Meet the Team

Megan Bennett-Spears serves as the Associate Director of International Partnerships in the Office for Global Engagement.

With a decade of experience in international education, Megan leads and manages the University’s international partnership activities. Megan is instrumental in advancing the institution’s global objectives by initiating and managing new international initiatives and fostering robust relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.

Megan enhances the University’s global presence by developing high-impact partnerships that align with institutional goals. Her work involves close collaboration with faculty, staff, and administration across the University, including the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). Megan works in partnership with the Vice Provost for Global Engagement and the Center for Education Abroad to ensure the strategic growth and alignment of international partnerships, international processes, and policy improvement. Through these efforts, Megan contributes significantly to the University’s mission of global engagement and institutional success.

Megan holds a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University and a Master’s in Higher Education Administration from the Warner School of Education.

Michelle Bopp-Smith is the Executive Assistant to the Vice Provost and Assistant for Global Engagement staff.

She is responsible for managing program elements for all aspects of official, high-level foreign delegation visits to the University and for senior-level University delegations abroad. Michelle also supports international partnerships through agreement drafting, compliance review, and lifecycle tracking while also conducting research and developing briefings on global institutions and trends to inform strategic engagement.

Additionally, she manages data systems for global activity reporting and international ranking and oversees communications, including website updates and a quarterly newsletter to highlight institutional global initiatives and collaborations.

Bopp-Smith is a Rochester native who earned a B.S degree in Elementary Education from St. John Fisher College in 2005 and an M.A. degree in Literary and Cultural Studies from Carnegie Mellon University in the spring of 2008. Upon return to Rochester, she continued her involvement in higher education by teaching at Monroe Community College and St. John Fisher University. Bopp-Smith joined the Office for Global Engagement in March 2016.

Ruth Levenkron serves as the Director for the Office for Global Engagement (Global) at the University of Rochester.

In this role, she acts as the primary advisor and chief of staff to the Vice Provost for Global Engagement and is responsible for coordinating staff, day-to-day office administration, and operations. More specifically, her tasks include managing and maintaining tabs on a diverse array of high-level projects, tracking progress, and ensuring alignment with the University’s global engagement priorities.

Ruth facilitates collaboration within sub-teams around these key priorities, ensuring awareness and clarity across units and helping to uncover synergies between them. She brings a strategic lens to projects, actively engaging in issue-spotting, raising awareness of possible obstacles, and proactively working to address them. She also plays a pivotal role in pinpointing emerging opportunities within the University’s global framework, providing high-level support in driving strategic initiatives. Overall, her role is more facilitative than managerial, as she focuses on helping teams collaborate effectively and stay aligned with global engagement goals.

Previously, Ruth worked for an international development contracting firm in Washington, D.C., where she supported multi-million dollar projects funded by the U.S. government. These projects were aimed at economic development and political stability across Asia. Ruth’s extensive international experience includes studying and working abroad. She has also contributed to refugee assistance efforts in New York City through an international aid organization and worked for a non-governmental organization in South Africa. Ruth holds a B.A. in Political Science from Bryn Mawr College and an M.A. in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University.

Jess Reilly serves as the Business Administrator for the Office for Global Engagement.

In this role, she provides day-to-day financial management and workflow budget oversight for the Center for Education Abroad, the Office for Global Engagement, and the International Services Office. More specifically, her budget management role includes leading the financial cycle for all student programs, faculty-led programs, endowments, and incoming exchange students and supporting in strategic budget conversations and decision-making.

Previously, Jess worked for international development firms in Washington, D.C. supporting multi-million dollar projects funded by the U.S. government. Projects were aimed at strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems and improving environmental services in Latin America and the Caribbean. Jess’s abroad and cross-cultural experience includes studying and working abroad in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Peru. Jess is a recipient of the Boren Fellowship and holds an M.A. in International Development from University of Denver, Colorado.

Ravi Shankar currently serves in a senior leadership capacity in the Office for Global Engagement. From November 1, 2024 until September 30, 2025, Ravi Shankar served as the Interim Vice Provost for Global Engagement (VPOGE) at the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, responsible for leading the university’s global strategy in partnership development to amplify and strengthen research partnerships, faculty exchange, global learning, student mobility and support for international students. Before his appointment as the VPOGE, he served as the Assistant Vice Provost for International Services and Support at the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.

He has been in the international education field for thirty years having worked in variety of institutions- from small schools, community college to large research institutions. Before coming to the University of Rochester, he served as the Director of the Office of International Student and Scholar Services at Northwestern University, where he was part of the senior team leading strategic global initiatives.

He has served in many leadership positions with NAFSA: Association of International Educators, including as the President and Chair of the Board of NAFSA from January 2019- December 2020. He is currently serving on the Public Policy Committee of the Association of International Education Administration (AIEA).

Ravi spent his formative years in the UK; moved to India to complete his undergraduate degree and graduate degree in Literature with particular emphasis in British and African literature. He also lived in Kenya for a couple of years before moving to the United States for further studies.

Lee Shannon serves as the Global Program Manager, with a focus on the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), reporting to the Associate Director of International Partnerships.

With over fifteen years of experience in international project management within higher education, Lee brings expertise in managing existing projects and spearheading new initiatives in international programs, student exchanges, and research collaborations.

By fostering strong relationships and bridging needs between internal partners and external collaborators, Lee drives the growth and success of international endeavors at URMC.