Board of Directors

Jeffrey J. Simpson, Ph.D.
Oklahoma State University
Director, Study Abroad and National Student Exchange
242 Student Union / Stillwater, OK 74078
Email: jeff.simpson10@okstate.edu
Phone: 405.744.8540

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Dr. Jeffrey Simpson, Director of Study Abroad and National Student Exchange at Oklahoma State University, received both his PhD in Higher Education Leadership and Policy and his MS degree in International Studies from Oklahoma State University. His primary research interests focus on the learning experiences of college students in global environments. These include the imagineering process students engage to imagine their place in the world and construct high-impact, global learning experiences, the emergence of self-representation in narrating learning experiences as well as the salience of gender, behavior, and temporality in the education abroad space. He also enjoys exploring applications of photo elicitation and other media as tools in qualitative research methodologies.

Simpson’s leadership experiences include serving as the 2020 Region III Chair for NAFSA: Association of International Educator, a global professional organization that has recognized him in the past with the Award for Service – Oklahoma (2017) and the award for Special Service to International Education (2014). He also serves on several national advisory boards including as regional representative on the board of the National Student Exchange non-profit organization. He has served as the Coordinator of the Epsilon Upsilon Chapter of Phi Beta Delta at Oklahoma State University since 2012.

Virginia Loh-Hagan, Ph.D.
San Diego State University
Director of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Resource Center
5500 Campanile Drive San Diego, CA 92182
Email: vloh-hagan@sdsu.edu
Phone: 619-602-2384

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Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan is the inaugural Director of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Resource Center at San Diego State University, where she will establish an inclusive and supportive community for diverse student populations as part of the university’s commitment to diversity. Previously, she directed the Liberal Studies program, led teaching credential programs, coordinated clinical practice and EdTPA efforts, and taught various courses in education and literacy. As part of her role as the Liberal Studies Program Director, she coordinated several international travel abroad programs. Prior to working at SDSU, she was a K-8 teacher, community college reading instructor, and program chair for an online university. She is the 2016 recipient of California Reading Association’s Marcus Foster Memorial Award for outstanding achievement in reading. She has a B.A. in English and a Masters in Elementary Education (K-8) and Special Education, specializing in Learning Disabilities (K-12), from the University of Virginia. Upon graduation, she received the "Outstanding Woman Scholar in Education" award. She earned her Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in Literacy from SDSU-USD in May 2008; her dissertation—for which she received a ChLA Beiter Graduate Student Research Grant award from the Children’s Literature Association and for which she has published peer-reviewed articles and conducted presentations—was a qualitative study on the cultural authenticity of Asian-American children's literature. She is also a multi-published author; she has over 300 books with Sleeping Bear Press, Cherry Lake Publishing/45th Parallel Press, StarWalk Media, and several academic publications about children and young adult literature with Guilford Press and various professional journals. She presents/keynotes at professional conferences and conducts author visits at schools. She has served on the Literature List Update Committee for the California Department of Education and is serving on various book award committees. She is the Cover Editor and Book Nook columnist for The California Reader, the premier professional journal for the California Reading Association. She currently lives in North County San Diego where she plays piano, reads, watches TV, and hangs out with her husband and two dogs.

Norma George DML
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
1837 University Circle
Cheyney, PA 19319
Phone: (610) 399-2416
Email: ngeorge@cheyney.edu

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Norma George is a professor at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania where she now teaches in the English program after having taught French and Spanish for several years. She served as the institution’s director of international programs from 2005-2018 and implemented its annual International Festival which began in 2004. She served five years as the chairperson of her department, several years as the chairperson of the Faculty Senate, and is now the president of the local chapter of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF), the faculty union.

Dr. George attended Cheyney University as an international student and studied abroad in France and Spain during her undergraduate years. She graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in French and Spanish and went on to earn a Master of Education degree from Cheyney. She continued on to Middlebury College where she earned the Master of Arts in French and the Doctor of Modern Languages degree. Additionally, she pursued the Master of Arts in Spanish with the University of Salamanca in Spain, and completed graduate coursework in English.

