The Stevens Initiative’s fourth annual flagship training, the Virtual Exchange Academy, was officially completed by 45 education and exchange leaders and practitioners who are now prepared to bring cross-cultural experiences to their communities.
This year, participants logged on from around the world — including nine countries and 15 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. — and nearly half of the group represented higher education institutions across the Americas. The Academy worked with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for the second consecutive year, as well as PeacePlayers, Special Olympics International, Smithsonian Institution, and Aspen Institute Kyiv to build capacity for meaningful global learning experiences worldwide.
This cohort, which was selected through a competitive process late last year, diligently learned and thoughtfully collaborated with one another throughout six weeks of live sessions on virtual exchange design and practice. Interested in participating in our next Virtual Exchange Academy? Learn more here and subscribe to our mailing list for updates on the next training.
Graduates of the 2024 Virtual Exchange Academy are well prepared to bring virtual exchange to young people they serve, whether through joining an existing program or network, or creating a virtual exchange program of their own.
2024 Virtual Exchange Academy Graduates
Abigail Faires | Vietnam
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Learn2Link
Abigail Newsome | Mississippi, U.S.
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Mississippi Valley State University
Aizhan Shomotova | United Arab Emirates
Instructor, Faculty, Zayed University
Amber Hoye | Idaho, U.S.
Director, World Languages Resource Center, Boise State University
Amy Ramson | New York, U.S.
Professor, Hostos Community College
Ana Eugenia Romo González | Mexico
Director of Computer Science Department, Technological University of Jalisco
Anastasiia Kravets | Ukraine
Project Coordinator, Aspen Institute Kyiv
Andrea (Andi) Kornowski | Wisconsin, U.S.
Charter Director, KM Global School for Global Leadership and Innovation
Andrea Paola López Arévalo | Ecuador
Coordinator of International Curriculum, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador
Andy Mink | Washington, DC, U.S.
Director of Rural Initiatives, Smithsonian Institution
Ankita Shukla | United Arab Emirates
Research Assistant, Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah
Ashley Naranjo | Washington, DC, U.S.
Education and Outreach Strategist, Smithsonian Institution
Atara Muhammad | Washington, DC, U.S.
Specialist, Global Programs, DC Public Schools
Beth Clarke | Wisconsin, U.S.
Senior Director for Digital Leadership and Learning, CESA 2
Camille Gibson, Ph.D., C.R.C. | Texas, U.S.
Interim Dean and Executive Director, Prairie View A&M University
Carol Harsh | Washington, DC, U.S.
Director, Museum on Main Street and Community Engagement, Smithsonian Institution
Caroline Morales | Washington, DC, U.S.
Program Coordinator, Smithsonian Institution
Cynthia Charles Ed.D. | Texas, U.S.
Director of Library Services, Huston-Tillotson University
Denis Poltavets | Ukraine
Program Development Director, Aspen Institute Kyiv
Diana Patricia Loera Rodriguez | Mexico
Associate Director, International Association of La Salle Universities
Dina Abdul Rahman | Lebanon
Senior Director of International Services and Programs, Lebanese American University
Elías Ramos | Mexico
Alumni Coordinator, Enseña por México (Teach for Mexico)
Gabriela Avalle | Argentina
Director for International Cooperation, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
Harshita Tripathi | India
Senior Manager, Office of Research and Partnerships, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University
Henry Fowler | Arizona, U.S.
Associate Math Professor, Navajo Technical University
Ibrahim Odhabi | United Arab Emirates
Academic Project Coordinator, Abu Dhabi University
Ismail Badraoui | United Arab Emirates
Assistant Professor, Abu Dhabi University
Jessica Diez | Washington, DC, U.S.
Educational Programming Director and Managing Editor, Middle East Policy Council
Kaitlyn Hamrick | Washington, DC, U.S.
Senior Director, Global Youth Development, Special Olympics International
LaToya Fisher | Maryland, U.S.
Global Project Manager, PeacePlayers
Luisa Renée Dueñas Salmán | Mexico
Professor and Internationalization Project Lead, Universidad Politécnica de San Luis Potosí
Maggie Lisman | Washington, DC, U.S.
Stories 4-History Coordinator, Smithsonian Institution
María Elena Calderón Segura | Mexico
Secondary School Teacher, Centro Educativo Para Altas Capacidades
Maria del Carmen Ruvalcaba Rivera | Mexico
English Teacher, Secretaria de Educación Jalisco
Marie Alice Arnold | Virginia, U.S.
Associate Director, Strategic Initiatives & Experiential Learning, George Mason University
Mary Juckem | Wisconsin, U.S.
Curriculum, Assessment, Grant Writer, Title Coordinator, Menominee Indian School District
Miguel Angel Valdez Orozco | Mexico
Supervisor, Secretaría de Educación Pública
Patrice W. Glenn Jones | Alabama, U.S.
Executive Director of Online Education and Programs, Alabama State University
Paul R. Edleman | Illinois, U.S.
Professor, Political Science and Communication, Sauk Valley Community College
Rachel Warner | Pennsylvania, U.S.
Manager of Education, The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia
Riva Brown, Ph.D. | Arkansas, U.S.
Global Learning Specialist, Center for Global Learning and Engagement; Associate Professor of Public Relations, School of Communication, University of Central Arkansas
Sergio Ivan Polanco Flores | Mexico
Academic Coordinator, Cecytech Lebaron
Tequila Kurth | Wisconsin, U.S.
Chief Executive Officer, UpGrade Media Arts Schools, Inc.
Travis J. Knapp | North Dakota, U.S.
Assistant Professor of English, Valley City State University
Wendy Baker | Florida, U.S.
World Campus Director, University of South Florida St. Petersburg
