Region III Team Members
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Meet the Team
To contact a team member directly, select their name.
Xuan Li
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Northeastern State University
Chair, Region III
Xuan Li grew up in Weifang, China and graduated from Northeastern State University (NSU), Oklahoma with a Master of Health and Kinesiology. Realizing his passion for international education and recruitment, he joined NSU international team upon his completion of the study as an Instructional...
Katy Lane
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Texas A&M University
Chair-Elect, Region III
Katy Lane serves as director of the Center for International Business Studies, Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. She has worked in international education for nearly 15 years at the university and college levels. In her prior role, Katy was Associate Director at TAMU’s Education Abroad...
Jose Martinez
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University of the Incarnate Word
Past Chair, Region III
Jose Martinez, Director of International Student & Scholar Services at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), is the Region III Chair. Jose has served as the Region KCISSS Representative and Conference Planner. He is an Academy for International Education alumni and a former Advocacy Day...
Trisha Iyonsi
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Oklahoma State University
Registrar, Region III
Trisha Iyonsi, International Employment and Tax Coordinator at Oklahoma State University, is the Region III Registrar. Trisha has worked in the field of international education for the past 15 years in a variety of capacities including English Language Learning, J-1 advising for students and...
Heejung Sisk
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UT Southwestern Medical Center
Business Manager, Region III
Heejung Sisk works at UT Southwestern Medical Center as Senior Immigration Specialist in the Office of International Affairs. Heejung processes immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications sponsored by the institution. A native of South Korea, she came to the U.S. as an international student in...
Brian Smith
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LewerMark Student Insurance
Communications Liaison, Region III
Brian Smith is a Consultant at LewerMark Student Insurance. He has over 15 years of experience working in the Higher Education industry and has been with LewerMark since the fall of 2019. In his role as a Consultant for LewerMark, Brian is committed to working with institutions to best serve their...
Derek Shepard
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CEA CAPA
Development Chair, Region III
As Regional Director for the Southwest region, Derek works closely with institutional partners in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas to support their internationalization efforts. He coordinates with CEA CAPA’s partners on international study abroad, internship programs, and the development of...
Courtney Bauman
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SIT Study Abroad
Training Coordinator, Region III
Courtney Bauman is a University Relations Manager for SIT Study Abroad and is based in Austin, TX. Courtney’s career in international education spans nearly two decades. Prior to joining SIT Study Abroad, she worked as a University Relations Coordinator for USAC Study Abroad and spent nearly a...
Janel Dumbre
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SABIC
Communications Liaison, Region III; Academy Coach, Region III
Janel Dumbre holds a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Lamar University. She has been a professional in the field of international education since 2004. She is currently an academic advisor at SABIC’s Scholarship Program in Houston, Texas. Prior to this, she worked at Rice University in...
Shannon Bedo
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Houston Christian University
Advocacy Representative, Region III
Shannon Bedo is the Director of International and Veteran Student Services at Houston Christian University, where she leads efforts for recruiting, admissions, immigration, and programming for the international and veteran student population. She has previously served at Baylor College of Medicine...
Gina Jones White
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University of Louisiana Monroe
Conference Planner Apprentice, Region III
Eugenia is a native of Monroe, Louisiana. She was educated in Ouachita parish and Lincoln parish. Gina, as she is known by most, received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Grambling State University and her Master’s in Public Administration from The University of Louisiana at Monroe. She...
Jill Clemmons
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Louisiana State University
KC EA Liaison, Region III
Jill Clemmons is the Associate Director for Study Abroad at Louisiana State University. She has worked in study abroad administration for 21 years, having previously worked for the University System of Georgia. While she is deeply committed to making study abroad available to all students, she feels...
Esther Zhao
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Baylor University
KC IEM Liaison, Region III
Esther Zhao currently serves as an International Admissions Specialist at Baylor University. Following graduation in 2018, she started working at Undergraduate Admissions to make Baylor a possibility for international students. She oversees international recruitment, international social media...
Mimi Ghosh
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University of Texas at Austin
KC ISSS Rep, Region III
Mimi Ghosh is the Assistant Director for International Student Advising Services at The University of Texas at Austin. After earning her Bachelor's in History from McGill University in Montreal, she worked in Japan for almost a decade before returning to North America and earning her Master's in...
Chris Larkin
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UT Southwestern Medical Center
Regulatory Ombudsperson-Scholar Issues, Region III
Chris has worked international education since 2004 as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bangladesh and lived in Korea for 8 years teaching Anthropology, Intercultural Communication and EFL. He currently serves as the Assistant Director for International Student and Scholar Services advising on F-1, J-1...
Jie Fan
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Texas A&M University
Regulatory Ombudsperson-Student Issues, Region III
As a native Beijinger, Jie (“Jay”) finished her bachelor’s degree in International Politics from Beijing International Studies University. Then she came to the United States and studied at Florida State University for her master's in International Affairs. Once an international student, Jie has...
Julie La Combe
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Lone Star College
Two-Year Institution Liaison, Region III
Julie is an International Student Advisor at Lone Star College in Houston, Texas. Julie has been in the field of International Education for the past 8 years with experiences working as an ESL instructor, International Admission’s Evaluator and International Student Advisor. She enjoys working with...
Allyson Douglass
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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Arkansas Representative, Region III
Allyson Douglass is the International Student Advisor for all international students at UAMS, as well as assists with recruitment efforts and handles all event planning for the Graduate School. After two years she began working in the Office of International Services as the International Student...
Tessa Lane
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AIFS Abroad
Diversity/Minority Serving Institution Liaison, Region III
Tessa Lane is a Global Program Advisor on the Internships team at AIFS Abroad and the Diversity/MSI Liaison for Region III. She is also a member of the 2022-2023 cohort of NAFSA RISE Fellows. Tessa has been working in international education since 2019. Prior to her current role at AIFS Abroad, she...
Liz Cosgrove Ford
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University of North Texas
North Texas Representative, Region III
Liz currently serves as Associate Director of International Student and Scholar Services at the University of North Texas where she leads a team of F1 advisors and staff to support nearly 5000 international students. Liz began her career in International Education in 2001 teaching English as a...
Stephanie Holleran
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University of Houston-Clear Lake
South Texas Representative, Region III
Stephanie Holleran is the Manager of International Admissions & Student Services at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. She has worked in international student services for more than a decade. Stephanie previously served on the Region X team as the KC-ISSS representative and the NAFSA Member...
Kimberly Henderson
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University of Tulsa
Oklahoma Representative, Region III
Kimberly Henderson serves as the Associate Director of the Center for Global Engagement, at the University of Tulsa, where she utilizes her skills to help others grow into strong leaders in their fields of choice. Believing strongly in the importance of internationalization, she uses her background...
Rose Honegger
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University of Louisiana at Lafayette
State Rep (Louisiana)
Rose Honegger has been working as an international education professional at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette since 2003 where she serves as the Associate Director of Global Engagement and the PDSO and RO. She was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and first arrived in the United...