GoAbroad Innovation Awards Academy

Amber Garrett
Vice President of Marketing
WorldStrides Higher Education

Born and raised in Virginia, Amber earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Virginia. She joined WorldStrides in 2014 and now leads digital and content marketing strategy for higher education, including a comprehensive brand transformation in 2025. She leads a small but mighty team focused on helping more students see themselves studying abroad by addressing common concerns and elevating student voice through authentic storytelling.

Andy Woods Ballard
Co-Founder
Travolucion

As an experienced Co-Founder, Chief Revenue Officer, Coach, Sales Trainer and entrepreneur, I bring a unique blend of skills and experience to my work and am passionate about travel in all its forms with its ability to fundamentally change the way people think and act for the better.

Bill Goloski
Content Marketing Strategist
University Studies Abroad Consortium

Bill Goloski has invented, planned, and designed marketing campaigns in the higher education and nonprofit sectors for more than 20 years. Whether it’s C-suite executives or student micro-influencers, he has led or supported a diverse array of projects across two state universities and a study-abroad nonprofit. Bill is a creative strategist, art director, brand manager, department leader, instructor, and former trustee who is far more interesting than this long list of titles.

Chiara Hutchison
Vice President of Operations
SAI Study Abroad

Chiara is the Vice President of Operations at SAI Programs, and has worked in the study abroad industry for over 10 years. She holds an MA in International Relations, and has studied abroad in Sicily, the Dominican Republic, and South Africa.

Daniel Ponce-Taylor
Sustainability & Strategic Partnerships Director
Intercultural Outreach Initiative (IOI)

Sustainability & Strategic Partnerships Director at Intercultural Outreach Initiative (IOI) and co-Founder of Travolucion.com

David Comp
Assistant Provost for Global Education
Columbia College Chicago

Since 2017, David has served as Assistant Provost for Global Education and Senior International Officer at Columbia College Chicago. David’s been involved in and has contributed to the field over the past 25 years when his career began at The University of Chicago. This June he and his wife Ana will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary ~ they met while studying on the same program in Valladolid, Spain through UW-Eau Claire!

Janka Pieper
Senior Director, Communications and Intercultural Learning
Northwestern

Janka is Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives at Northwestern University’s Office of International Relations, where she focuses on building global partnerships, setting strategic directions, and leading communications that support the university’s international work. She also co-directs the Northwestern Intercultural Learning Initiative (NILI), developing cultural competency programming for staff, faculty, and students.

John Sunnygard
Associate Provost Global Learning and International Affairs
University of Colorado Denver

Beginning in the Peace Corps forty years ago, John has championed international education and learning for all students. He has lived and worked in four countries and supported the global learning journeys of thousands of students. John is currently Associate Provost with Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Jonathan Gilben
Co-founder & Co-Director
GoEco

Jonathan Gilben is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of GoEco, a global volunteer travel organization connecting travelers with conservation and community projects worldwide. After volunteering on conservation initiatives abroad, he was inspired to create similar opportunities for others. He co-founded GoEco in 2006 with his high school friend Jonathan Tal, and since then the organization has welcomed tens of thousands of volunteers on programs worldwide.

Jonathan Harman
Senior Operations Director
XploreAsia

Born and raised in the UK, I took a leap at 30 to pursue my lifelong dream of teaching abroad. Now, 12 years later, I continue to proudly represent Xplore, an organization committed to helping others turn their dreams of teaching and living overseas into reality.

Kelly Holland
Vice President of Strategic Communications & Engagement
AIFS Abroad

Kelly is the Vice President of Strategic Communications & Engagement for AIFS Abroad. Prior to joining AIFS Abroad she worked with Global Experiences, and in study abroad at three different U.S. universities.

Margaret McCullers
Senior Director of Student Engagement
Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA)

Margaret McCullers is the Senior Director of Student Engagement at IFSA where she leads the advising teams through an appreciative advising framework. Margaret has over 15 years of experience in the field of education abroad, designing and executing many initiatives to deepen inclusive excellence practices and promote academic access. She earned an M.Ed. in higher education administration at the University of Texas at Austin, where she previously led the award-winning First Abroad initiative.

Meg Ramey, PhD
Executive Director and Founder
WorldKind

Founder of WorldKind and winner of the Forum on Education Abroad’s inaugural InnovateEA award (2025), Meg leads the team behind the WorldKind Academy, a digital learning platform and comprehensive best-practice, pre-departure program created by international education professionals to transform how students learn, assess, and respond to modern risk. Together with 20+ institutional partners, they prepare 11,000+ students annually for safe, ethical, and critically reflective experiences abroad.

Sarah Kalert
Director of Studies
International TEFL Academy

Stacy McKay Benander
International Education Consultant

Stacey Neve
Study Abroad Program Manager
Montana State University

Stacey Neve is the Director of Study Abroad at Montana State University. Shaped by her own time studying and working abroad, she has a strong belief in the value of international experiences. Her professional interests include increasing participation in study abroad in the Global South, especially Latin America, and enhancing support for returned students. Outside of her work, Stacey enjoys reading, hiking, and making day trips to Yellowstone National Park to photograph wildlife.

Stephanie Tignor
Executive Director of Global Learning
Virginia Commonwealth University

Stephanie Tignor is Executive Director of Global Learning at VCU, overseeing education abroad, campus internationalization, and international student engagement. In over two decades at VCU, she has expanded access to global learning and helped secure a $2.5 million gift for study abroad. A three-time Gilman Advisor Ambassador and member of the GoAbroad Innovation Awards Academy, Stephanie is a dedicated leader, presenter, and advocate for international education.

Steven Levy
Connect-123 Internship, Volunteer & Study Programs

Steven is an entrepreneur with a political science degree from Cornell University and an MBA from London Business School, having built successful companies in Moscow, New York, and Cape Town. He is currently a director at Connect-123, connecting international interns with entrepreneurs and NGOs across global cities, and previously led investments at HBD Venture Capital while supporting entrepreneurship initiatives in emerging markets.

Amy Shenberger
Director of Study Abroad
University of North Texas

Mary Feild
Director, Institution and Employer Marketing
Academic Programs International