Passionate about international education, Dr. George made tremendous strides towards internationalizing her University. She authored three successful proposals which brought Fulbright Scholars in Residence from Cameroon, Turkey and South Africa to the institution. She hosted visiting scholars from Ghana, Nigeria and India, and was herself the recipient of a Fulbright award to India and a Fulbright-Hays award to South Africa. She has served on review panels for the Fulbright Scholar in Residence and English Language Teaching Assistantship programs, the Gilman Study Abroad Scholarship, the Boren Scholarships and the Critical Language Scholarship. She introduced the Peace Corps Prep Program, the United Nations Association, Model African Union, Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars and Rotaract Club to her University.

In 2010, she was awarded the Blankenship Award, and began serving as the vice president of the North-East region of the Phi Beta Delta. She served as president-elect in 2017-2018. Serving as the senior vice-president of the Society would be a tremendous opportunity to help strengthen the society by supporting the work of the regional vice-presidents as they assist our chapters, and working with the board to ensure the health of the Society as we move ahead.

Vacant

Anize Appel, EdD, is the Executive Director for the Center for Global Education and Associate Dean for Study Abroad at Moravian University. Appel develops, manages, and implements the strategic vision of the department. The Center for Global Education is responsible for International Student and Scholar Services, Study Abroad/Away, and collaborates with international student recruitment and enrollment management.

Appel serves as the campus PDSO/RO, project manager for specific globalization efforts, advises student organizations, chairs the CGE advisory Committee, is the Founding President and Chapter coordinator of the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society, Theta Nu Chapter and teaches varied courses at the University.

Previously, as assistant director at Northampton Community College, she wrote grants, served as academic adviser to international students/scholar/visitors, strategized and led the study abroad programs, supported budgetary oversight, facilitated project management and taught courses. Appel served as head mistress and as the international students’ expert at two Independent schools (K-12) in Pennsylvania.

Appel has served as a member at large on the NAFSA Member Engagement Committee, chairman of the executive board of a standing committee (UREAG) of the Comparative International Education Society (CIES), president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Epsilon Sigma Omega Chapter, and served as transportation chairman for conferences with attendance of more than 25,000.

Her research interests include international educational trends, supportive processes associated with effective international education, and the processes involved in the development of teacher and student resilience in climates situated in chronic crisis.

Virginia L. Hicks PH.D
Shepherd University
Assistant Provost for Academic Community Outreach
P. O. Box 5000 Shepherdstown, WV 25443-5000
Phone: (304) 876-5712
Fax: (304) 876-5169
Email: vhicks@shepherd.edu

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I have always and continue to value the importance of international education. I would enjoy reaching out to community colleges, colleges, and universities to share exciting information about the benefits of being a member of Phi Beta Delta. If they are interested I and/or with a Phi Beta Delta Colleague, would be very willing to share information with them about developing a Chapter.

I have always enjoyed learning about various cultures and sharing them with my students and faculty. I also enjoyed experiencing the rich culture in New Mexico when I had the opportunity to teach at a Hispanic serving university and to work with a large group of Nativie Americans during two major research studies. I started getting involved with international work when I worked for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and continued when I became the Dean of Education and Professional Studies at Shepherd University. The experiences have truly been amazing.

As part of my current job as Assistant Provost I have the opportunity to collaborate with several administrators/professors/teachers from various colleges (mostly community) and high schools. Together we have developed many agreements and many of the students have enrolled in Shepherd University. I enjoy talking to professionals and I believe I would enjoy reaching out to various professionals to tell them about a quality organization, Phi Beta Delta.

Michael Smithee, Ed.D.
Syracuse University (Retired) / Smithee Associates
President, Smithee Associates
5104 E. Lakes Drive
Deerfield Beach, FL 33064
Tel: (954) 573-1280
E-mail: ms@smitheeassociates.com
URL: www.smitheeassociates.com

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A professional advisor and administrator in international education for over 40 years, Mike retired from Syracuse University and moved to South Florida and where he formed a higher education consulting service, Smithee Associates. During his tenure at Syracuse University he established himself in administration of an international office, advising and counseling international students and scholars on immigration and related topics, developing and implementing cross-cultural training and programs, managing organizational development. In addition to serving as the director of and faculty chair of the SU International Living Center Learning Community, he developed and taught graduate and undergraduate courses in intercultural communication, and intercultural environments. He is the lead author in a number of publications, most recently on U.S Classroom Culture, and Intercultural Aspects of Academic Integrity.

