CFR Education is excited to announce the newest class of CFR Education Ambassadors. Under the facilitation of CFR Education, the educational arm of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Ambassador program brings together educators from across the country who are dedicated to helping students make sense of the world around them.
The CFR Education Ambassador program is broken out into two distinct cohorts: a High School Ambassador program and a Higher Education Ambassador program. Each is an eight-month engagement that connects educators with free educational resources, professional development activities, and a vibrant network of like-minded professionals. As part of this collaborative, cross-disciplinary learning community, Ambassadors champion global affairs literacy, ensuring that students not only understand global issues but also see their own role in shaping them.
“Educators are on the frontlines protecting America’s democracy,” said Caroline Netchvolodoff, Vice President of Education at the Council on Foreign Relations. “The Ambassador program allows us to bring together those who are leading the charge in advancing students’ global affairs literacy so that we can learn from their wealth of experience.”
The 2025-2026 Ambassador cohorts include seventy high school educators and eighty higher education faculty and administrators from forty-five states, representing a wide range of public and private institutions. From rural schools to major universities, this diverse network brings a shared mission to classrooms across the country: helping students engage meaningfully with the global issues that affect their lives. See the full list of Ambassadors at the bottom of this page.
Together, Ambassadors will discover creative ways to integrate global affairs into their classes, strengthen their teaching practice, provide feedback to the Council on Foreign Relations, and learn how to use CFR Education’s award-winning classroom resources to help students build global affairs literacy skills. But their work doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Many Ambassadors will also share what they’ve learned about global affairs literacy with colleagues, presenting at their institutions or at regional and national conferences.
Returning Distinguished Ambassadors—veteran educators who have been through the program before—will serve as mentors and leaders, helping to guide discussions, offer teaching strategies, and co-present with CFR Education staff at events throughout the year.
Hear from two distinguished Ambassadors about their experience:
“As a CFR Education Ambassador, I didn’t just gain a transformative experience and broader perspective on global affairs literacy, I developed the confidence to strengthen my teaching and actively engage with students,” said Jenny Fang of Oral Roberts University.
Alison Walters of Frontier Regional School further explains, “I have been thrilled to participate in the CFR Education Ambassador program. Each meeting left me with new ideas and a sense of community as we gathered to share how best to educate our students about the world.”
What is CFR Education?
CFR Education, the educational arm of the Council on Foreign Relations, helps middle, high school, and higher education students understand and engage with today’s most pressing global issues. With over 700 free, nonpartisan, multimedia teaching and learning resources, CFR Education’s supplemental materials help students gain the knowledge, skills, and perspective needed to navigate today’s interconnected world. CFR Education also provides professional development and programming opportunities to support educators as they take on this crucial work.
Meet the 2025-2026 CFR Education Ambassadors
Higher Education Ambassadors
*Distinguished Ambassadors
Aamir Abdullah (University of Hawaii at Manoa, HI)
Jean Abshire (Indiana University Southeast, IN)*
Mahssan "Bear" Afkhami (Capitol Technology University, MD)
Aje-Ori Agbese (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, TX)
Craig Albert (Augusta University, GA)*
Lauren Balasco (Stockton University, NJ)
Oladayo Bello (New Mexico State University, NM)
Natasha Bingham (Loyola University New Orleans, LA)
Mia Bloom (Georgia State University, GA)*
Adriana Boersner-Herrera (The Citadel, SC)
Robert Bookmiller (Millersville University, PA)
Jeanie Bukowski (Bradley University, IL)
Christine Carpino (Cedar Crest College, PA)
Matthew Cohen (Merrimack College, MA)
Lauren Collins (University of Colorado Boulder, CO)
Chad DeWaard (Culver-Stockton College, MO)*
Danielle Dooley (George Washington University, DC)
Steven Elliot-Gower (Georgia College and State University, GA)*
Jenny Yingchen Fang (Oral Roberts University, OK)*
Brian Frehner (University of Missouri-Kansas City, MO)
Loramy Gerstbauer (Gustavus Adolphus College, MN)
Noelani Goodyear-Kaopua (University of Hawaii at Manoa, HI)
Mary Gorham (Millsaps College, MS)
Vance Gray (Pennsylvania Institute of Technology, PA)
Craig Greathouse (University of North Georgia, GA)
Whitney Grespin (Defense Security Cooperation University, VA)
Holley Hansen (Oklahoma State University, OK)*
Steve Hess (Transylvania University, KY)
Jamie Hink (Concordia University, Nebraska, NE)
Kristina Hook (Kennesaw State University, GA)
Jennifer Hooks (Santa Fe College, FL)
Myra Houser (Ouachita Baptist University, AR)
Ans Irfan (University of Southern California, CA)
