Opening Plenary 
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
5:30-6:45 p.m. EDT

Beware the Shrinking Imagination: Widening Scopes through Study Away

There is nothing quite like study away in the context of higher learning to broaden the scope of college students to questions of purpose, commitment and interdependence. Market pressures, factionalism, time pressure, and the persistence of systemic inequalities can overwhelm our senses and rob us of our ability to imagine new possibilities. What if we could exercise our prophetic imagination to envision a better future? How can we work together within and across our organizations to reimagine the intersections among student and faculty diversity, global and local community engagement, and academic success? How can the process of reimagining foster resilience and healing of the communities we are a part of and those we serve?

​In this presentation, Professor Eatman challenges conference attendees to consider the urgency of the current global condition and the potential ameliorative role higher education can play in it. Join us to learn how the  and the work of Publicly Engaged Scholarship can serve as conceptual and practical tools to help us bridge global and local work to advance our collective flourishing. ​

Dr. Timothy Eatman
Dean of the Honors Living-Learning Community, Rutgers University

Read timothy's bio

Timothy K. Eatman, Ph.D., an educational sociologist and publicly engaged scholar, serves as the Inaugural Dean of the and Professor of Urban Education at Rutgers University-Newark. Prior to this current appointment his primary network of scholarly operation and leadership was with the national consortium serving as Faculty Co-Director. Tim currently serves as national co-chair of the and chair emeritus of the (IARSLCE) board. Tim is in his second term on the board of directors of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) serving as Chair of the membership committee and as Chair of the board. Also, with AAC&U, Tim serves as a faculty member of the Institute on High Impact Practices for Student Success (HIPS). He is a member of the National Advisory Committee for the and the National Advisory board for (BTtP).  

Pursuing a rigorous scholarly agenda, Tim publishes widely, serves on editorial boards and reviews for Academic publishing houses, scholarly journals and conferences. He has written several book chapters and research reports including the widely cited Scholarship in Public: Knowledge Creation and Tenure Policy in the Engaged University, a seminal report on faculty rewards and publicly engaged scholarship. Tim is co-editor of . 

​A widely sought-after speaker, workshop facilitator, and collaborator who has earned local, national and international recognition for his leadership in advancing understandings about the multi-faceted impact of publicly engaged scholarship in the university of the 21st century, Tim was recognized by the University of Illinois College of Education with its 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award.  For more information see his webpages at . 

Closing Plenary & Champagne Toast
​​Friday, March 22, 2024
3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Collective Leadership: Innovation to Change the World

​Ready to become the change you want to see in the world? When we come together at a conference, one of the best benefits is time spent with one another. Join us for a COLLECTIVE innovation event and celebrate 20 years of The Forum with Education Abroad colleagues. 

This year’s closing event is a participatory plenary, led by Emily Merson, Executive Director of AIFS Abroad. What’s a participatory plenary? This is an action-oriented conversation that calls on our creativity and the innovation that is only possible through the combined power of a collective.

Designed to connect you to your colleagues, your purpose, and the future of our field – “COLLECTIVE Leadership: Innovation to change the World” is a collective celebratory event you won’t want to miss. Are you in? 

Meet Our Closing Plenary Panelists

Emily Merson
AIFS Abroad

Read Emily's Bio

Emily Merson is passionate about inspiring global innovation and change while maximizing the collective talent of the education abroad community for a better global future. A native of Sydney, Australia, but based in the United States, Emily has a global resume with degrees from the UNSW in Sydney, and Uppsala University in Sweden, and holds three passports.

An unlikely entrepreneur, Emily started her career in International Relations and Environmental Security with an internship at UNESCO in Indonesia. In 2001, Emily co-founded Global Experiences, an International Internship and career readiness organization with its first site in Rome, Italy, serving as CEO from 2013 to 2020. In 2020, she began as Executive Director of AIFS Abroad, bringing together AIFS Study Abroad and Global Experiences through a values-based reimagination focused on the organization's first Green Initiative; Strengths Career Readiness; and Access, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Plan.

Emily is her happiest with a room full of colleagues dreaming up the next best idea ever, exploring the world with her family or in a yoga class on the beach in Tulum. She can’t wait to bring the collective together at 20th Annual Conference in Boston for a disruptive and inspiring one-of-a-kind event.

Christina "Chris" Thompson
COMPEAR Global Education Network

Read cHRIS' Bio

Christina 'Chris' Thompson (she/her/hers) is acclaimed for her influential work in global education and her dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her recent achievements include receiving the Go Abroad Award for Innovation in Diversity in 2022 and the NAFSA Region 7 award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advocacy in International Education in 2021. She was also notably recognized for her "Global Respectful Disruptor" webinar series in 2020, which gained international acclaim by the PIE Innovation Awards for its impactful content and approach.

Chris founded COMPEAR Global Education Network, leveraging nearly 20 years of experience to enhance international education and promote inclusive practices. She is also the Founder of an annual Global Respectful Disruption Summit (in partnership with GoAbroad.com) that focuses on respectful disruption in global education, advocating for innovative and diverse educational strategies. Her specialization in intercultural learning has been pivotal in advancing diversity and equity in educational settings.

Her career includes significant roles in developing global diversity programming and leading education abroad and international student services. Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee for NAFSA, Chris is often a notable speaker at various industry conferences and other international platforms. She holds an MA in Liberal Arts with a Global Studies concentration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is pursuing a doctorate in disruptive leadership practices at Marymount University.

Kyle Rausch
University of Illinois Chicago

Read Kyle's Bio

Dr. Kyle Rausch is an experienced education abroad professional whose work has focused on faculty-directed education abroad programs, including the development of program leader training and institutional risk management protocols. Currently serving as the Executive Director of the Study Abroad Office at the University of Illinois Chicago, Kyle’s experience includes helping institutions build capacity for education abroad, specifically for institutions serving high numbers of underrepresented students.

​Kyle earned a Doctor of Education from Arizona State University with his research focusing on supporting first-generation college students in education abroad and he serves on the leadership team of the Forum on Education Abroad Council and other education abroad advisory boards. He is a Fulbright Scholar and a licensed Qualified Administrator for the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). 

Kelly Holland
AIFS Abroad

Read Kelly's Bio

Kelly Holland is the Vice President for Institutional Partnerships at AIFS Abroad. She has worked in higher education since 2007 including study and work abroad in Spain. She has previously held campus-based roles with Towson University, Eastern Illinois University, and Lehigh University. 

​Kelly holds a BA in International Business Management from Moravian College and an M.Ed. in Comparative and International Education from Lehigh University. She is active in the Forum on Education Abroad and NAFSA and is a frequent presenter on mental health and wellbeing in the international education profession.

Martha Johnson
CEA CAPA

Read mARTHA's Bio

Martha Johnson is the Executive Vice President and Provost for CEA CAPA. 
She has worked in education abroad since 1991 including work on site, and for institutions abroad and in the US.  She holds a PhD in American Studies with an emphasis on drama and the performance of identity from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England and has taught courses abroad. 

​Martha has presented and chaired numerous sessions and workshops at national and international conferences. She previously served on NAFSA leadership teams and chaired multiple committees in NAFSA, the Forum on Education Abroad, Diversity Abroad, the Global Leadership League, and the Fund for Education Abroad. She is currently serving a term on the Board of Directors for the Forum.