48th Annual FA Conference at FIU
Theme: United We Stand
Bringing together Fulbrighters and Friends of Fulbright to Advocate, Learn, Engage, and Grow
Date & TimeSessionLocation
Friday, October 24
9:00 am – 4:30 pmChapter, Affinity, and Interest Group Leader Workshop (open to Chapter leaders only)SIPA II 102 (Pavilion)
12:00 pm – 5:00 pmFIU Student Summit “Civic Engagement with Global Reach”Graham Center, GC 140 auditorium and GC Pit
12:30 pm – 4:30 pmCalle 8 Food Tour (Optional, No-Host)Offsite
5:00 pm – 7:00 pmConference Check-In & Fulbright Store OpenSIPA I Lobby
5:00 pm – 7:00 pmADST Diplomacy Travel ExhibitSIPA II Lobby
5:00 pm – 7:00 pmOral Histories InterviewsSIPA II 501 Conference Room
5:30 pm – 6:30 pmKeynote Opening Night
MC Remarks: Vice Chair, Leland Lazarus
Welcome remarks: Executive Director, Tammy Hettinger
Speaker: Johnny Taylor, CEO, Society for Human Resource Management
Speaker: Basil Khalil, Vice President of Operations, LatAm & Caribbean, FedEx
Moderator: Fanta Aw, PhD, CEO of NAFSA
Closing remarks: Lynne Ogren, SFL Chapter President
SIPA I 125 auditorium
6:30 pm – 6:45 pmLifetime Achievement Award
Presented by Chair Walter McCollum
SIPA I 125 auditorium
6:45 pm – 8:00 pmOpening Reception (open to all conference attendees)SIPA I & II Courtyard
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm1946 Society Dinner (invitation only)Parkview Room #100
7:30 pm – 9:00 pmHappy Hour for Young Fulbrighters (invitation only)
Led by Bryce Moulton; Sponsored by FA SFL, TECO Miami, and WAC Miami
SIPA II 102 (Pavilion)
Saturday, October 25
8:00 am – 6:30 pmConference Check-In & Fulbright Store OpenSIPA I Lobby
8:30 am – 12:00 pmYouth Summit (Covered by The Children’s Trust – Youth Advisory Committee)GC 243 and GC 355
8:30 am – 9:15 amPoster PresentationsSIPA II 103
8:30 am – 9:15 amRoundtable DiscussionsSIPA II 258 & 259
8:30 am – 9:15 amExhibitorsSIPA II 102 (Pavilion)
9:30 am – 10:15 amPanel: Advocate
Theme: Advocacy in a Time of Global and Domestic Headwinds
Description: How are advocates for international exchange, human rights, and education navigating today’s polarized political climate? What strategies work when public support fluctuates and policymakers’ priorities shift?
Speaker 1: Adrienne Jacobs, Asst. Director/Head of Advocacy, Alliance for International Exchange
Speaker 2: Sarah Yager, Washington Director, Human Rights Watch
Moderator: Angela Schaffer, Executive Director, Fund for Education Abroad
SIPA I 125 auditorium
10:15 am – 10:30 amBreakSIPA II Lobby
10:30 am – 11:15 amSelma Jeanne Cohen Dance Lecture: Sashar ZarifSIPA I 125 auditorium
11:30 am – 12:15 pmPoster PresentationsSIPA II 103
11:30 am – 12:15 pmRoundtable DiscussionsSIPA II 258 & 259
11:30 am – 12:15 pmExhibitorsSIPA II 102 (Pavilion)
11:30 am – 12:15 pmResume ReviewSIPA II 102 (Pavilion) – Fund for Education Abroad Table
12:30 pm – 1:30 pmLuncheon (open to all conference attendees)SASC 100
1:30 pm – 2:00 pmAwards for ChaptersSASC 160 auditorium
2:00 pm – 2:45 pmPanel: Learn
Theme: Global Academic Exchange in a Changing Higher Ed Policy Landscape
Description: International student mobility and academic exchange programs face new pressures: demographic changes, financial challenges, visa policy shifts, and geopolitical tensions. What is the data telling us — and how can institutions adapt?
Moderator: Dr. Hilary Landorf, Asst. VP for Global Learning Initiatives, FIU
Speaker 1: Rodrick Miller, CEO, Miami-Dade Beacon Council
Speaker 2: Sarah Spreitzer, VP/Chief of Staff, American Council of Education
