In collaboration with Gateway Executive Search, Loyola Marymount University is seeking a new Director of Education Abroad. This leadership role oversees the Office of Study Abroad (OSA), a unit within the Global-Local Affairs Office. OSA drives the development, promotion, and evaluation of a diverse range of education abroad programs. With the goal of aligning programming with LMU’s academic objectives and vision for comprehensive internationalization, the Director will lead strategic initiatives and collaborate with academic units across the institution. The Director should have a proven track record in creating revenue-generating international operations. This role reports directly to the Vice Provost for Global-Local Affairs.
If you’re a seasoned professional with expertise in international learning and engagement, we encourage you to apply for this dynamic and important position.
Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private, National High Research Activity University (R2) located in Los Angeles, California. LMU was founded from a merger of Loyola College and Marymount College. Sponsored by the Jesuits, Loyola University was founded in 1911. Marymount College, sponsored by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, was founded in 1923, and in 1968, moved to the Westchester campus of Loyola University as an autonomous institution. At this juncture, the Congregation of Saint Joseph of Orange joined the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary in partnership. After five years of sharing faculties and facilities, Loyola University and Marymount College merged to form Loyola Marymount University in 1973. LMU continues its century-old mission of Catholic higher education in Los Angeles.
LMU has three campuses: a suburban 142-acre bluff-top campus in West Los Angeles overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a one-acre downtown campus that hosts the Law School, and the Playa Vista campus renowned as “The University of Silicon Beach.” Loyola Marymount University’s faculty and students make their mark in every corner of the city: protecting marine life on the coast, filmmaking in Hollywood, and innovating in the neighborhood, a thriving tech hub with more than 500 start-ups. All of this innovation occurs minutes from downtown L.A., at an institution where students, faculty, and staff enjoy ocean views and sunny skies. LMU’s campus has been consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful and greenest campuses in the United States.
Loyola Marymount University offers rigorous undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs to academically ambitious students committed to lives of meaning and purpose. LMU benefits from its location in a dynamic city that brings into sharp focus the issues of our time and provides an ideal context for study, research, creative work, and active engagement. By intention and philosophy, LMU invites persons diverse in talents, interests, and cultural backgrounds to enrich its educational community and advance its mission of:
Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D., the 16th president of Loyola Marymount University, has been a distinguished educator, mathematician, and academic administrator at Jesuit institutions for more than 30 years. President Snyder’s academic and research interests include computational mathematics, data structures, design and analysis of algorithms, geometric probability, digital signal processing, airline flight safety, HIV diagnosis and prevention, and the education of the Millennial and Post-Millennial generations. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in applied and computational mathematics from Princeton University. He also graduated with a B.A. in psychology, a B.S. in mathematics, and an M.S. in mathematics from the University of Toledo.
President Snyder has devoted his career to the Jesuit and Marymount tradition of encouraging learning, educating whole persons, and furthering the service of faith and the promotion of justice.
Thomas Poon, Ph.D., became executive vice president and provost on June 1, 2017, and leads the university’s Academic Affairs and Student Affairs divisions, including overseeing the university’s educational, scholarly and creative activities, and the student development and enrollment management areas. Poon earned his Ph.D. in chemistry at UCLA and his Bachelor of Science degree at Fairfield University, a Jesuit institution. He is a tenured professor of chemistry.
Provost Poon has supported, developed, and led a broad range of academic and social justice initiatives in his higher education career. Highlights include his work in study abroad, including the establishment of an exchange program in Bhutan, the development of hybrid programs in Vietnam and Brazil, the enhancement of a tropical field station in Costa Rica, and the reopening of a program in Nepal just eight months after two devastating earthquakes. He also expanded mentorship resources for first-year students and provided opportunities for incarcerated men to earn college course credits through a partnership with the California Rehabilitation Center.
