Committee Leaders
Jacqueline Rioja Velarde (President, Jan 2023 -present. Former Award Nomination Committee Chair – riojavjd@MiamiOH.edu). She is the Associate Director of the Center for American and World Cultures, Global Initiatives. She earned her M.A. in Geography and a Graduate Certificate in Latin American Studies from Syracuse University; and a B.A. in Humanities (Geography) and a Licentiate and a B.A. in Education from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, PCUP. She taught at PCUP for 15 years where she also held other academic and research positions. She joined Miami University in 2003 as an international faculty in the Department of Geography, and the Latin American Studies Program. She became the assistant director of the Center for American and World Cultures in 2006. Her expertise includes global learning, intercultural communications, curriculum and co-curriculum design and assessment; communications & multicultural marketing, program management, and higher education finance and budgeting experience. She is a Global DISC Accredited Partner and Coach. in
Eun Chong Yang, IFSAM’s first president, 2018-2022. She is a former Associate Director of the American Culture and English (ACE) Program. She earned her M.Ed. in Multicultural Literature for Children from Xavier University and Ed. D. in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Cincinnati (UC). She taught at UC for 14 years and came to Miami in 2014. Her expertise includes curriculum, assessment, training preservice teachers/new instructors/faculty, and teaching ESL students. She serves on institutional committees (UPAC, CODI) and the Fulbright National Screening Committee.
Ebru Duffield (Communications, Chair )
American Culture and English Program. Ebru Dirsel-Duffield earned her doctoral degree in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) at the University of Cincinnati. Her research interests include ESL teacher education, non-native English speakers, second language acquisition, and cross-cultural adaptation.
Hiren Gami (Faculty Support at Regionals) is an Assistant Professor in the Engineering Technology Department and is based at the Middletown campus. He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Wichita State University in 2009 after earning his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Gujarat University and North Gujrat University (India), respectively. He has been an active member of IEEE Communication and Signal Processing Society for ten years. His primary research areas include estimation, detection, machine learning, deep learning, and algorithmic research and development in the field of signal processing and wireless communication systems.
Molly Heidemann (Immigration and Tax Filing Support Committee) provides leadership and strategic planning for the International Students and Scholar Services unit, advises visiting scholars, collaborates with campus partners on efforts to support our international students, and oversees Miami’s compliance with the Department of Homeland Security. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from Xavier University in Cincinnati and went on to obtain her M.A. in Social Science from the University of Chicago, where she focused on Arabic students’ attitudes toward counseling.
Yuenan JinRodriguez (Communications Committee) is an international student coordinator in the International Students and Scholar Services, Global Initiatives department. She joined the ISSS team in August 2018, and she is responsible for coordinating orientation and other co-curricular academic and social programs for international students. She is originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. She came to the United States in 2011 for school and obtained an MBA degree from Indiana Institute of Technology.
Corrine Kidd (Communications Committee) is the Writing Specialist for the Department of Accountancy. She earned a Master of Technical and Scientific Communication degree from Miami University, along with a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of the Philippines. She advises students and conducts workshops on effective communication in business writing, produces departmental publications, and copyedits academic manuscripts in the fields of accountancy, chemistry, and biology.
Haifei Shi (Faculty Promotion Committee) is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biology. Haifei received education and training at Beijing Medical University China, Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Georgia State University, and postdoctoral fellowship in Endocrinology at the University of Cincinnati before she came to Miami University in 2009. At Miami, Haifei teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, mentors students in independent research studying hormonal regulation of energy metabolism and related diseases, and provides professional services inside Miami, as well as for funding agencies, professional organizations, and journals outside of Miami.
Zara M. Torlone (Faculty Promotion Committee) is a Professor of Classics. She received her B.A. in Classical Philology at Moscow State University in Moscow, Russia. She received her M.A., M.Phil,. and Ph.D. in Classics from Columbia University in New York City. She came to Miami University in the year 2000 having previously taught at Bard College, NY. Zara Torlone has been interested in diversity and inclusion issues during her tenure at Miami. She hopes that IFSAM will bring more attention to these issues and even further improve the campus climate of diversity.
Galina Shleykina (Instructional Staff Support Committee) is a visiting assistant professor at the English department. She holds a Ph.D. in TESOL and Applied Linguistics from Oklahoma State University. She teaches ESL Composition and Linguistics classes. Her research interests include intercultural and interlanguage pragmatics, teaching academic writing and using simulations in ESL.