Lamiaa Eid

Lamiaa worked as a researcher at a research institute (MEIHE) at the American University in Cairo (AUC). There she was involved in institutional capacity-building projects at the global, regional, and national levels to reform schools and develop teachers/educators as empowered agents of change. As a researcher, she developed relationships with various NGOs, writing proposals that won several grants, one of which focused on the... Continue Reading

Nanak Hikmatullah

Nanak is a first-year PhD student in Teacher Education and School Improvement (TESI) in the College of Education at UMass. He is the holder of Edgar Brood Academic Chair, based in Brussels, Belgium, and a lecturer of English at Siliwangi University in Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia, where he teaches several courses such as Educational Technology, Literature in English Language Teaching, and Sociolinguistics.

 

He earned his bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from STBA Yapari (School of Foreign Languages) Bandung, Indonesia, and his master’s degree in... Continue Reading

Daman Bozdar

Daman Bozdar is a doctoral student in International Education. He is an accomplished and experienced international development and education sector professional with over 19 years of progressively responsible experience and demonstrated competencies in education project planning, implementation, oversight, and evaluation.

 

He has successfully managed USAID-funded educational projects including the Higher Education Emergency Support Program, Improving Basic Educational Quality Program and the Pakistan Reading Project. He is a key contributor to project design analyses doing... Continue Reading

Mukhayyokhon Azamova

Mukhayyokhon is a social protection and policy development specialist with experience in international relations, fund mobilization, community strengthening, and child rights in Uzbekistan.

 

In the summer of 2021 she was an intern at the World Bank where she worked on research and project development for the education sector of Uzbekistan.

 

Earlier, as Head of Department at the Ministry of Public Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan she advanced international cooperation and raised funds for the national reform strategies. She established relationships with... Continue Reading

Nangyalai Attal

I am currently a Ph.D. student at CIE/IE focusing on international comparative higher education and peace education. I have B.A. in English Language and Literature from Kabul Education University and M.S. in Human Resources from Golden Gate University in San Francisco where I held a Fulbright Scholarship.

 

I bring a diverse set of work experiences, including serving as Director of Presidential Decrees and Orders in the Office of the President of Afghanistan. I taught graduate courses on a part-time basis at Dunya University and I am founder of Hode Educational and Social... Continue Reading

Larissa Chekmareva

I am a graduate of CIE (M. Ed, 2005) and come from both Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. After 20 years of working in education, I am now starting the Ph.D. program in International Education.

 

My professional experience in education is mainly from Kazakhstan. I started out as a school teacher of physics and mathematics, and then became a lecturer in research courses and also a higher education administrator (Registrar, Dean of Enrollment Management and Deputy to the President). At the same time, I was involved in a number of educational projects, consulting with... Continue Reading

Mujtaba Hedayet

I am a Ph.D. student in the Higher Education Administration program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass). I obtained my Master of Education from UMass in 2015 and returned to Afghanistan to work for USAID’s largest higher education project in the world, the University Support and Workforce Development Program (USWDP), until I returned for my doctorate program.  

 

In my position as the Executive Director of Program Coordination... Continue Reading

Christopher W. Buck

Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity. ― Chimamanda Adichie

 

I, too, believe that stories can be used to empower, humanize, and most importantly, transform individuals. I also believe that literacy is a fundamental human right. Literacy truly is power—power over one’s own life. With this in mind, research consistently demonstrates that low... Continue Reading

Madiha Noor

A passionate early childhood educator from Pakistan, I was privileged to have spent my formative childhood years in Cairo, Egypt and Paris, France. The quality schooling I received, proved to be the solid base that helped me overcome a multitude of challenges on the way.

