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Christina Isabelli, Gonzaga’s associate provost for global engagement and senior international officer, was recently named a 2025-2026 Presidential Fellow by the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA).

It’s an honor bestowed on just a few higher education administrators each year after a highly competitive process. The fellowships pair emerging leaders in international education with distinguished mentors in the international education space, with goals of accelerating leadership growth, expanding networks and shaping the future of international higher education.

“The fellowship’s emphasis on executive mentorship and strategic leadership development strongly resonated with me,” Isabelli says. “As someone who transitioned into international education leadership from a long academic career as a department chair and faculty member, I’m eager to learn how other institutions align global engagement with mission, policy, and resource strategy.”

notes that the program offers its fellows a year of mentorship and interaction with the mentor’s university, a visit to the mentor’s institution, deepened understanding of national and international issues, and membership in a growing network of fellows and mentors who will continue to be a resource for years to come.

Isabelli says she’s particularly excited to be paired with a mentor from Santa Clara University, a peer Jesuit institution with a strong commitment to global education.

“This experience will also allow me to step outside of my daily context and reflect on how to bring Gonzaga’s global engagement infrastructure to the next level, particularly in connecting academic priorities, partnerships and operations under a more cohesive, forward-looking strategy.”

Isabelli first joined Gonzaga in 2017 as chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literature and professor of Spanish linguistics. She later served as academic director for the Center for Global Engagement before being appointed in 2023 as associate provost for global engagement and senior international officer.

In her current role, Isabelli oversees the University’s global engagement strategy and provides leadership for Study Abroad, International Student and Scholar Services, the English Language Center and international partnerships. She works closely with Gonzaga’s international recruiting team, as well as the Gonzaga-in-Florence leadership.

“It’s a position that requires both strategic vision and operational coordination, among other skills, to ensure our global work remains closely tied to Gonzaga’s Jesuit, humanistic vision,” she says.

Isabelli is hopeful the fellowship will strengthen her skills in translating faculty and staff ideas into actionable initiatives for global innovation at Gonzaga. She notes that faculty members have a wealth of ideas for global learning, research and partnership, and she views her role as that of a liaison who can, through her knowledge of the needed institutional processes, bring those ideas to life.

She’s also dedicated to ensuring global engagement continues to be seen as central to Gonzaga’s mission, and making visible the many ways Gonzaga contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through teaching, research and service. Faculty across disciplines are doing remarkable work that aligns with the U.N.’s global priorities, she says, “and part of my aim is to help communicate, connect and amplify that impact more intentionally, both within Gonzaga and across our global partnerships.” The fellowship will allow Isabelli to explore how peer institutions successfully align their own strategic planning and reporting with the SDGs.

“This fellowship represents both a professional milestone and an institutional affirmation of Gonzaga’s growing leadership in global education,” Isabelli says. “It reflects the University’s continued commitment to forming 51³Ô¹Ïs and faculty who think and act globally, rooted in Jesuit values of ethical leadership and service for the common good. Our focus is on building systems that connect innovation to strategy, and creating opportunities that allow every member of our community to participate in Gonzaga’s mission to educate for a more just and sustainable world.