Cindy Schaarschmidt holds an M.A. in Media Communications and American Studies from the University of Leipzig, Germany. In her current role as Director, Student Fellowships & Study Abroad in the Office of Global Affairs at the University of Washington Tacoma, she provides leadership for the University’s study abroad programs and other global learning opportunities, including Collaborative Online International Learning. She has been spearheading UW Tacoma’s COIL Fellows Program since 2017 and helped organize the inaugural International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC) at her university in 2019. In collaboration with campus partners, she also contributes to the strategic and purposeful internationalization of UW Tacoma. A native German, she has studied and worked abroad in the U.S., Guatemala, the U.K., Russia, and Spain. Cindy also serves as president of her professional association, the National Association of Fellowships Advisors (NAFA).