{"id":336,"date":"2024-10-29T10:59:53","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T14:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/office-global-engagement\/?page_id=336"},"modified":"2026-10-08T10:26:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T14:26:49","slug":"team","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/office-global-engagement\/about\/team\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Team"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"parent":296,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/one-column.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"class_list":["post-336","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"lead_in":"","display_title":"","subtitle":"Our team is made up of dedicated international experts, here to help you engage globally. Meet our leadership and staff.","call_to_action":"","hero_image_placement":"no_image","hero_media":"images","hero_pattern_option":"","hero_video":"","hero_image_landing":5106,"hero_image_landing_two":"","hero_image_landing_three":"","content_modules_above":[{"acf_fc_layout":"card_grid","anchor":"","css_class":"pt-0 mt-0","title":"","description":"","background_color":"#FFFFFF","width":"width-medium","columns":"1","cards":[{"card_title":"

\"\"Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela<\/strong><\/p>\r\nVice Provost for Global Engagement<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAs vice provost for global engagement, Mabokela serves as the University\u2019s senior international officer, providing strategic leadership for the Office for Global Engagement.\r\n\r\nMabokela oversees the Center for Education Abroad<\/a> and\u00a0the International Services Office<\/a>, and leads efforts to expand international partnerships, enhance global education pathways, support international students and scholars, and elevates URochester\u2019s global reputation in alignment with the University\u2019s strategic plan, Boundless Possibility<\/em><\/a>.","card_text":"","card_background_color":"#f4f4f4","card_hover_color":"transparent","card_link":"","card_hover_arrow":"","card_image":"","card_image_size":"image_full","card_image_placement":"image_left","card_image_hover_state":"","card_image_link":""}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion_new","anchor_id":"","classes":"","title":"","description":"","background":"plain","background_color":"#ffffff","style":"row_blank","expand":"no","accordions":[{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Read Reitumetse's full bio","icon":"","row_content":"An accomplished scholar and internationally respected leader in global education, Mabokela joins URochester from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she served as associate chancellor and vice provost for global affairs and strategies and professor of higher education in the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership. Her distinguished career spans leadership roles in international education, nondiscriminatory treatment, and global partnership development across academic and governmental sectors.\r\n\r\nAs vice provost for global engagement, Mabokela serves as the University\u2019s senior international officer, providing strategic leadership for the Office for Global Engagement. She oversees the Center for Education Abroad<\/a> and the International Services Office<\/a>, and leads efforts to expand international partnerships, enhance global education pathways, support international students and scholars, and elevates URochester\u2019s global reputation in alignment with the University\u2019s strategic plan, Boundless Possibility<\/em><\/a>.\r\n\r\nMabokela will also hold a faculty appointment at the Warner School of Education and Human Development<\/a>.\r\n\r\nBorn in South Africa, Mabokela has studied and worked on six continents and brings a rich multicultural perspective to her work. She holds a PhD in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has served as a visiting scholar and consultant at institutions across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Her research examines equity in global higher education systems, institutional transformation, and the experiences of marginalized populations in international contexts.","accordion_anchor":""}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"card_grid","anchor":"","css_class":"pt-0 mt-0","title":"","description":"","background_color":"#f4f4f4","width":"width-medium","columns":"1","cards":[{"card_title":"

\"RaviRavi Shankar<\/p>\r\nAssociate Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRavi Shankar currently serves as the Associate Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives. 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\u2019s 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.","card_text":"","card_background_color":"#f4f4f4","card_hover_color":"transparent","card_link":"","card_hover_arrow":"","card_image":"","card_image_size":"","card_image_placement":"","card_image_hover_state":"hover_fade","card_image_link":""}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion_new","anchor_id":"","classes":"","title":"","description":"","background":"plain","background_color":"#ffffff","style":"row_blank","expand":"no","accordions":[{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":" Read Ravi's full bio","icon":"","row_content":"Ravi Shankar currently serves as the Associate Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives. 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\u2019s 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.\r\n\r\nHe 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.\r\n\r\nHe 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).","accordion_anchor":""}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"directory_new","anchor":"","css_class":"","title":"","description":"","background_color":"#FFFFFF","columns":"3","bio":[{"acf_fc_layout":"staff_bio","bio_text_alignment":"staff","bio_background_color":"white","bio_image_choice":"select_image","bio_image":1686,"bio_name":"Megan Bennett-Spears","pronouns":"","bio_department":"Office for Global Engagement","bio_title":"Associate Director for International Partnerships","bio_email":"megan.bennett-spears@rochester.edu","bio_phone":"+1 585-273-2877","external":"","override":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"staff_bio","bio_text_alignment":"staff","bio_background_color":"white","bio_image_choice":"select_image","bio_image":8042,"bio_name":"Nate Bloemke","pronouns":"","bio_department":"International Services Office","bio_title":"Associate Director for Support and 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International Services Office (ISO)<\/p>","card_text":"","card_background_color":"#FFFFFF","card_hover_color":"#283faf","card_link":{"title":"","url":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/iso\/contact\/","target":""},"card_hover_arrow":"hover_arrow","card_image":"","card_image_size":"image_thumbnail","card_image_placement":"image_left","card_image_hover_state":"","card_image_link":""},{"card_title":"

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