College
• Laura Strohminger, Chief Program Officer/Vice President of Student Affairs, Institute for Shipboard Education/Semester at Sea
• Kelly Trail, Director of Higher Education & Assistance, Allegiant Global Partners: a HUB International Company
• Amelia Dietrich, Ph.D., Senior Director for Research & Publications and Managing Editor, Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, The Forum on Education Abroad
• Genesis Jardinico, Events & Conferences Manager, The Forum on Education Abroad