Biography: As Executive Director, Opal provides leadership for the Office for Education Abroad, including the American Semester Program (ASP) for short-term inbound international students. She also directs the Global Youth Advancement Network (GYAN) and the Japan Center for Michigan Universities (JCMU), a consortium of Michigan’s public institutions. Opal chairs MSU’s Advisory Council on Education Abroad and the Faculty Learning Community for International Student Success and is a member of the Risk and Security Assessment Committee and International Strategic Enrollment Management Group. Prior to MSU, Opal held various positions over her 20 years at the Institute for Study Abroad, Butler University, most recently as Vice President for Academic Affairs and including three years as Resident Director in Ireland. She has served NAFSA in a variety of capacities, including Region VI Chair, Indiana State Representative, NAFSA Academy Coach, and currently as Co-Chair of the Peace, Justice & Citizen Diplomacy MIG. Active in the Forum on Education Abroad, Diversity Abroad, and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), she is a frequent presenter and workshop trainer at international education conferences. Opal earned her doctorate in adult, higher and community education at Ball State University with her dissertation on the development of culturally sensitive instructional practices through student teaching abroad. She also completed doctoral certificates in college and university teaching and community college leadership, and she holds an MA in history and Honors BA in German from Butler University. Her research and publication areas are inclusive pedagogy, global teacher education, academic ethics across cultures, appreciative advising, and sustainability in education abroad. She studied abroad in Switzerland, Russia, and Lithuania, and spends as much time as possible with family in Greece.

Biography: Maria Beam is the Executive Secretary and manages the Executive Director’s calendar, provides meeting support, maintains the Executive Director’s files, and attends meetings and events with/on behalf of the Executive Director as requested. Maria also provides support for the Advisory Council on Education Abroad, Education Abroad Leadership, and other group meetings as requested by the Executive Director. Maria joined the Office for Education Abroad in 2003, beginning as a receptionist, transitioning into an enrollment management specialist and now supports the Executive Director. She has assisted with the Global Internship Conference and attended conferences in Canada, Ireland, and Chile. She has also participated in mission trips to France, Guatemala, and Mexico. In her free time, Maria enjoys spending time with her family in Charlotte, Michigan.

Biography: Cheryl Benner is the Communications Manager and oversees the marketing and communication activities for the office. She’s responsible for printed publications and digital communications, as well as event coordination, community outreach and student recruitment, including supervision of the Peer Adviser program and management of the Education Abroad Advising Center. Cheryl has co-presented at the local and regional levels on interactive media, education abroad for under-represented student populations, and the effective use of technology in student advising. She holds a BA in Advertising from MSU and brings almost 30 years of experience in outreach and marketing at a large public institution. When not on campus, Cheryl can be found cheering on the DeWitt Panthers, MSU Spartans and the Green Bay Packers and loves spending time with her family.

Biography: Sam Bigley (he/him) is an alumnus of MSU’s College of Social Science and College of Arts & Letters, with majors in Anthropology and Arabic. After graduating from MSU, he served as an AmeriCorps Member at Lansing’s Allen Neighborhood Center, and later as a Youth Development Volunteer in the Peace Corps, serving in Morocco from 2017-2019. When he returned to mid-Michigan in 2020, he put his years of community development experience to use in the Food and Agriculture System of Lansing, starting his own urban farm and joining the board of the Lansing Urban Farm Project. Sam served as MSU’s Peace Corps Recruiter from fall 2020 to summer 2023 and returned in February 2024. He is excited to continue helping the next generation of Peace Corps Volunteers prepare to apply for service through this prestigious federal agency.

Biography: Angie Boldrey is the Financial Services Coordinator and responsible for overseeing the development, approval, and implementation of all program budgets. She works with program coordinators and directors, making sure financial needs are met before, during and after their program’s completion. Additionally, works to secure payments to vendors and assists with budgeting and reconciliation of the education abroad enrollment. Prior to arriving at MSU, Angie worked in business management at a local law firm, finance and data management at a political consulting firm, and many varied areas in the Michigan legislature. She holds a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and lives in Okemos with her husband, two teenage daughters and retired greyhound named Dude.

Biography: John Bonnell is Capacity Development Specialist with Michigan State University’s Global IDEAS. He designs and implements capacity strengthening programs with and for faculty at MSU and at partner universities. His fields of expertise include international and comparative education, higher education in developing countries, organizational change, and faculty and leadership development. He has conducted educational research and development projects in numerous countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to joining MSU, John served for four years as a faculty member and head of department at a private university in Kenya. John earned a PhD from MSU in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, with specializations in African Studies and International Development. John has co-lead institutional capacity development initiatives for the Global Center for Food Systems Innovation (Innovation Scholars Program), the Borlaug Higher Education for Agricultural Research and Development program, and the Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research, Capacity and Influence.