SASC 160 auditorium
3:00 pm – 3:45 pmPoster PresentationsSIPA II 103
3:00 pm – 3:45 pmRoundtable DiscussionsSIPA II 258 & 259
3:00 pm – 3:45 pmExhibitorsSIPA II 102 (Pavilion)
4:00 pm – 4:45 pmPanel: Engage
Theme: Global Ideas, Local Impact
Description: How organizations leverage international perspectives to address challenges at home—and how to navigate the tension between global vision and local realities.
Moderator: Francesca Quesada de Covey, VP of Community Impact, Knight Foundation
Speaker 1: Khadija Ghazi, VP for Innovation and Development, Draper University
Speaker 2: Matthew Hughes, President, World Affairs Councils of America
SIPA I 125 auditorium
4:45 pm – 5:00 pmBreakSIPA II Lobby
5:00 pm – 5:45 pmPlenary Fireside Chat: Grow
Theme: The Future of Work and the Skills to Thrive in It
Description: Technological disruption, climate change, and shifting demographics are transforming the global labor market. What jobs will define the next decade, and how can Fulbright alumni position themselves to lead?
Moderator: Sarah Happel, Spectrum Leadership Solutions
Speaker 1: Sam Vaghar, Executive Director, Millennium Campus Network
Speaker 2: Mark Grobmyer, Chairman, Global Solutions Institute
SIPA I 125 auditorium
5:45 pm – 6:00 pmConference Day Closing RemarksSIPA I 125 auditorium
Sunday, October 26
8:45 am – 12:15 pmConference Check-In & Fulbright Store OpenSIPA I Lobby
9:15 am – 10:00 amPanel: Empowering Youth for Global Action
Description: How do we move youth from participants to policymakers? Evidence-based pathways for young people to shape agendas at home and abroad, with concrete commitments across public, private, and philanthropic partners.
Moderator: Gioia Gentile, Miami-Dade College Dual-Enrollment Student
Speaker 1: Natalia Zea, Chief Public Policy & Engagement Officer, The Children’s Trust
Speaker 2: Clinton White, Founder & CEO, Counselor Global Solutions
SIPA I 125 auditorium
10:15 am – 11:00 amPoster PresentationsSIPA II 103
10:15 am – 11:00 amRoundtable DiscussionsSIPA II 258 & 259
10:15 am – 11:00 amExhibitorsSIPA II 102 (Pavilion)
10:15 am – 11:00 amResume ReviewSIPA II 102 (Pavilion) – Fund for Education Abroad Table
11:15 am – 12:00 pmPanel: AI’s Impact on Academia, Business, and Global Governance
Description: From hype to value—rapid upskilling and verifiable credentials, responsible-use guardrails, and cross-border norms that boost productivity without widening inequality.
Moderator: Zak Kidd, CEO, AskHumans
Speaker 1: Kat Duffy, Sr. Fellow, Digital/Cyberspace, Council on Foreign Relations
Speaker 2: Jesus Rosario, Senior Partnerships Manager, Coursera
SIPA I 125 auditorium
12:00 pmClosing Remarks: Tammy Hettinger and Birgitta Rausch-MontotoSIPA I 125 auditorium

Shuttle Schedule — DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral to FIU (Ryder Business Building)

Friday, October 24

4:00 p.m. Pick Up — DoubleTree Hotel, Doral

4:15 p.m. Drop Off — Ryder Business Building, FIU

7:45 p.m. Pick Up — Ryder Business Building, FIU

8:05 p.m. Drop Off — DoubleTree Hotel, Doral

Saturday, October 25

7:45 a.m. Pick Up — DoubleTree Hotel, Doral

8:05 a.m. Drop Off — Ryder Business Building, FIU

6:15 p.m. Pick Up — Ryder Business Building, FIU

6:35 p.m. Drop Off — DoubleTree Hotel, Doral

Sunday, October 26

8:45 a.m. Pick Up — DoubleTree Hotel, Doral

9:00 a.m. Drop Off — Ryder Business Building, FIU

12:15 p.m. Pick Up — Ryder Business Building, FIU

12:30 p.m. Drop Off — DoubleTree Hotel, Doral