He has lived in France and has visited Albania, England, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Taiwan; lived in more than nine U.S. states and 14 U.S. cities (all before the age of 21); and attended 12 different schools from K-12. He received his Master’s degree in International Relations in 1970 from Florida State University, and his doctorate in Higher Education in 1990 from Syracuse University. His doctoral dissertation is titled, “Factors Related to the Development and Implementation of a University-Wide Teaching Assistant Program.”

Mike has served in a number of capacities with NAFSA: Association of International Educators, most recently as Chair of the National Education and Training Committee, as Chair of Phase II (member interest group), and in 2017 he was awarded Life Membership in NAFSA. In Phi Beta Delta, he has served as a Chapter Coordinator, Regional Vice President, as President (2005-06), and since 2007, as Director of Publications, and editor of the PBD journal , International Research and Review.

Regarding Phi Beta Delta, he encourages all Phi Beta Deltans to do two things: (1) encourage other institutions to establish a chapter, and (2) to submit news and information to the Medallion, and papers for peer review to the International Research and Review.

Ann Marie Legreid, Ph.D
Professor Emerita, University of Central Missouri
223 Hensel Drive
Shepherdstown, West Virginia 25443
Email: alegreid@shepherd.edu

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Dr. Legreid received her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Geography from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her B.S. in Geography from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Her specialties are cultural, urban, historical, European, and North American Geography. She served as an academic dean for eleven years and now serves as associate dean of the new College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Shepherd University. Her research interests lie primarily in migration and population studies, with a focus on the Nordic countries.

She chairs the Shepherd Internationalization Advisory Council, serves on the Global Studies Advisory Council, and is the campus coordinator for Phi Beta Delta-Theta Epsilon Chapter. Her teaching responsibilities rest in both Geography and Global Studies.

Dr. Legreid was a Fulbright Scholar to Norway and the recipient of the Crown Princess Martha Award from the American Scandinavian Foundation, NYC. She also completed the Management Development Program at Harvard University and the HERS Women in Higher Education Administration Program at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. She enjoys traveling, reading, museums, galleries, animals, flowers, skiing, and hiking.

Hyunkyoung Oh, Ph.D.
Interim Dean-International Education
Faculty Director, Center for International Studies and Programs
College of Extended and Global Education
Professor of Kinesiology California State University, San Bernardino
5500 University Pkwy, CGI 314
San Bernardino, CA 92407
TEL: (909) 537-7537
Email: hkoh@csusb.edu

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Dr. Oh is a Professor and the Coordinator of the Adapted Physical Education Credential Program in the Department of Kinesiology, San Bernardino (CSUSB). Her specialized area is Adapted Physical Education (APE) and Pedagogy. She teaches APE credential and pedagogy courses. Dr. Oh’s research focuses on both the APE and general physical education teacher education, behavioral research includes learners with disabilities with challenging behaviors, teacher self-efficacy, and teachers’ emotional reactions toward learners’ challenging behavior. Before she joins CSUSB, she was a program coordinator of an adapted physical education program at Indiana University, where she earned her doctorate in Human Performance. Dr. Oh received the prestigious Patricia Austin award from the North American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (NAFAPA) for outstanding dissertation research in fall 2006. In addition to teaching responsibilities, Dr. Oh serves as Faculty Director at the Center for International Studies and Programs at CSUSB. her primary responsibilities are advances campus internationalization with emphasis on implementing CSUSB strategic goals for student and faculty success. She is currently co-chair of American Council on Education internationalization Lab project.

Dr. Oh served in many leadership roles including, but not limited to Program Chair, the National Adapted Physical Education Conference in 2010; Chair, Awards, and Scholarships Committee in the California State Council on Adapted Physical Education; CSU’s Adapted Physical Education Coordinator representative, the California State Council on Adapted Physical Education; Board member, the International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (IFAPA) and NAFAPA.