Christian Botwe Nyarko
Christian is a first-year Ph.D. student in Higher Education Administration (Educational Policy Planning and Leadership) at the College of William and Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia. His research interest lies in the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools in university administration and digital internationalization in higher education. Specifically, he is interested in how digital tools and technologies are reshaping the global landscape of higher education. He holds a Bachelor of Education in Business Management and Economics and a Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management) from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Yi-Yun (Minnie) Tsai
Minnie is a PhD Student in the Counselor Education and Supervision Program at William and Mary. Minnie has previously served as a school counselor, college counselor, elementary school teacher, high school teacher, and residence hall director. Her research interests include youth mental health, international student support, play therapy, school counselor advocacy, and creative interventions. Minnie received her first master’s degree in education from University of Pennsylvania, and her second master’s degree in counseling from Villanova University.
Alena Chaplygina
Alena is a Ph.D. student in the Educational Planning, Policy, and Leadership program, with a Higher Education concentration, at William and Mary. Prior coming to the U.S., Alena worked as a head for the center for Languages and Cultures at a public university at her home country, and was responsible for a wide variety of study abroad programs. This role sparked her interest in the internationalization of higher education. Her passion for the subject deepened after receiving a Fulbright grant, which allowed her to teach Russian in the U.S. In the future, Alena hopes to use her experiences to enhance internationalization efforts.
Melissa Whatley
Melissa is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in William and Mary’s School of Education. Dr. Whatley’s research applies mixed methods and advanced quantitative approaches to explore policies and practices that diversify both who accesses international education and the outcomes of these opportunities, especially within the context of U.S. community colleges. Whatley is author of An Introduction to Quantitative Analysis for International Educators (Springer, 2022) and co-editor of Digital Internationalization in Higher Education: Moving Beyond Virtual Exchange (Routledge, 2023).
