What does it look like for an entire institution to invest in virtual exchange? This webinar will spotlight three universities participating in Stevens Initiative Connected Classrooms, which supports higher education institutions in Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States to build their capacity and prepare faculty to implement meaningful virtual exchange experiences for students. Learn about the experiences of faculty members and leadership teams as they discuss lessons learned, challenges, and best practices for growing virtual exchange at their institutions.

Alanoud Alown (@StevensInit) is a Regional Program Manager based in the United Arab Emirates. Alanoud has extensive experience working in various research and analysis capacities. She held the role of Lead Consultant at Analyseize Research, a leading research firm specializing in social and economic research projects across the MENA region. At Analyseize, Alanoud worked on the first comprehensive study on Corporate Responsibility and Social Entrepreneurship which included seven countries across the region. The study aimed at creating a movement of companies dedicated to responsible management as a way forward towards ensuring sustainable societies. Previously, Alanoud worked at the Political Affairs Department at the office of His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan. In her capacity as Senior Policy Researcher, she conducted research and analysis on regional and international developments and was actively involved in preparing various studies on the ramifications of global and regional developments on Jordan, among other responsibilities. Alanoud holds a Bachelor’s degree in French with a minor in Spanish from Georgetown University and a Master’s degree in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics.

Amal Hajjij, MD (@UM6SS) is a professor of Otolaryngology, Head, and Neck Surgery at Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences since November 2016. She is the director of Casablanca Audition Center & Vertigo Center at Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital in Casablanca, Morocco. She did her residency at the University Hospital Hassan II in Fez and graduated on 2015. She did a one-year research fellowship at Stanford Sinus Center in the Department of Otolaryngology, Head, and Neck Surgery at Stanford University Medical Center in California, U.S. from 2013-2014. She has many published papers and ongoing research projects with a special interest on pediatric cochlear implants and hearing loss. She has presented at international meetings in North Africa, Europe, Asia and the U.S.

Sally Mudiamu, Ed.D. (@sallymudiamu and @Portland_State) serves as Deputy Executive Director of the Office of Global Engagement & Innovation at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, U.S. She supports institutions and faculty in strategizing, accessing, and growing their global engagement as part of imagining and creating the future of higher education. Her particular specialization is in COIL/VE as a future-facing pedagogy and institutional strategy for internationalizing the curriculum.  She has overseen the COIL/VE Program at Portland State University since it was established in 2018.

Vinod Pangracious, Ph.D. (@pangraci) is Department Chair and Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the American University in Dubai, UAE. Before joining American University in Dubai, he was a doctoral researcher at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie (UPMC) Paris VI in France. He graduated from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) in 2001 and prior to joining UPMC Paris VI, was Principal Development Engineer at Cypress Semiconductor Inc., Infineon Technologies GMBH Germany, and Innovative Silicon SA in Switzerland  He has authored and co-authored more than 50 publications. He has served as a reviewer, review committee member, technical program committee member, program chair, area chair, organizing committee member, and steering committee member for many international conferences, and reviewed papers for several journals on components, manufacturing and technology.