AIEA PROGRAMS
Presidential Fellows
The AIEA Presidential Fellows Program is our most prestigious, selective mentorship opportunity for new Senior International Officers, pairing up to five Fellows each year with experienced SIO mentors for a year-long immersive experience, including a structured visit to the mentor’s institution. Fellows gain firsthand insight into leadership decision-making, institutional strategy, and the realities shaping international education today. Participants are recognized by AIEA and their home institutions and join a lasting national network of peers and mentors that continues to support their leadership journey well beyond the fellowship year.
Applications open every spring, typically April – May.
The AIEA Presidential Fellows Program is our most prestigious, selective mentorship opportunity for new Senior International Officers, pairing up to five Fellows each year with experienced SIO mentors for a year-long immersive experience, including a structured visit to the mentor’s institution. Fellows gain firsthand insight into leadership decision-making, institutional strategy, and the realities shaping international education today. Participants are recognized by AIEA and their home institutions and join a lasting national network of peers and mentors that continues to support their leadership journey well beyond the fellowship year.
Applications open every spring, typically April – May.
2025 – 2026 AIEA Presidential Fellows
Amy Conger
North Carolina State University
Amy Conger is Vice Provost for Global Engagement and a faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development at North Carolina State University. Her division includes institutional partnerships, education abroad, international student/scholar services and additional units that advance campus internationalization. She is a Fulbright alum and active member of AIEA and NAFSA. Conger earned her M.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her PhD from the University of Michigan.
Christina Isabelli
Gonzaga University
Christina Isabelli is Associate Provost for Global Engagement at Gonzaga University and holds a doctorate in Spanish Linguistics from the University of Texas - Austin. She authored “Motivation and Extended Interaction in the Study Abroad Context” and “Researching Second Language Acquisition in the Study Abroad Learning Environment” and has published a variety of articles on SLA in immersions contexts, identifying processes of forming social networks and how they function as contexts for language learning.
Jamie McGowan
University of Vermont
Jamie McGowan (Executive Director/Senior International Officer) joined the University of Vermont in 2023, where she leads strategic internationalization, including overseeing study abroad and international student and scholar services. Her focus has centered on international partnership development, scholarship development, operations, and enhancements to the study abroad portfolio. Previously, McGowan worked at the University of Illinois, Tennessee, Penn State, and the Big Ten Academic Alliance. She earned Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Illinois and a B.A. from Macalester College.
Sally Mudiamu
Montana State University
Sally Strand Mudiamu, Ed.D., is Dean of Global Engagement at Montana State University, where she serves as Senior International Officer and leads the Office of International Programs. Her work advances access and student success by integrating global learning and research into MSU’s land-grant mission. Previously at Portland State University, she led initiatives including COIL, a Futures Collaboratory, and strategic partnerships in Asia. Mudiamu is active in AIEA, NAFSA, and EAIE, presenting regularly on international education and institutional transformation.
Amy Conger
North Carolina State University
Amy Conger is Vice Provost for Global Engagement and a faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development at North Carolina State University. Her division includes institutional partnerships, education abroad, international student/scholar services and additional units that advance campus internationalization. She is a Fulbright alum and active member of AIEA and NAFSA. Conger earned her M.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her PhD from the University of Michigan.
Christina Isabelli
Gonzaga University
Christina Isabelli is Associate Provost for Global Engagement at Gonzaga University and holds a doctorate in Spanish Linguistics from the University of Texas – Austin. She authored “Motivation and Extended Interaction in the Study Abroad Context” and “Researching Second Language Acquisition in the Study Abroad Learning Environment” and has published a variety of articles on SLA in immersions contexts, identifying processes of forming social networks and how they function as contexts for language learning.
Jamie McGowan
University of Vermont
Jamie McGowan (Executive Director/Senior International Officer) joined the University of Vermont in 2023, where she leads strategic internationalization, including overseeing study abroad and international student and scholar services. Her focus has centered on international partnership development, scholarship development, operations, and enhancements to the study abroad portfolio. Previously, McGowan worked at the University of Illinois, Tennessee, Penn State, and the Big Ten Academic Alliance. She earned Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Illinois and a B.A. from Macalester College.
Sally Mudiamu
Montana State University
Sally Strand Mudiamu, Ed.D., is Dean of Global Engagement at Montana State University, where she serves as Senior International Officer and leads the Office of International Programs. Her work advances access and student success by integrating global learning and research into MSU’s land-grant mission. Previously at Portland State University, she led initiatives including COIL, a Futures Collaboratory, and strategic partnerships in Asia. Mudiamu is active in AIEA, NAFSA, and EAIE, presenting regularly on international education and institutional transformation.
2025 – 2026 AIEA Presidential Mentors
David L. Di Maria
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Susan Popko
Santa Clara University
Joanna Regulska
University of California, Davis
Kalpen Trivedi
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The Presidential Fellows Program is AIEA’s signature program of mentorship for new Senior International Officers (SIOs), necessarily limited in number and of high prestige. The AIEA Presidential Fellows Committee carefully reviews and selects up to 5 Fellows, who are then matched with an experienced SIO (through conversation with the Fellow), who will serve as Mentor throughout the school year.
The AIEA President will notify the President of the Fellow’s home institution of the award. Those persons named as fellows will be suitably recognized on the AIEA website and announced at the annual meeting. Fellows from outside the U.S. are particularly encouraged to apply.
Through this program, Fellows experience a unique opportunity to immerse themselves briefly in the day-to-day activities of their host institutions, earn the trust of their Mentor(s) and that of other administrators and faculty, and maximize learning opportunities. The mentor is assigned consultatively between the Fellow and the AIEA Secretariat and typically is a senior professional in the field of International Education.