As Vice Provost for Global-Local Affairs, Roberta Espinoza, Ph.D., oversees the Office of Study Abroad, the Office of National & International Fellowships (ONIF), the Center for the Study of Los Angeles (CSLA) and the Center for Urban Resilience (CURes). When she joined Loyola Marymount University in 2018 as LMU’s inaugural senior international officer (SIO), she quickly set to work developing a framework for the Office of Global-Local Affairs. Under her leadership, LMU completed the American Council on Education Internationalization Laboratory (ACE Lab) in fall 2021, an undertaking that involved campus-wide consultation, a steering committee, and nearly forty staff and faculty serving on five working groups in areas such as education abroad, faculty/staff development, and collaborations and partnerships. This two-year engagement led to a self-study report and an external review team report that effectively serves as LMU’s first strategic plan for institutional internationalization.
Vice Provost Espinoza received her B.A. from Pomona College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. Espinoza’s scholarly expertise on higher education access is informed by her own personal experience as a first-generation Latinx student. She has written several books, peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and articles for educational practitioners on the role of social and cultural capital in the educational advancement and success of first-generation students of color in higher education.
LMU is comprised of seven schools and colleges:
The University offers 55 major and 59 minor undergraduate degrees and programs. LMU offers doctorate degrees for business administration, educational leadership for social justice, and juridical science at LMU’s Loyola Law School, and hosts a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and an Alpha Sigma Nu chapter.
U.S. News and World Report (2023) reports LMU as number 93 in “best national universities in the U.S.,” and number 16 for “best undergraduate teaching” among national universities.
LMU is an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) with intentionally inclusive programming that aims to recruit and retain a student body that reflects the city’s diverse population.
LMU employs over 2,000 faculty and staff, among them 615 full-time faculty. The pre-eminent faculty of LMU have built the university’s reputation as one of the nation’s top universities. The average class size at LMU is 19 undergraduates and 13 for graduate students. The student-faculty ratio is 11:1.
The undergraduate student body is quite diverse, with 7.2% African American, 9.8% Asian, 22.8% Hispanic/Latino, 42.4% White/Non-Hispanic, 7.8% multi-racial, and 9.9% international. In 2021, College Factual classified LMU to be among the top 2% of institutions in the U.S. for diversity. In 2023, The Princeton Review ranked LMU 4th in “Students Most Engaged in Community Service” nationally.
A total of 924 international students are enrolled at LMU, of whom 673 are undergraduate and 251 are graduate students. Sixty-six percent of undergraduate students come from California, with the remaining 34% coming from out of state.
Established in 2018, the Office of Global-Local Affairs facilitates collaboration and professional relationships among LMU faculty, staff, alumni, and other institutions on efforts related to comprehensive internalization (global) and strategic community engagement (local).
This Office manages the Global Engagement Directory and oversees the Office of Study Abroad (OSA), the Office of National and International Fellowships (ONIF), the Center for the Study of Los Angeles, and the Center for Urban Resilience.
The Office of Global-Local Affairs partners closely with strategic units throughout the institution that are similar committed to fostering global learning and engagement, including:
The Office of Study Abroad is an integral unit with the Global-Local Affairs.
In 2023-2024, nearly 550 LMU students engaged in academic study abroad. With programs in over 100 locations worldwide, including the U.S, the Office of Study Abroad (OSA) offers faculty-led programs, internships, service-learning, and undergraduate research programs. Faculty-led programs are currently offered in China, Croatia, Costa Rica, England, France, Greece, and Italy. Affiliated programs are also available, adding destinations in East Asia and Latin America.
LMU is committed to making global learning and engagement accessible to all students, and in the Office of Study Abroad, this commitment is reflected in the programs offered. Those programs are not only geographically diverse, but also reflect the university’s values, the mission of the school, and the commitment to educating students for the future as a foundation of society.
As a mission-driven institution, LMU serves all students with a social justice framework, an emphasis on the whole person, and a commitment to diversity and global awareness.
The Office of Study Abroad seeks to enrich the education of LMU students by providing meaningful, culturally immersive, and academically sound experiences abroad according to three goals: evolving the self, engaging with the world, and enhancing the community.
