CIS INSTITUTES ON INTERNATIONAL ADMISSION & GUIDANCE

Dr Xiaoqiao Zhang

Assistant Professor

Research Fields：Cross-cultural student acculturation experiences and belonging, student mental health and development, comparative and international education

Dr Xiaoqiao Zhang was a research fellow at the Massachusetts General Hospital from 2020-2021. She graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a Ph.D. dual-title in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education and International Comparative Education in 2020. In 2012, she received her master's degree from Columbia University School of Social Work, focusing on Social Enterprise Administration. She has worked in the international higher education field for over ten years as an international student recruiter, advisor, and researcher. She has given hundreds of online and offline talks on university choices, major selection, pre-departure training, international students' emotional wellness, and overall acculturation. Since 2017, Dr Zhang has been working at the MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness, focusing on researching and supporting Asian and Asian international students' mental health in the US. In 2019, together with her team, she published the book chapter in The Massachusetts General Hospital Guide to Depression by SpringerLink.

Hector H. Lopez

Founder & Social Entrepreneur, Thought Leader & Columnist, Driving Innovation & Impact across the Americas

Proposed keynote title: Revolutionaries at the Gate: Transforming Admissions to Shape the Future of Higher Education

Hector H Lopez is a thought leader in global higher education and a passionate advocate for improving access to education for underserved communities across Latin America and the United States.

With over two decades of experience in education reform, leadership development, and cross-cultural collaboration, Hector’s work has helped reshape the educational landscape throughout the Americas.

His higher education journey began as a first-generation college student whose own access to opportunities was made possible by affirmative action. His early experiences inspired him to dedicate his career to breaking down barriers for others, particularly Latino and Latin American students who face systemic challenges in accessing quality education.

In 2013, Hector founded BeNeXT Global, an organization dedicated to fostering innovation, leadership, and social impact through education. Under his leadership, BeNeXT Global has connected over USD $28.1 million in scholarships and funding to students and social impact projects across Latin America. Their flagship program, Futuro Las Américas, is a groundbreaking lifelong learning platform that empowers participants to pursue education through a blend of real-world experience, leadership development, and professional certifications.

Hector’s expertise extends beyond the classroom; he has forged impactful partnerships with institutions such as his alma maters, Georgetown University and Villanova University, the Organization of American States, and Earthjustice, and has advised government leaders and NGOs on strategic educational initiatives.

His work with Mítikah Co, a storytelling and media strategy company, has focused recently on helping universities engage with the Latino community in the U.S. and Latin America. Through Mítikah, Hector is pioneering new ways for institutions to connect with students and foster diversity in higher education.

In addition to his leadership roles, Hector is an op-ed columnist for Al Día News Media, writing in both English and Spanish. His columns are published weekly throughout the Americas, covering a wide range of topics, including education, leadership, and social impact. Through his writing, Hector challenges institutions to rethink their approach to serving diverse communities, particularly Latino and Latin American students.

Hector’s humility and dedication to mentorship are deeply influenced by his own mentors, including Ernesto Nieto of the National Hispanic Institute, Michael Gaynor, and Stephen Merritt of Villanova University. He continues to pay this forward by mentoring the next generation of leaders, helping them navigate their own educational and professional journeys.

As a frequent speaker at international forums, including the G20, the Organization of American States, and youth congresses across the Americas, Hector is committed to advocating for a future of education that is inclusive, innovative, and globally connected.

At the core of Hector’s work is a deep belief that education should empower individuals to uplift their communities, lead with empathy, and challenge broken systems. His vision for the future of higher education is one that champions accessibility, lifelong learning, and social impact—ensuring that education remains a transformative force for generations to come.

SPENCER STRIKER

Spencer Striker, PhD is an associate professor of digital media design at Northwestern University in Qatar, specializing in innovative digital learning experiences, interactive media, and game-based education. His work sits at the intersection of interaction design, mobile media, digital storytelling, and education technology entrepreneurship.

Striker's flagship project, History Adventures: World of Characters, is a groundbreaking, cross-platform digital learning series that reimagines history education for the digital age. It combines immersive technology with narrative design to bring historical events and characters to life. The series includes multiple installments covering different historical periods, including Empires & Interconnections (1450-1750); Revolutions & Industrialization (1750-1900); and the forthcoming Generation Revolution (1770-1800), which explores revolutionary-era New York City. Each product engages learners through choice-driven narratives and interactive multimedia content, fostering an empathetic understanding of pivotal moments in world history.

His Global Pandemics series—including Plague of Athens Chromebook, Black Death Interactive, and Plague of Athens Virtual Reality—leverages interactive storytelling and immersive technologies (web animation, mobile UX, and VR design) to enhance understanding of historical health crises. These projects, along with the mobile game Dr. Sara: Disease Detective, showcase Striker's innovative approach to science education and public health awareness. Striker also spearheads projects that address contemporary issues, such as Chaos Corp., a mobile game that teaches digital literacy in global contexts. His work extends to podcasting with the Digital Doha Podcast, exploring emerging media trends in Qatar and the Middle East.

His creative scholarship has garnered numerous accolades, including Anthem Awards, Reimagine Education Awards, and Webby Awards. His projects have received competitive funding from prestigious institutions, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Oxford Research Institute, HBKU Innovation Center, the Qatar National Research Fund; Northwestern's Innovation & New Ventures Office, the Qatar Research Development & Innovation Council, the Alumnae of Northwestern, the NU Office of the Provost, and the Institute for Advanced Study of the Global South. 

Before joining Northwestern,. Striker worked in Silicon Valley as the founding creative director of Galxyz, an ed-tech startup that raised millions in venture capital based on his original concept. Bridging academic expertise with technology innovation, Striker pushes the boundaries of digital media design in education, fostering innovative approaches to learning and storytelling in the digital age.

Striker holds a Ph.D. in digital media from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, a masters in new media production from Indiana University at Bloomington, and undergraduate degrees in radio-TV-film (B.S.) and history (B.A.) from the University of Texas at Austin.