Written by Colin McEvoy | January 27, 2026 | SHARE
S. Nichole Hunley, Associate Director of Lehigh’s Office of International Students and Scholars, was featured in a national NAFSA column examining where fresh thinking is most needed in international education.
Lehigh’s Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) was recently highlighted on a national platform by the leading organization committed to international education and exchange.
S. Nichole Hunley, Associate Director of OISS, was featured in a column about the future of international education by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to international education and exchange.
Nichole was featured in NAFSA’s bimonthly Take 5 column, part of the organization’s International Educator magazine. The column series invites international education professionals from across higher education to respond to timely prompts shaping the field.
In its Jan. 22 issue, contributors were asked where creative thinking and fresh approaches are most urgently needed in international education. Nichole was among a small group of professionals selected to share insights, focusing on the evolving role of international educators and the need for deeper integration across institutions.
“The most urgent area for innovation isn’t technology, but a shift in our professional DNA,” Nichole wrote, adding that international educator are increasingly required to move from niche specialists to “jack of all trades” roles, making connections across various campuses and businesses.
“By understanding the whole of our organizations—from finance and enrollment to student life—we can advocate for international students more effectively,” she wrote. “Innovation today means being the bridge-builders who speak multiple institutional ‘languages’ to ensure global initiatives remain a priority in a changing economic environment.”
The full column can be read on NAFSA's website.
A part of Lehigh’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), OISS seeks to empower Lehigh’s international community through holistic support and advising in order to create global minded citizens.
The office provides intentional programming to bolster the professional and personal development of Lehigh’s international community, and advocates on behalf of students and scholars regarding immigration, academic, and personal matters.