Each fellow will spend several days (as much as up to a week) visiting the Mentor’s campus, shadowing the Mentor, and learning about the policies, politics, and procedures of the Mentor ‘s institution. Ideally, the Mentor would also plan a shorter visit to the Fellow’s campus to better understand the challenges facing the Fellow. Throughout the balance of that academic year, the Mentor will be available for regular consultation and advice as requested by the Fellow, to address topics of interest to the Fellow and areas of desired growth identified from the AIEA Standards of Professional Practice. The Fellow and the Mentor will each provide AIEA with an evaluation of the usefulness of the fellowship at the end of the academic year and the Fellow will submit a final report on the learning experience to AIEA.
The award will include a stipend of $2,000 to be provided to the Fellow’s home institution, to defray travel costs and other related expenses of the Fellow and perhaps the Mentor, at the Fellow’s discretion. It is expected, but not required, that this sum is augmented or matched by the Fellow’s home institution. Such a potential financial match is not part of the selection criteria for the Fellowship.
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The Opportunity | Fellow Expectations | Program Design | Stipend Information | Application Process | Selection Criteria | Key Dates
The AIEA Presidential Fellows Program provides participants with the opportunity to:
- Participate in a year-long program of mentorship with an experienced Senior International Officer and their institution, providing opportunities to observe how they operate within their institutional context, address international education challenges, and solve problems.
- Avail of a structured visit of up to a week at the Mentor ‘s institution.
- Learn about national and international issues and how they affect SIOs and their campuses through the mentor-fellow relationship
- Become a member of a national network of Fellows who serve as resources throughout one’s career.
Every Fellow is expected to:
- Engage in a Mentor/Fellow relationship with a Senior International Officer which may include participating in senior level decision-making meetings at the host institution.
- Respect the confidentiality of all information at the participating institutions
- Observe the leadership styles of individuals at the host institution, their effectiveness, and how they interact with one another.
- Design an individualized Plan of Action for the Fellowship Year
- Maintain current AIEA membership for the duration of their Fellowship.
- Remain in an SIO position for the duration of their Fellowship year (and alert the AIEA Secretariat if this status changes).
Program Design
Plan of Action
Once the Fellows have been matched with Mentors, Fellows are to design an individualized Plan of Action jointly with their Mentors for the week-long site visit. The plan should outline at least 2-3 key objectives and how these objectives will be achieved including immersing oneself in the campus visit, engaging in the Fellow/Mentor relationship, working on a specific issue(s) identified in the Statement of Purpose, and reading professional literature on that issue(s). Fellows and Mentors are encouraged to use the Standards of Professional Practice as a starting point for identifying goals or topics of interest. The Plan of Action should also include a budget outlining anticipated expenses, and a statement of support from the Fellow’s institution. The Plan of Action is to be submitted to AIEA at secretariat@aieaworld.org within one month of being paired with a mentor. Upon receipt of the Plan of Action, AIEA will issue a portion ($1500) of the stipend to the Fellow’s institution. The Fellow’s stipend should be used to cover travel only for site visits and cannot be used for membership dues or for conference registration or other conference expenses.
The Campus Visit
This experience enables Fellows to observe firsthand how another institution and its senior international officers lead the institution in its international endeavors.
Final Report
As part of this program, the Fellow will need to write and submit a final report to AIEA . The report should include a description of the Fellow’s experience, a discussion of how the key objectives were achieved, and how the Fellow will use this experience in his/her work in the future. Upon receipt of the final report, the final portion ($500) of the stipend will be sent to the Fellow’s institution.
Annual Conference
AIEA Presidential Fellows are strongly encouraged to attend the AIEA Annual Conference to meet with other Fellows, Mentors and colleagues. A special Fellow-Mentor Reception is always held at the conference, hosted by the AIEA President and Board.
Stipend Information
Application Process
The Statement of Purpose (no more than 2 pages or 1000 words) should include the following clearly delineated sections:
- Description of candidate’s institution (size, Carnegie classification or similar, enrolment, special characteristics, e.g., MSI/HSI)
- Description of candidate’s position, role within the institution, reporting structure, offices supervised and direct reports, and responsibilities/scope of the candidate’s position
- The knowledge, skills, and advice the candidate desires to obtain from the mentorship (with specific reference to the AIEA Standards of Professional Practice)
- Prior experience or involvement with AIEA and evidence of mentorship previously sought; experience of involvement or professional development with other organizations may also be included
- Why this fellowship and why now; which issues will be addressed in the action plan?
The candidate can include mentor/institution suggestions but this is not necessary, and there is no guarantee that the candidate will be matched with those suggestions.
*Applications are accepted in early spring thru May 1.
Selection Criteria
Fellows should be Senior International Officers (SIOs) as defined by AIEA at their institutions and will be selected based on the following:
- Articulated need for mentorship and perceived benefit to the Fellow and their institution
- Promise and/or potential for future leadership and participation within AIEA and the field of International Education
- Quality of personal statement and application materials
Preference will be given to those candidates who have been in their current role as senior international officer for 3 years or fewer.
Candidates must be current AIEA members at the time of application and remain so during their Fellowship year if chosen.
Candidates cannot be current Board members or current members of the Presidential Fellows subcommittee of the Professional Development and Engagement Committee.
Key Dates
- May 15: Application Deadline for AIEA Presidential Fellows Program
- Summer: Fellows are selected and matched with mentors
- Fall/Spring: Fellows visit Mentors
- March: Fellows and Mentors attend AIEA Annual Conference (an invitation-only reception)
- Following May: Final Report due to AIEA