 

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from NUST Business School, situated in one of the world’s most beautiful capital cities, Islamabad, my hometown. After nearly seven years of being in the early childhood sector in Pakistan, I have come to the University of Massachusetts to earn a M.Ed. in Child Study... Continue Reading

Mairam Sheikh

I grew up in Dammam, Saudi Arabia and later in Lahore, Pakistan. I received my BSc Hons. in Economics and Political Science from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan and my MA in Education and International Development from University College London (UCL), United Kingdom. I started my career as a Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant at LUMS. Upon graduation, I felt committed to teaching and joined a secondary school as a teacher for GCSE Mathematics and Economics. During this time, I developed interest in educational research, particularly the nexus between... Continue Reading

Myles Bittner

Much of my educational outlook is shaped by my time as an early childhood educator, both in New York City and my hometown in Wyoming. I’ve learned so much from sitting down with children and just listening to them. While teaching in NYC I also received my M.A. in Anthropology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Anthropology (more specifically ethnography) has always been at the root of my approach to educational research. I believe the only way to really understand a situation is to be fully immersed in the context and work hand-in-hand with others to create systemic... Continue Reading

Onasheho Toweh

My research interest is in cultural humility and teacher-student relationships. I often think of culture as a currency that a child brings with them into the classroom and if it is valued by the classroom teacher it can enhance their relationship and yield better outcomes not only academically but also in life. I am interested in serving as a resource person for children, teachers and other childcare providers to assist them in understanding and developing ‘culturally humble’ approaches.

 

I am from Nigeria in West Africa. I received my Bachelor of Art degree in Psychology... Continue Reading

Chenyang Xu

Ni Hao (Hello)! My name is Chenyang Xu from Shanghai, China. I am a first-year Ph.D. student of Mathematics, Science & Learning Technologies program. My research interests focus on utilizing social media and data science to support higher education and student services, especially international student services.

 

As a student who enrolled in a 3+2 program, I completed my study of Bachelor of English Language degree at Shanghai International Studies University in 2014 and received Master of Education degree at Kent State University (KSU) in 2015. Earning two... Continue Reading

Jacole Douglas

I am a first year doctoral student in the International Education program. Coming from a family of educators, the value of education was instilled in me at a young age. I earned a BA in English Teaching from The University of Montana, and I started my professional career as a high school English Language Arts teacher for at-risk youth.

 

After teaching in the US for a few years, I had the opportunity to move to Nepal to work with a girls’ education organization and later design the curriculum and teach English Literature for a local school starting an International... Continue Reading

Sahara Pradhan

I am now a first year doctoral student from Nepal in the International Education program and in the Center for International Education. I completed my BA in Political Science and Education at Vassar College in New York and my MA in International Education at UMass Amherst.

 

While I grew up in Kathmandu, inheriting a commitment to education through my mother’s educational work with women and girls, my professional and academic goals have emerged from experience, research, and conversations about education in a variety of contexts including in Nepal, Haiti, Costa Rica and the... Continue Reading

Miheretu Adane

Tadias! My name is Adane Miheretu and I am a first year Doctoral Candidate in International Education. I am interested in and  passionate about Education in crisis and conflict situations.  For over ten years, I have worked for a number of International Nongovernmental Organizations (including International Rescue Committee, Women’s Refugee Commission, Concern Worldwide, and USAID’s various projects) in East Africa and in the United States.

 

I am so thrilled and looking forward to working with a fascinating group of people with wide ranges of interests and expertise. I am... Continue Reading

Kayla Boisvert

I’ve always had an interest in how the human mind works and learns, social justice issues, and cultures and places different from where I call home. In undergrad, I studied psychology and Spanish, and with my degree, I worked in the field of social work for several years as a therapeutic recreation counselor and later as a drug and alcohol clinician for adolescents.

 

Tired of the “reactive” treatment approach, I transitioned into education where I believed I could work on preventing many of life’s difficulties and working towards a more just, fair, and equitable world. In... Continue Reading

Shamo Thar

To respond the tremendous need in education opportunities in the area, I founded a non-profit organization, the Pentok Intitute to promote quality education for Tibetan girls. Together with my team, we raised millions of grants for the programs. We worked closely with ten public schools and 7,000 children in the communities. We provided “culturally relevant curriculum” and teaching practice via several programs during summer and winter holidays. In 2014, I established the very first private school in the area with authorization from the local government. It is a Montessori pre-school that... Continue Reading

Promise Mchenga

 

I come from Malawi, the “warm heart of Africa”. I have just entered the Master’s program here at Center for International Education. Earlier I received a BA in Biblical Studies and Education from African Bible College (Lilongwe, Malawi campus) and an MA in Christian Leadership from Asbury Theological Seminary, Kentucky.

 

My interests in international education are closely related to my personal, academic and professional experiences. For most of my undergraduate studies I interned with Children of the Nations International (COTNI). This experience exposed me to... Continue Reading