ASA Advisory Board

Jennifer is the interim Associate Vice President for International Affairs (SIO) at Indiana University. She steps into this role having served as Associate Vice President for Education Abroad at IU, providing strategic leadership for education abroad initiatives across all Indiana University campuses. She has had the opportunity to hold progressively more responsible and complex roles within international education over the course of more than twenty-five years, with a depth of knowledge and expertise in education abroad. Previously, she was the Vice President of Academic Affairs & Experiential Learning at CIS Abroad, leading student learning and assessment; curricular and programmatic development; and innovation in education abroad. She served as SIO at Loyola University Chicago, and Executive Director of Global Learning at the University of South Carolina where her primary responsibilities included risk management; strategic planning for study abroad; and campus internationalization. Jennifer has been involved with The Forum on Education Abroad, NAFSA, and AIEA, holding leadership positions and presenting nationally and internationally.

Leanne Johnson has worked in international travel risk management and higher education since 2007 and currently serves as the Director of International Risk Management at the University of Maryland. She oversees global health, safety, security, and crisis response for UMD travelers and is active in Pulse, OSAC’s Academic Sector Group, the Forum on Education Abroad, and URMIA. Her background spans higher education, public policy, and international service.

Caitlin Kelley is Director of the Center for Advanced Global Leadership and Engagement (CAGLE) in the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University. She brings extensive experience in international higher education across several large public universities, with expertise in global learning, international student recruitment and services, partnerships, and program development. At OSU, she leads a broad portfolio of international initiatives, including faculty-led study abroad, global internships, strategic partnerships, and student engagement, with a focus on expanding access to meaningful global experiences. Caitlin holds graduate degrees in Communication Studies from University of Alabama and International Education from SIT Graduate Institute and is completing a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership at Oklahoma State University.

Julie Leitman is a semi‑retired international educator who remains deeply committed to the power of Education Abroad. A former Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, she was one of the four “founding mamas” who launched Academic Programs International (API) in 1997. Her career began in 1982 teaching in Sevilla, Spain, followed by eight years in advising and management roles at LASPAU: Academic and Professional Programs for the Americas at Harvard University. As both a founder and daily practitioner in the field, Julie played a central role in shaping API’s mission, growth, and partnerships, and supported thousands of students and alumni through transformative global experiences..

Beyond API, Julie has long contributed to the field through volunteer leadership — from early involvement with the Boston Area Study Abroad Association (BASAA) to service within NAFSA, including Region XI Exhibits Coordinator and frequent mentor to first‑ time attendees. She has presented at NAFSA and Forum conferences on topics such as Parents as Partners and the decline of language study abroad, and in 2022 received NAFSA’s national award for Education Abroad Leadership. Julie also served on the Forum’s Code of Ethics working group and currently serves on several boards while consulting with MADE – School of Arts and Sciences in Siracusa, Italy.

Leonie (Leo) Meijer is Director of Global Education at the University of New Hampshire. She hails from The Netherlands, but after spending a high school year in the U.S. she was never able to fully reintegrate into Dutch life. So in 2005 she packed up everything and moved to the U.S., where she worked as a Study Abroad Advisor at Western Illinois University. In 2011, she moved to beautiful New Hampshire to work at UNH. In all of her spare time (...) Leo loves to sing, hike, read and swim.

Hillary currently serves as the Director of the International Center at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, MA. In this role, she oversees international student admissions and recruitment, international student services, and faculty-led study abroad programs. With 15 years of experience in international education, she has worked across all areas of IE. She believes strongly in the importance of global education and thinks the world would be a better place if every college student studied abroad. In her free time she enjoys travel, reading, and Boston sports.

Mike Sandy is the Study Abroad Director at Bridgewater State University’s Minnock Institute for Global Engagement. Over his 30-year career, he has worked in global service-learning and study abroad at colleges and universities and international education institutions, promoting and supporting equitable access in international education, globally-engaged students, and community-based partnerships. He earned a master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from University of Pittsburgh and a BA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Natalie is an international educator with more than two decades of experience in global education partnerships, programs, operations, financial oversight, and risk management. As Executive Director at Bentley University, Natalie oversees teams that manage a diverse portfolio of global study and internship experiences for undergraduate and graduate students. Supporting approximately 700 students annually, under Natalie’s leadership Bentley has been consistently ranked a leading institution for undergraduate participation in study abroad, according to the Institute for International Education's Open Doors report. In 2023, Natalie was recognized with the NAFSA Region XI Sally M. Heym award for outstanding mentorship. Prior to progressively increased responsibility at Bentley, Natalie held positions at Harvard University and EF Education. She holds an MBA from Bentley University and a BA in Economics and Spanish from Vanderbilt University.

Amy Claire is currently in her first year of medical school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She recently graduated from the University of Alabama in 2026. As an ASA alumni she had the opportunity to study abroad for a semester in Maastricht, Netherlands. Studying abroad provided her with numerous opportunities and allowed her to explore the world and other cultures. After her time in the Netherlands, she had the opportunity through both her university and ASA to continue promoting studying abroad and all of its benefits as an ASA Jetsetter. She is excited to continue advocating for studying abroad through this advisory board and using what my time abroad taught her throughout her career.