PRESIDENT

Dr. Dilnoza Khasilova, Permanent Visiting Scholar, SoTL/Assessment Specialist at the University of Wyoming; representing Laramie, Wyoming

Dr. Dilnoza Khasilova is a founding member and currently serves as the President of the Wyoming Chapter of the Fulbright Association. Dr. Dilnoza Khasilova is an educator, researcher, and linguist with extensive global, cross-cultural, and inclusive experience and she has expertise in the field of international education, teaching and learning, and advancing global partnerships.

Dr. Dilnoza Khasilova holds her Ph.D. in Literacy Studies, Curriculum and Instruction Department within the College of Education (minors in Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodologies), and a master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration on English as a Second Language and a minor in International Studies from the University of Wyoming. Dilnoza is an Assessment/Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Specialist at the Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning and a founder of the World Language and Culture program (alumni initiative/community programming) at the University of Wyoming. She is an alumna of the NAFSA Academy Class 18. She is currently in the Trainer Corps and serves as a Region II TLS KS liaison. Dilnoza has built a nonformal World Language and Culture Program framework with a unique structure that focuses on community engagement in Wyoming. She is passionate about global partnerships, alumni relations, teaching and learning in higher education, lifelong learning, cross-cultural communication, and community outreach.

Her research focuses on a wide range of topics related to the scholarship of teaching and learning and international education including adult literacy,  life-long learning, building programming, teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), and world languages and cultures. Throughout her career and school, she has been actively involved in numerous quality advancement efforts within international education systems (e.g., Central Asia), training peer colleagues and mentoring students and international educators. She has developed curricula for nonformal learning to support lifelong learning and has disseminated her work through national and international presentations and peer-reviewed publications. As part of her professional service, she has been serving as a reviewer for journals and conference proposals and session chair for the sessions for various organizations and conferences such as NAFSA All-Region (Association of International Educators), Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association (RMMLA), NAFSA, and International Journal Students as Partners. She volunteered to review proposals for various U.S. Department-funded programs upon request (e.g., American Councils for International Education, Fulbright Campus Application, IDEAS, etc.). Currently, Dilnoza's interests in higher education administration focus on SoTL/assessment efforts locally and internationally, building programs on advancing pedagogy, enhancing student learning, fostering global partnerships, advancing global alumni relations and cross-cultural engagement, and comprehensive internationalization efforts. Her diverse background and expertise in international education, teaching and learning methodologies, curriculum development, and professional service highlight her commitment to advancing global education and cross-cultural understanding in higher education settings.

TREASURER

Connor Christensen

Connor Christensen grew up in rural Minnesota and joined the U.S. Navy after high school to see the world—a plan that, fortunately, worked out. He served four years in Andalusia, Spain, then pursued a Bachelor's in History at Saint Louis University's Madrid campus. During this time, he studied Turkish as a Critical Language Scholar in Baku, Azerbaijan. After graduating, Connor spent time backpacking through Australia before beginning his Fulbright experience as an English Teaching Assistant at Niğde University in Turkey. There, he taught, mentored, and volunteered with over 100 first-year students in what proved to be a transformative experience. He went on to earn a joint Master of Public Policy and Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago. As a researcher for the Corioli Institute during this time, he conducted fieldwork and life history interviews in Colombia, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, and with Afghan refugees in the United States. Connor now lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he serves as an Economic Policy & Research Advisor for the Wyoming Business Council, helping to advance economic resilience and opportunity across the state.