Dive into a nuanced exploration of the global discourse surrounding higher education in the United States. Join us for a panel discussion with esteemed international educators as we embark on a journey through the lenses of culture and international perspective, examining how global audiences interpret and engage with the ‘anti-woke’ discourse within the context of U.S. higher education. This engaging panel discussion will delve into the intersections of culture, ideology, and education, and the complex landscape of how international audiences perceive the ‘anti-woke’ narrative that has emerged within U.S. academia.
Whether you’re a senior international officer, or simply curious about the diverse viewpoints shaping U.S. higher education, this podcast episode will provide an invaluable space for critical analysis and insightful conversations.
Fanta Aw is a distinguished leader in international education, renowned for her extensive contributions to global learning, cross-cultural understanding, and educational equity. With a deep commitment to fostering connections between diverse cultures and promoting educational excellence, she has significantly impacted the international education community.
Fanta Aw’s career has been characterized by her dedication to advancing global education initiatives, promoting diversity and inclusion, and nurturing partnerships that transcend borders. She has held influential roles in various organizations, advocating for the importance of international collaboration and learning experiences that empower individuals to navigate an increasingly interconnected world.
As a thought leader and visionary, Fanta Aw’s insights and expertise have shaped discussions on the future of international education, emphasizing the significance of equitable access, cultural exchange, and lifelong learning. Her work has not only elevated institutions but has also inspired countless individuals to embrace the transformative power of global education.
Date: September 14th, 2023
Time: 12 noon ET
An experienced global researcher and administrator, Mark Beirn brings a critical approach to risk management, factoring structural racism and identity-based violence into his rubric for supporting equitable global mobility.
Specialization Areas:
– Global Risk Management
– Education Abroad
– Diversity, Equity, Inclusion in International Education
– Health and Safety
– Curriculum Development
Stephen Appiah-Padi is an international educator with several years of teaching and administrative experience in both 4 and 2-year HEIs. An experienced global education practitioner-scholar, with a demonstrated history of success in the field.
Dr. Appiah-Padi has a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada in Educational Policy & Administration with a specialization in International/Intercultural Education.
At Northwestern College, he provided oversight in the administration of education abroad and international student services. In Lansing, Michigan, he first oversaw diversity and intercultural education at Lansing Community College, and later created the Center for International and Intercultural Education (CIIE) which merged intercultural engagement and international education programs of the institution, and he became its first director. Additionally, Dr. Appiah-Padi taught a course, “Diversity in the American Workplace”, to undergraduate management students of the College. In his current position, he provides leadership and vision in advancing strategic internationalization initiatives, including international partnerships and study abroad programs at Bucknell University.
Dr Appiah-Padi has created and facilitated several workshops for faculty and staff development in higher education and in business organizations. He has presented at several national and international conferences. In NAFSA, among several volunteer leadership positions, he has served as Dean of the Fundamentals of Intercultural Communication Workshop, the Leadership Development Committee member, Chair of the Africa Special Interest Group, and a Fellow of the Global Fellowship Program for mentoring emerging leaders of internationalization in African HEIs. He currently serves as a member of the NAFSA Board of Directors.
Dr. Rosa Almoguera has worked as an international educator for over twenty years. She was trained as a Hispanic Philologist at the Universidad Complutense, in Madrid, and did her M.A. at the University of Pennsylvania. Her Ph.D., from Universidad Complutense included a field study and edition of written balladry “Romancero”. During many years Rosa combined teaching and her role as a senior administrator at the Fundación Ortega-Marañón in Toledo, Spain. At the Foundation, Rosa directed and, in many cases created, programs for the University of Minnesota, Notre Dame, Princeton, Ohio State, Arcadia, and the University of Chicago. She has also been a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota, University of Portland, and Interamericana de Puerto Rico.
Beginning in 2016, Rosa works as an international education consultant for both public and private European and US higher education institutions. Rosa has been successful in developing new partnerships and programs, as well as helping improve already existing ones.
Rosa is a member of Forum and NAFSA and has presented with higher education professionals on innovative academic and research programming, STEM in study abroad and Nationalism in Europe. Rosa is currently completing the final Professional Certification from the Forum on Education Abroad.
