Julia Funaki

Julia Funaki serves as Director of International Education at AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers), where she leads the association's international credentialing portfolio, global recognition policy initiatives, and practitioner education programs. Her work sits at the intersection of international credential evaluation, higher education policy, and emerging technologies.

Long engaged with the UNESCO Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, GDPR compliance, and U.S. regulatory frameworks such as FERPA, Julia brings a cross-jurisdictional perspective to the complex landscape of international credential recognition. She has presented on topics including the "substantial differences" in credential recognition, digital credentials, and ethical frameworks for AI-assisted evaluation.

Julia has worked directly with multiple professional licensure agencies on international credential evaluation matters, including NCEES, NCCAOM, FCCPT, the Texas State Medical Board, and LSAC — bringing firsthand understanding of how licensure bodies assess and apply credential evaluation standards. At AACRAO, she also oversees the EDGE database (Electronic Database for Global Education) and engages regularly with ENIC-NARIC networks and the U.S. Department of Education to advance consistent, evidence-based recognition practices.

Julia holds two master's degrees from American University and is committed to strengthening the credibility, integrity, and equity of international credential evaluation as a national professional standard.

Julia Funaki - Director of International Research and Policy, AACRAO

Clay Hensley - Senior Recognition Manager for the U.S. within the IB’s University Recognition and Government Advocacy (URGA) Team.

Clay Hensley

With more than a quarter century of experience working in international education, Clay frequently presents on issues impacting global higher education engagement & cross-border student mobility. Clay has previously worked as a consultant for the IB, as well as with several of NAFSA's other peer & partner organizations, including the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), Cambridge International, Cialfo, among others. Prior to that, Clay led international initiatives at the College Board for more than two decades.

During his career, Clay has contributed his expertise as a member of advisory boards for influential organizations, including the U.S. Department of State’s Open Doors Report, the IC3 Movement, International Education Advantage (Intead), and the Council of International Schools (CIS).

A seasoned conference moderator & panelist, Clay has shared actionable insights at many previous NAFSA conferences (as well as at peer gatherings, such as AIEA, APAIE, EAIE, AIRC, Going Global, among other bellwether global education events) where he analyzes international student recruitment trends, mobility patterns, and strategy—often drawing on authoritative datasets such as Open Doors. His work consistently bridges research and practice, helping institutions anticipate change and align their strategies with global developments in higher education.

Clay has taught at the secondary and tertiary-levels; he holds degrees from Vanderbilt and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, respectively. He is an exhibiting artist (a painter) and tries to stay involved with creative communities within New York City and beyond. Clay lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Joyce Shu, who teaches within NYC public schools.

Rafael Nevárez

Rafael is an accomplished leader in international education and education diplomacy, with over two decades of experience advancing U.S. engagement with foreign governments and international organizations. He most recently served as Director of the International Affairs Office at the U.S. Department of Education, where he led the Department’s global engagement.

In that role, Rafael managed relationships with a broad range of countries and served as the U.S. representative to international forums that included the Asia-Pacific Education Cooperation (APEC) Education Network, the G20 Education Working Group, and the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Committee on Education. He also served as the principal advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education and other senior officials on international education policy and engagement.

Over the course of his career, he has worked extensively to promote academic mobility through engagement with foreign counterparts, U.S. higher education associations (e.g., AACRAO, AIEA, NAFSA), accrediting associations, and credential evaluation organizations. For 12 years, Rafael served as U.S. representative to the European Network of Information Centers (ENIC), promoting greater understanding overseas of U.S. education and the recognition of education qualifications across borders. His work in this area touched on a broad range of related topics, from traditional and alternative credentials to industry-based certifications and professional licensure.

Rafael earned a Master’s degree in Education from Chapman University, studied international affairs as a Rotary Foundation Scholar in Argentina, and received his Bachelor’s degree from California State University Sacramento. He is fluent in Spanish and has a working knowledge of Portuguese and French.

Rafael Nevárez - Senior Consultant, Cardamom Consulting, and former Director of the International Affairs Office at the U.S. Department of Education