Theresa Jackson (University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC)
Christopher Jackson (Loyola Marymount University, CA)
Kathryn Jacobsen (University of Richmond, VA)
Michael Jones (Tulane University, LA)
Eunice Kang (Vanguard University, CA)*
Daniel Katz (Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York, NY)*
Kyung-hwa Kim (Cedarville University, OH)
Hillary Knepper (Pace University, NY)
Megan Lambert (United States Air Force Academy, CO)
Heidi Lannon (Santa Fe College, FL)
Andreea Maierean (Wilkes University, PA)
Edmund Malesky (Duke University, NC)
Merry Mayer (Wilbur Wright College, IL)
James Mokhiber (University of New Orleans, LA)
Julie Mughal (Fairfield University, CT)*
Laine Munir (Arizona State University, AZ)
Kara Neu (University of Denver, CO)
Olena Nikolayenko (Fordham University, NY)
Roni Kay M. O’Dell (California State University, San Marcos, CA)*
Kwaku Obosu-Mensah (Lorain County Community College, OH)
Mojúbàolú Okome (Brooklyn College, City University of New York, NY)*
Sidney Pash (Fayetteville State University, NC)
Jody Peterson (Centralia College, WA)
Liberty Peterson (Snow College, UT)
Delia Popescu (Le Moyne College, NY)
Mitali Pradhan (Farmingdale State College, State University of New York, NY)
Juris Pupcenoks (Marist University, NY)
Greg Ramzinski (South Plains College, TX)
Carrie Reiling (Washington College, MD)
Andrea Restrepo-Mieth (Rutgers University, NJ)
Joseph Roberts (Roger Williams University, RI)*
Kimberley Roberts (Georgetown University, DC)
Wendy Scattergood (Saint Norbert College, WI)
Astrid Schmidt-King (Loyola University Maryland, MD)
Barnet Sherman (Boston University, MA)
Taku Suzuki (Denison University, OH)
Evert Van der Sluis (South Dakota State University, SD)
Matthew Ward (Baldwin Wallace University, OH)
Michelle Watts (American Public University System, WV)
Stefanie Wichhart (Niagara University, NY)
Myles Williamson (University of Baltimore, MD)
Dessie Zagorcheva (LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York, NY)
Edward Zipperer (Georgia Military College, GA)
High School Ambassadors
*Distinguished Ambassadors
Jorge Allen (Wellesley Public Schools, MA)
Suzanne Ashmore (Chartiers-Houston High School, PA)
Stephanie Beer (Roosevelt High School, DC)
Caroline Bethea-Brown (Haywood Early College, NC)*
Greg Boettcher (Rufus King High School, WI)
Therese Bower (St. Xavier High School, OH)
Danae Boyd (New Tech High Coppell, TX)
James Conway (Revere High School, MA)
Roger Davis (Redan High School, GA)
Carrie Dixon (Edmonds-Woodway High School, WA)
Danielle Drust (Monroe Township School District, NJ)
Chris Elder (Downingtown STEM Academy, PA)
Leila Estes (Princeton Day School, NJ)
Isaac Farhadian (John H. Pitman High School, CA)
Mario Fitzpatrick (McQueen High School, NV)*
Sean Foreman (Palmer Trinity School, FL)
Theodore Frank (Milwaukee Marshall High School, WI)
Margaret Haas (West Chicago Community High School, IL)
Erin Hall (Choctaw High School, OK)
Amy Hansel (Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, CA)*
Elisabeth Hartford (International School of Beaverton, OR)
Erin Haught (Walsh Jesuit High School, OH)
Jane Highley (Devon Preparatory School, PA)*
Mehreen Jamal (Haas Hall Academy, AR)
Jaclyn Jecha (New Berlin West Middle and High School, WI)
Shamita Johnson (Hampton High School, GA)*
Emily Kavanagh (Atholton High School, MD)
Mark Klarman (Vanguard High School, NY)
Cynthia Jane Lake (Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn, NY)
Karen Ledet (Walt Whitman High School, MD)
Antonio Lee (The Spence School, NY)
David Mabry (I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA, TX)
Natalie Mack (Homeschool Natalie Mack, VA)
Lois MacMillan (Grants Pass High School, OR)*
Nathan McAlister (Kansas State Department of Education, KS)*
Shauna McCargar (West Ashley High School, SC)
Tracy McFarland (Jesuit Dallas, TX)*
Sarah Miller (Cannon School, NC)
Rebekkah Morrow (Westmoore High School, OK)
Jessica Mullen (Ferndale Area High School, PA)
Will Nash (Kenwood High School, MD)
Ron Nash (Gilder Lehrman Institute of America, NJ)
Erica Nathan-Gamauf (Loyola Academy, IL)
Jason O’Connor (North Broward Preparatory School, FL)
Erin Palladino (Marshfield High School, MA)*
Maria Peden (Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, TX)
Samantha Phelps (Marshall High School, VA)*
Raymond Pyle (Garnet Patterson Stay Academy, DC)
Margaret Reed (Archbishop Hoban High School, OH)
Zachary Ritland (Braintree High School, MA)
Lucas Rojas (Geneva Community High School, IL)
Kimberly Ross (Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy, CA)
Brian Sheehy (North Andover High School, MA)
Scott Silk (Pacific Ridge School, CA)
Morowunfolu Miriam Smith (Brooklyn Theatre Arts High School, NY)
Randy Snyder (Huntington High School, WV)
Lisa Sydeski (Thomas Jefferson High School, PA)
Kaycee Taylor (Bainbridge High School, WA)
Megan Thompson (Osseo Senior High School, MN)
Kyle Tredinnick (Omaha Public Schools, NE)
Alison Walters (Frontier Regional School, MA)*
Ian Weissman (Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts, NY)
Ryan Werenka (Troy High School, MI)*
Mary Ellen Wessels (Gate City Charter School for the Arts, NH)
Chanel Williams (Blanche Ely High School, FL)
Kelley Young (Smithfield High School, RI)
Alexandra Younggren (Olathe East High School, KS)
Maria Zuniga (Canyon Springs High School and The Leadership & Law Preparatory Academy, NV)