Curriculum Vitae
Program Development, Student Success & Academic Support

Operations, Compliance & Data Driven Management

Career Statement

From my early study abroad experiences in France and India I knew I wanted to build my career in international education. Today, I am a higher education professional with over 25 years of experience achieving institutional international education goals including 15 years experience successfully managing operations and staff while leading strategic planning and goal setting. I believe International education opportunities enhance student transformation and faculty achievements. More specifically, when global learning is integrated into teaching and learning as well as research, it fosters cross-cultural communication, adaptability, humility, and complex problem-solving abilities across disciplines. I understand these skills are highly valued in both workforce and academic settings locally and globally. I am adept at communicating this message and leading internationalization efforts at universities.

Core Competencies

Strategic Leadership & Institutional Planning

Internationalization Strategy
Strategic Planning & Goal Setting
Institutional Internationalization Leadership
Program & Initiative Developmen

Global Partnerships & External Relations

International Partnership Development
Government & NGO Collaboration
University-to-University Partnerships
International Stakeholder Engagement

Academic Program Development & Global Learning

Study Abroad Program Management
Offshore Campus & International Program Management
Faculty Collaboration & Global Curriculum Integration
International Research Initiatives

Higher Education Administration & Operations

International Program Operations
Team Leadership & Staff Management
International Business Management
Cross-Functional Institutional Coordination

Student Services, Safety & Support

International Student Services
Student Safety & Security Protocols
Risk Management in Global Programs
Intercultural Student Engagement

Advancement, Communication & Global Engagement

Alumni Relations & Development
Fundraising for International Initiatives
International Education Advocacy
Cross-Cultural Communication

Education

Currently

Ph.D. Candidate, dual title in Higher Education and Comparative and International Education,
The Pennsylvania State University.

2013

M.S., International Administration, Central Michigan University, MI.

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2002

M.A. Intercultural Relations, Lesley University,
MA, ABT, 2002

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1998

B.A., French and Philosophical Studies, Grand Valley State University, MI.

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Professional Work Experience

(2021-Present)
Research Assistant, Penn State Global and Ph.D. Candidate, The Pennsylvania
State University, State College, PA.

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Provide executive-level support for high-priority initiatives across the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Programs, the Latin American Studies department, and the Department of Plant Science

(2017-2021)

Founder and Principal Consultant, Surnia Consulting, LLC.

Provides executive-level strategic counsel to higher education institutions, specializing in the comprehensive internationalization of campus operations, partnership ecosystems, risk management frameworks and international alumni development.

Director for Strategic Development, Office of Global Services, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
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This role reported to both the Office of the Vice President for Global Engagement and the Office of Global Services. Collaborated with the Vice President for Global Engagement to manage and assess strategic partnerships including strengthening and expanding partner relations. Served as the primary liaison with the Office of General Counsel on global agreements and international study centers.

2015-2017
2008-2015
Director, International Programs, Global Campus, Central Michigan University

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Created and led the internationalization strategy for the Global Campus, managing a diverse portfolio of transnational education sites, programs, and faculty teaching remotely across Canada, Mexico, and China. Served as the primary delegate for the Vice President in global relationship management and program development. Served on the CMU’s  Multicultural and Diversity Committee and International Education Committee. 

2002-2007

Executive Manager, Business Systems, Macquarie International (MI), Macquarie
University. Sydney, Australia.


Macquarie website

As a member of MI’s Executive Team, I co-authored and championed the university’s internationalization roadmap, aligning diverse departmental interests to execute high-impact strategic goals. 

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Publications & Presentations

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Publication

Power through Legitimacy: Internationalization, Quality Assurance & Curriculum in Global Higher Education.

Annie Everett and Melissa L. Brun

The World Bank (2021) estimates that nearly 220 million students are enrolled in tertiary education around the world. While the national systems of higher education that serve these students vary widely in size, mission, and resources, they perform similar roles within their communities. In the modern era, societies tend to sort and allocate their citizenry on the basis of educational and professional experience. To meet society’s material needs, systems of education construct categories of instruction that standardize and manage the production of knowledge. Postsecondary institutions set standards for academic quality that seek to create “standard types of graduates from standard categories of pupils using standard types of teachers and topics”; completion of a college degree thus represents an act of ritual classification in which the educational experience codifies the rules, norms, and ideologies of its surrounding communities (Meyer & Rowan, 1978, p. 219). The question is: whose rules, norms, and ideologies confer the most legitimacy? Uncovering the power dynamics that create systems of inequity and oppression is more imperative than ever as rules, norms, and epistemologies continue to cross cultures and borders (Blanco Ramírez, 2014; de Wit & Altbach, 2021; George Mwangi et al., 2021; Lee, 2021).

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March 2026

Presentation:
Populism and the Internationalization of Higher Education: Comparing India and the USA, CIES, Comparative and International Education Society.

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November 2025

Presentation:
The Global Learning Summer Institute and Faculty Fellows Program at Penn State.

November 2023

Presentation:
Neo-nationalism and the internationalization of higher education: Comparing Hungary, China, Turkey, and USA.

April 2017

Co-leader of a workshop
The NAFSA Colloquium on Global Health.
With colleagues from Harvard University, at This workshop trained new group leaders of International Health Programs on identifying and managing risks in undergraduate global health study abroad programs.

October 2016

Presenter:
The India Fulbright Delegation visiting Georgetown University on The US Higher Education System and What American Students Expect When Studying Abroad.

September 2016.

Presenter Panel:
The American Council of Education (ACE) WIEG quarterly meeting on Brexit and its potential impact on international education activities between the US and UK.