Our Mission
The Office of Global Partnerships and Initiatives aims to bring together the university community, the local community, and our international partners, to tell the Global Nebraska story and facilitate campus internationalization efforts.
We achieve this mission through our work in four key areas:
- International strategy development and implementation
- Partnership development and management (including Memorandums of Understanding)
- Communications and storytelling
- Support of university-wide global programs and initiatives
Maegan Stevens-Liska, M.A.
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs and Senior International Officer
Maegan Stevens-Liska serves as University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Assistant Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs and Senior International Officer and oversees the offices of Global Experiences, Global Partnerships and Initiatives, International Student and Scholar Services, and Programs in English as a Second Language. She is responsible for continued progress on the Forward Together: A Global Strategy for UNL strategic plan and completing the vision of the global education center in Louise Pound Hall.
Stevens-Liska has had a significant impact on the university's global initiatives serving international students. She has provided leadership on key programs with the U.S. Department of State including serving as Administrative Director and Principal Investigator for the Mandela Washington Fellowship; PI for the Leadership in Higher Education Program with the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture; and PI for the Center for Entrepreneurship's Summer Virtual Exchange Program with Egypt. She also served as PI for UNL's Global Virtual Project for students in the U.S., Middle East, and North Africa supported by the Stevens Initiative and Bezos Family Foundation.
Additionally, Stevens-Liska has worked closely with Fulbright Commissions around the world to establish programs at UNL, most notably with Argentina and Germany. She has also worked closely with Nebraska's Center for Children, Youth, Families and Schools to establish their partnership with early childhood education professionals across Brazil.
Prior to working at UNL, Stevens-Liska taught at the Dresden International School and at the Dresden Volkshochschule, e.V. in Germany. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a Master of Arts in information science and learning technologies from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Jennifer Wilcox
Global Affairs Specialist
Jennifer plays a dual role within Global Affairs, providing both strategic and administrative support. She works closely with Assistant Vice Chancellor Maegan Stevens-Liska, assisting with organizational, logistical, and operational needs. Additionally, as a member of the Global Partnerships & Initiatives team, she helps review and manage agreements with UNL’s international strategic partners.
A proud University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate with a B.A. in Communication Studies, Jennifer spent over a decade as an Operations Manager in New York City's financial sector before pursuing a Post-Baccalaureate Degree in Legal Studies from Davenport University.
Dave Long
Director of Global Safety & Security
Dave is responsible for the development and implementation of university-wide policies and procedures related to international risk management and mitigation. In his capacity, he supports educational programs that include outbound mobility by assessing risks and ensuring that crisis response plans are put in place. He monitors world events based on institutional exposure and works with travelers to mitigate risk. In concert with AVC Davis, Dave oversees the Executive Memorandum No. 25 Travel Warning Waiver process for UNL students. Dave also supports international students and scholars on campus, working in concert with multiple offices across Nebraska to respond to crises or advise on protocols. Prior to joining Nebraska, Dave lived and worked abroad in the security industry within the Humanitarian NGO community and in private contracting. His first posting was in North Africa, where for three years he supported development agencies in Morocco, Tunisia, and Mauritania. He then moved to East Africa to support the relief agency, Samaritan’s Purse, and conducted critical operations in South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Additionally, Dave was posted in Iraq for two years with the same agency, where he supported relief efforts in Iraq and Syria after the fall of Mosul. Dave has working knowledge of Spanish, Western Arabic, and Sorani Kurdish. He holds a B.A. in International Studies from Georgia Southern University.
Juan Carlos Gutierrez
Assistant Director, International Data and Compliance
Juan Carlos Gutierrez manages the data management system for each of the units within the Office of Global Affairs.
After completing his Bachelor's degree at UNL as an international student and after a few years away from Nebraska, he returned to Lincoln and established a 26-year career in higher education in which he has served students, faculty, staff and administrators at the University of Nebraska in both the Equity Access and Diversity Office and as Senior Assistant Director of the UNL Registrar’s office, where he was awarded the National Society of Collegiate Scholars NSCS Registrar Award in recognition for “stellar work within the registrar’s office, and impressive work with NSCS.”
Juan Carlos has served as a member of the UNL International Office Student Support Group Committee where he provided expertise and resources on behalf of the Registrar’s office that addressed the needs of international students regarding registration assistance, data, and report generation. He has been a service-learning expert speaker on Guatemala Mission Trips for the UNL Office of Civic Engagement, and a Spanish translator for Ixim, a ministry program to improve access to quality health care, and clean water for children in Huehuetenango, Guatemala.
His personal and professional mission is to amplify the impact of each student’s education through the lens of a global worldview that will benefit the University of Nebraska, our community, and the world our students will serve.
Blayne Sharpe, M.S.
Director, Office of Global Partnerships and Initiatives
Blayne Sharpe has played a pivotal role in advancing the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s global engagement initiatives since 2016. As UNL’s Director of Global Partnerships and Initiatives, he provides strategic leadership in developing and managing international agreements, facilitating institutional partnerships, and overseeing initiatives that strengthen UNL’s global presence. His responsibilities include coordinating international delegations, supporting faculty-led global collaborations, and advancing the university’s internationalization agenda.
Previously, Sharpe served as Director of International Recruitment, where he led post-pandemic international enrollment strategies, establishing recruitment partnerships across Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. As UNL’s Director of Partnerships and Exchange – Africa, he played a key role in the development of the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA), where he contributed to the design of the academic framework, supervised accreditation, and developed faculty training programs. Sharpe also served as a principal investigator on two U.S. Department of State-funded initiatives: the Nebraska University Partnership & Exchange Program, which fostered U.S.-Rwanda academic partnerships, and the Fostering Pedagogical Best Practices in STEM program, which strengthened STEM faculty development in Senegal.
Prior to joining UNL, Sharpe spent six years in Rwanda supporting the Ministry of Education in strengthening academic collaborations with U.S. universities. He holds a Master’s in Community Development from UNL.
Traci Gunderson, M.S.
Assistant Director, Office of Global Partnerships & Initiatives
Traci works with UNL faculty and staff as well as local and international partners to support and communicate Nebraska’s global strategic efforts related to research, teaching, service, and outreach. She is our primary contact for external materials and content that highlights Nebraska’s global impact at the university and beyond. She ensures that our communication reinforces the value of and Nebraska’s dedication to global education and engagement, helps grow our reputation as a global leader, and strengthens relationships with strategic partners while emphasizing the importance and value of international partnerships for UNL. Additionally, Traci oversees our bilateral exchange partnerships and collaborates with academic departments to develop dual degree programs.
Prior to joining UNL, she honed her passion and skills for International Education at our sister campus, University of Nebraska at Kearney. Traci was born and raised in Nebraska but has travelled extensively both personally and professionally. Her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies is from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and her Master of Science degree is in Global and International Education from Drexel University.
