Course Instructors

Nikia Brown is a Philadelphia native with an unyielding passion for people and places. Growing up in a Caribbean household kindled within her a strong desire to build bridges between people of diverse cultures. After teaching English as a second language in South Korea, she obtained her first master’s degree in sociology at Sungkyunkwan University where she researched the identity negotiation of youth born to multicultural families. Upon her return to the States, she worked in youth development and civic engagement and completed a subsequent master’s degree in intercultural and international communication at The American University School of International Service in Washington, D.C. In Nikia's current role as the Associate Director of Intercultural and Global Learning – International Student Experience, she supports international students in their transition to UIUC and develops intercultural programs that unite domestic and international students. In addition to being a travel and brunch enthusiast, she is passionate about creating platforms that enable individuals to become agents of their own change. 

Rachita Rana was born and raised in India. She has been living in the US for the past 10 years. She is motivated to work with international students and their families, helping them make a comfortable transition to American culture and life. She has taught ESL academic writing and oral communication courses. She also loves teaching English conversation classes. She is currently pursuing a PhD in education at the University of Illinois. She will be majoring in Global Studies and her research interests revolve around women’s education and environmental sustainability in developing countries. She also works as an administrative community aide for Family and Graduate Housing. In her free time, she likes to cook, spend time with her two beautiful daughters, and watch Korean dramas.

Aigul Rakisheva is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in the Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership Department at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign (UIUC), with a concentration in Global Studies in Education. Prior to her arrival in the United States as an international student, Aigul obtained master's degrees in Geography and Educational Leadership in Kazakhstan. She also gained valuable experience working in Kazakhstani higher education institutions, where she served as a teacher, course designer, and research fellow. 

At present, Aigul actively participates in both research and teaching activities as a Research and Teaching Assistant at the College of Education and Liberal Arts and Sciences at UIUC. Her research interests revolve around Initial Teacher Education, Technologies in Education, Gender, and International Studies. Aigul contributes her expertise to various research projects in these fields, furthering her knowledge and understanding in these areas. 

Shang (Lisa) Li comes from China with global study experience in the UK and US, which equips her with a global citizen mindset and rich experience in overcoming culture shock. As a Ph.D. student in Human Resource Development, Lisa also holds a Master of Science Degree in Applied Statistics and Business Administration, all from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research experience spans the effects of mobile learning on online readiness, multi-platform acceptance, and instructional design.

When Lisa started her Ph.D. program, she joined Gies College of Business as an instructional design assistant. In Lisa’s current role as a Teaching Assistant of LAS 100 and the LAS Global Leaders Program (GLP 399), she is committed to creating impactful learning environments for the students and supporting international students to have a smooth transition into their global study. Lisa’s passion for literature and dedication to education make her a versatile professional with expertise in research, education, and analytics.

Ryan Medina is a Japanese-Filipino American, born and raised in Sacramento, California. He graduated from Sacramento State University with a Bachelor’s in Philosophy and a Master’s in Education. And he is currently a PhD student at UIUC in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership with an emphasis in Philosophy of Education. His research centers on epistemic injustice and understanding the role of education in mitigating that. He also serves as a research assistant with the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act. In his free time, Ryan enjoys outdoor activities such as backpacking and rock climbing. 

Paapa Nkrumah-Ababio is an optimistic, faith-filled, and idea-driven individual from Accra, Ghana that gets excited about engaging the stories of everyone around him. He graduated from Marietta College with a degree in Petroleum Engineering with minors in Economics and Organizational Social Responsibility and a certificate in Engineering Leadership. Paapa continued with his master’s at Baylor University in Higher Education and Student Affairs. He is currently at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC) and is pursuing his Ph.D. in Education Policy and Organizational Leadership. 

Paapa is passionate about leadership and loves to mentor others to reach their potential. A fun fact about Paapa is that he loves to travel and has been to 39 states as an international student in the US. Paapa is a self-proclaimed foodie who loves Thai and Mexican dishes. He adores soccer and is an avid Manchester United fan. Paapa hopes to work as a diplomat to bridge educational gaps in Africa toward bringing world-class education to the doorstep of every African child.