Meet the Staff

Syedur Rahman is the Project Director of the NOVA led Community College Consortium and has a Ph.D. in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. He has over two decades of experience in managing faculty and student exchange programs. He served as the director of international programs at the College of Education at The Pennsylvania State University. He also served as the president of the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies. His publications include research report for the United Nations, grant report for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs division of the United States Department of State and peer-reviewed papers on human resources, leadership development and financial management.

Northern Virginia Community College Program Associate and Coordinator

Karen Hopkins, Program Associate and Coordinator Karen has a Bachelor’s degree in International Development from American University and a Master degree in International Education from George Washington University. Her professional background revolves around ESL, volunteer recruitment, community development, and social justice education. She also has 7 years experience managing programs for college students. She has studied in Cameroon, worked as a fellow in Burkina Faso and facilitated workshops at international conferences in Hong Kong and Turkey. She is originally from Pittsburgh, PA but has lived in DC for the past 8 years.

Maricopa Community College District Program Coordinator

Therese Tendick is the director of international education programs at Scottsdale Community College as also serves as the coordinator of the CCI program. She has a Master’s degree in Social and Philosophical Foundations Of education from Arizona State University. She is in charge of recruitment and advising of all international students and coordinates the study abroad program of the college. She is the recipient of the 2009 Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education awarded by the Institute for International Education. She works with the Global Infusion program to internationalize the curriculum at Scottsdale and has provided leadership to faculty development with educational institutions in Chile, and study abroad programs in Australia and New Zealand. She is fluent in Spanish and is a member of NAFSA and of Scottsdale Sister Cities Association.

City College of San Francisco Program Coordinator

My name is Kenneth Lee and I am the City College of San Francisco Coordinator for the CCI Program. It is our goal at CCSF to present the best of our educational resources and aid our CCI students in navigating and enjoying our diverse society. I am encouraged by the adaptability of the students in our program, at how well they have acclimated to a society that is for the most part far different from the one that they come from. Apart from my duties for the CCI Program, I am also on the faculty of CCSF. Ken Lee has worked in the private sector specializing in financial management. As a member of the faculty at CCSF he is involved in such programs as City Build, Zhongsan Teachers training program, and Serbian Youth Leadership Development program He a Masters degree in TESOL from Macquarie University and a BA Psychology, San Francisco State University.

Miami Dade College Coordinator

Leeza Fernand, a native of Minsk, Belarus, graduated from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio in 2005 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. She is fluent in English, Russian and has advance knowledge of the Spanish language which she learned while volunteering in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ms. Fernand has held several positions in the marketing field within the Medical Industry and the Entertainment industry until she found her niche in International Education with Miami Dade College. She began her career in Higher Education as a Study Abroad Coordinator for the Office of International Education and was promoted to the Grant Support Program Coordinator position with the CCI Grant. Ms. Fernand has previous experience with the Department of State as a coordinator, translator and guide for Russian Doctors coming for the OIE Initiative in 2008. She prides herself on the endless achievements of her international students within the Service Learning sector and their impeccable academic accomplishments.