Presenter
Biographies
The first leadership position that Gary Althen remembers holding was that of patrol leader in Boy Scout Troop 93 in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. He later became a senior patrol leader and proudly upgraded his badge from two stripes to three. Subsequent leadership positions included serving as the editor of the University of Colorado student newspaper (a position from which he was fired after a rather short tenure), and as the foreman of a jury in Johnson County, Iowa. (The defendant was found guilty of one charge against him and not guilty of the other.)
Gary's career in international education began with an internship at the Regional Council for International Education, a consortium based at the University of Pittsburgh which is now defunct (but not because of him!). For about three days during his time with the RCIE, he served as the University of Pittsburgh's foreign student adviser. The previous FSA had been fired suddenly and until a replacement was found, Gary was tapped to sign I-20 forms (or whatever they were—the secretary just told him where to sign).
To gain some overseas experience, he became director of the Instituto Cultural Peruano-Norteamericano, a bi-national center in Huancayo, Peru. He then worked for 30 years at the University of Iowa, first as an FSA and later as director of the Office of International Students and Scholars.
Gary made his way to NAFSA leadership roles mainly by writing newsletter articles and editing a regional newsletter and some books. He wrote (and later revised) The Handbook of Foreign Student Advising and American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States. He served as NAFSA's President during its tumultuous 50th year, when the association underwent extensive personnel and philosophical changes. Now retired, Gary divides his time between Arizona and Colorado and stays in touch with the field enough to feel deep sympathy for NAFSAns dealing with SEVIS, visa-issuance problems, risk analysis, government-relations, and the apparently declining stature of the U.S. in international educational exchange.
Gary can be reached at .
John Greisberger scored his first election victory in 1964 when he was elected homeroom president his freshman year at McQuaid Jesuit High School. From that point on he enjoyed a meteoric rise that elevated him to the presidency of the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars (1988) and ultimately to the pinnacle of his professional career, the presidency of NAFSA (2004).
John's service in the Peace Corps in Afghanistan from 1973-1975 set him on the path to becoming an international educator. From 1976-1984, he worked at Iowa State University as a foreign student adviser and codirector of the Intensive English and Orientation Program. Pausing briefly to consider a run for U.S. President, he instead decided to continue his pursuit of international education.
John worked at Harvard University as deputy director of the International Office (1984-1986), and then at Ohio State University where he first served as director of the International Student and Scholar Office (1986-1992). In 1992 became the director of the Office of International Education, an office that combines international student and scholar services with study abroad.
In addition to his work with NAFSA, John has served on the Executive Committee of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), the TOEFL Board at ETS, and the Board of Directors of Phi Beta Delta including a five-year term as executive director. He received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University in 1984. When asked if he would consider running for elected office after retirement, he replies "Only if it's for president of something; lesser titles are of no interest."
John can be reached at .
Jerry Wilcox's introduction to international education began when he befriended his high school's first Japanese exchange student in small-town Iowa. They have maintained contact for more than four decades. After his first year of college at Iowa State University, he spent a (belated) gap year as a gastarbeiter (guest worker) in Stuttgart, Baden Wuerttemberg. This tested the communication skills of both Jerry and his employers, since he spoke no German. His employers were universally patient.
After graduation he served in the Peace Corps in Thailand where he helped the Department of Public Health build small water systems for rural schools. His immersion in Thai culture proved to be at least as challenging as the five tones in central Thai dialect.
Jerry completed his Master's degree in Education at the University of Hawaii's East-West Center in 1971. After landing a job at Cornell University, he discovered that the field of international education—specifically international student and scholar advising—was a perfect match for his background and personality. He served at the International Students and Scholars Office at Cornell for 27 cold, snowy winters.
In 1998 he assumed the directorship of The University of Texas at Austin's International Office, which includes International Student and Scholar Services, the Center for Global Educational Opportunities, and ESL Services. UT Austin consistently ranks in the top five for enrolling international students and the top four for sending out study abroad students.
Jerry's NAFSA service has included Chairmanships of the Council for Foreign Students and Scholars, the Professional Development Committee, the former Government Regulations Advisory Committee, the NAFSA CEO selection committee, and the NAFSA Task Force on the International Student Access to Study in the U.S. He also served as President of NAFSA. He regards his service to NAFSA and its members to be rather lopsided, in the sense that he always learned more than he was able to offer.
Jerry can be reached at .
Valerie Woolston's first award for outstanding performance was a trip to Bangkok for winning a cha-cha contest in Calcutta. She was in Calcutta after years of living in Italy with her family. Her first claim to an international career is being one of the original Global Nomads. Her first "job" was assisting in the Fulbright Advising Office in Calcutta for a short period of time after graduating from high school. Having attended a private parochial Italian international school, a U.S. overseas military school, a private Indian school, an American-mission board school, a private U.S. small college, and a large land grant research university, Valerie's background was perfect for international admissions.
Before bed she has been known to absorb a university catalogue. This ability led her to think about the placement of foreign students in U.S. institutions, and she ended up writing and editing country-specific books for the admissions field. Valerie's ability to tolerate ambiguity has helped her multi-faceted career in international educational exchange. She couldn't decide which part of the field she liked best, so she tried all of them. This has been reflected in her career in NAFSA where she served on GRAC (until it was dissolved), as Chair of Region VIII (it survived), as Chair of ADSEC (when admissions had no funding), as Chair of PIER (when it too had no funding), as Vice President of Regional Affairs, and as President of NAFSA when it changed its name!
She loves to give parties, so she chaired NAFSA's 40th Anniversary in Washington and the 49th Annual Conference in Phoenix. Despite the angst caused by immigration and regulatory issues, and the confusing perceptions of U.S. higher education abroad, the field remains a marvelous challenge for her. She believes she has the best of all possible positions.
Val can be reached at .
Nancy E. Young's first leadership position was her appointment as "mother hen" in a kindergarten play, a role she took seriously both on and off stage. Since that time, has held a number of appointed and elected positions. Within NAFSA, Nancy served in various capacities on the Region X team, created and chaired NAFSA's Ad Hoc Tax Committee which included the development of the Form 1040NREZ, is a member of the trainer corps, and a new member of the IEL KC team.
Her roots are in the "small town" state of Arkansas, home to Senator Fulbright, President Clinton, and the best catfish and hushpuppies, hands down. Her involvement in politics started at age nine, when she went door to door leaving fliers for a U.S. Senator's race. No longer dropping off fliers (an endeavor much too complex in New York City) she remains politically active.
Nancy has had the privilege of working in the foreign student advising field for over 20 years, much of that time at New York University. She is Associate Director at NYU's Office for International Students and Scholars, which hosts a large and diverse foreign student population. When not at work or trying to save the world, Nancy loves to read, write, swim, cook, and garden.
Nancy can be reached at .
