Meet the 2023-24 Humphrey Fellows at Penn State
Rawdha Al Mansoori is a research public engagement specialist at New York University Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Her focus areas include STEM media communications, public participation in research, and project management. In her role, Rawdha oversees programming that showcases NYUAD research in an interactive way, and creates opportunities for members of the public to learn from and participate in NYUAD research. She spearheads public participation in research initiatives, which includes providing strategic and operational insight on research public participation projects developed and led by faculty and researchers from across the university’s research centers and academic divisions. Rawdha aims to learn best practices in science communication as well as develop her project management and media communication skills. She is excited to take part in meaningful and impactful volunteering opportunities in the local community.
Musa Baldeh is an acting education officer at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in the Gambia. His responsibilities include hiring and transferring teachers and assessing the ministry's human resource needs. He is responsible for conducting annual facility audits, recommending the construction of new classrooms, using ICT to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery, improving mechanisms to retain and motivate teachers, and more. He has worked with several national and international institutions and has volunteered for organizations including the UN and AU. Musa is an advocate for access to education for all and has won several scholarships and awards to that effect, including The Education Excellence award for his bachelor's degree and a Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals for his master's degree. He plans to study educational leadership, policy, multilingualism, and curriculum development.
Dr. Odgerel Batsaikhan is the Vice Director of Otgontenger University in Mongolia. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science. With 17 years of teaching experience and over 8 years of administrative experience, she actively participates in academic affairs, including program planning, implementation, and coordination within her university. In her role, she successfully led a team in creating four programs and establishing new areas of study, including gender studies. She is a member of the Gender Consortium, a collaborative platform for Mongolian universities, and was selected to be a member of a team tasked with analyses of liberal arts curricula across the country with the aim of clarifying gender-sensitive methodology. She has authored and co-authored several books, handbooks, and articles. Her research interests include higher education administration, women's participation in the decision-making process, and European Union studies.
Worasiri Boonsue is an English lecturer and Language Center Director at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University in Thailand. Her responsibilities involve policy and planning for English proficiency improvements. She has initiated many projects such as a language clinic, effective speaking workshops, and CEFR English. Worasiri has given free English lessons to underprivileged children and created audio recordings of English short stories for blind students. She assisted CMRU researchers in exploring data from indigenous communities to be used in a business model for adding value to their products. She hopes to explore best practices in teacher-training curricula and integrating technology in education and believes that this could alleviate the problem of inequality in education in Thailand.
Aliyor Marodaseynov is a Mountain Universities Partnership (MUP) Program Coordinator at the University of Central Asia (UCA), Tajikistan. He leads the MUP program to support mountain universities in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to improve their curricula, learning resources, facilities, and faculties capacity development measures. Prior to UCA, Aliyor worked with international organizations such as AKF, VSO, and UNDP. Aliyor pursued an MA in Development Studies at the University of Sussex, UK. His focus areas include technology in higher education, curriculum development, and new approaches to learning. Aliyor intends, through the fellowship, to enhance his leadership, management, and networking abilities. He is excited about building bonds with peers, experts, and other colleagues during his professional affiliation.
Dr. Nèma Diakite is a researcher from the University Felix Houphouet Boigny of Cocody in Ivory Coast. She holds a Ph.D. in Literature and Civilization of African English-speaking Countries. Her focus areas are African literature, women’s leadership, and improving women’s lives in rural communities. She has worked in an international school for 10 years as an English teacher and Cambridge Speaking Examiner. She also received a CELTA certification from Stafford House London. Nèma conducts women’s workshops and writes articles about gender issues, social barriers, and women's empowerment. She runs a nonprofit organization that provides knowledge to women to overcome illiteracy and gender inequality. Nèma is participating in the Humphrey program to develop her professional and leadership skills because in the future she plans to work with the Ministry of Women and Children in her country to set up a network that supports, empowers, and connects Ivorian women leaders.
Ninoska Leiva is a professor at the University of Chile and the University of Santiago de Chile. She is a journalist, with a degree in Social Communication, a postgraduate degree in Leadership and Team Management and Digital Marketing, and a Master's degree in Public Policy Sciences from the University of Chile. She is head of communications at the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the University of Chile. Her professional experiences include strategic communication in the media, private and public sectors, and has engaged with CNN: Radio U. de Chile and the Ministry of Health. She was a communications advisor in the Infrastructure Policy Council, where 4 former Presidents of the Republic and 20 Ministers of State participated. She has demonstrated her ability to manage and lead dissemination projects, communication plans, press analysis, media agenda, coaching, and organization of major events.
Sarvarbek Rakhimov is head of his department at Urgench State University in Uzbekistan. He is responsible for participation in major global rankings of institutions such as QS and THE; as well as expanding the research output. He plays an important role in policy making and strategic planning of his institution by directly consulting with the rector. He studied Public Administration for his master’s degree in South Korea. He was engaged in various NGOs and international organizations including UNDP, OECD, OSCE, and ODIHR. He is interested in the internationalization of higher education, university rankings, higher education and public administration, and the history of American politics. He aims to explore the best practices in higher educational administration, increasing research productivity, and integrating universities into the global educational system. He is also excited to learn about the American system of Public Administration and public policies.
Mina Dordevic is head of the International Cooperation Department at the Agency for Science and Higher Education in Croatia. She is responsible for the Agency's engagement in international associations, projects and working groups to encourage learning from international practice and promote continuous enhancement of student experience. On a national level, she organizes short learning activities for higher education institutions, focusing on topics such as student support services, pedagogical competencies, leadership, and intercultural skills. Mina has conducted research on student experience, COVID-19 challenges, and support for international students. Mina plans to focus on developing capacity in student affairs and counseling services, and she hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the role of student affairs professionals and their commitment to student success, their professional values, and standards of practice.
Rosmery Flores Arroyo teaches Quecha and English languages at the State University of Juan Misael Saracho in the southern part of her country, Tarija. She teaches Quechua for occupational purposes at the School of Nurses and English for academic purposes at the School of Civil Engineers. She received her Bachelor's degrees in both English and Quechua from San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca University in Bolivia. Rosmery volunteers her time coordinating the American English Webinar discussion sessions for professional development among the faculty members in her university, and as an interpreter for Quechua-speaking people at the Prosecutor's Office in her region. Her interests include article writing based on classroom best practice experiences, the teaching of Spanish as a second language, the management of translation and interpretation centers, youth entrepreneurship, and leadership. She plans to focus on hands-on teaching practices that promote strong student engagement.