AIFS and CIEE Announce Fifth Cohort of Ping Taylor Professional Fellows
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CIEE and AIFS are excited to announce the fifth cohort of Ping Taylor Professional Fellows, a development program to fund participation at national conferences in the field of international education.
The following six awardees, selected from a competitive pool of applicants, will each receive $2000 to cover the costs of attending the Forum on Education Abroad conference in Boston, MA (March 20 – 22, 2024).
- Jennifer Chan, Senior Advisor and Exchange Coordinator, Seattle University
- Shawn Dillard, Program Director, University of San Francisco
- Melissa Matsubara, Director of Study Abroad & International Exchange Programs, Hawaii Pacific University
- Jessica Michelsen, Study Away Coordinator, Cal Poly
- Lili Klar, MBA, Global Engagement Coordinator, Clemson University
- Nandi Musengwa, Study Abroad Program Coordinator, Morehouse College
CIEE and AIFS are particularly grateful to the Forum on Education Abroad for their generous support of the Ping Taylor Professional Fellows, as they offered a reduced registration rate for all recipients.
The Ping Taylor Grant, established in 2022, pays tribute to the esteemed American educator Dr. Charles Ping, former chair of CIEE, and Sir Cyril Taylor, the founder of AIFS. This initiative was spearheaded by Jim Pellow, President and CEO of CIEE, and Bill Gertz, President of AIFS. Together, they pledged $100,000 over three years to assist education abroad professionals in attending the annual conferences organized by NAFSA: Association for International Educators, the Forum on Education Abroad, and Diversity Abroad.
According to recipient Melissa Matsubara, “I am deeply humbled by AIFS and CIEE’s generosity in honoring Dr. Ping and Sir Cyril by establishing this grant to help leaders expand the field and its positive impact on global education, particularly those who may have never attended a conference like the Forum and would not have the means to do so, if not for this grant.”
To date, 26 international educators have received funding through the Ping Taylor Professional Fellows Grant:
- Hope Kroll, Student Success Specialist, Michigan State University
- Antonio L. Ellison, II Assistant Director, Study Abroad Diversity Initiatives, Lehigh University
- Vaughn Thornton, Program and Outreach Specialist, Boston College
- Monija Amani, Executive Director of Global Education, Muhlenberg College
- Stephanie Lopez, Study Abroad Advisor, Iowa State University
Forum on Education Abroad 2023
- Matt Schiesel, Associate Director of Study Abroad & International Fellowships, Siena College
- Sarah Craver, Director of Education Abroad, Hunter College (CUNY)
- Vanes Beaubrun, Coordinator, Faculty-Led Programs, University of Rhode Island
- Jan-Dominique Santos, International Education Manager, University of South Alabama
- Brian Henry, Program Manager, University of Denver
- Neal McKinney, Graduate Research Associate/Doctoral Candidate, Ohio State
- Kimberly Longfellow , Assistant Director of Off-Campus Programs, St. Lawrence University
- Andrea Ruffoni Semidey, Assistant Director, University of Miami
- Bemni Amsalu, International Program Advisor, Xavier University
- Yijie(EJ) Ren, Education Abroad Advisor, University of Maine
- Allison Carruthers, Learning Abroad Advisor, University of Houston
- Taylor Shire, Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business, Iowa State University
- Dario Ogaz, Education Abroad Senior Specialist, Seattle University
- Natasha Welcome, Professor, ESL, Middlesex County College
- Taylor Morgan, Director, Education Abroad, Texas Woman's University
The application for the next Grant opens (and closes) in March 2024. Selected participants will attend the NAFSA 2024 Conference and Expo. Visit Ping Taylor Professional Fellows Grant | CIEE to learn more.