Staff
Dr. Ali Thobhani - Executive Director - Dr. Akbarali Thobhani is the Executive Director of the Office of International Studies and the Interim Chair of the Department of African and African American Studies. Dr. Thobhani has served on the faculty of Metro State College of Denver for more than thirty years and has developed and taught numerous courses on Africa, the Middle East and Islam. He is the author of numerous articles and three books – Islam’s Quiet Revolutionary: The Story of Aga Khan IV; Mansa Musa: The Golden King of Ancient Mali; and Western Sahara Since 1975: Social, Political, and Economic Transformation Under Moroccan Administration. He is a recipient of six Fulbright grants to conduct curriculum enrichment seminars for teachers and faculty in Egypt, Kenya and Ghana. Dr. Thobhani is a recipient of numerous awards including the Golden Key Excellence in Teaching Award, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Award, and the United Nations Peace Medal.
Kelly Huang - Administrative Assistant - Kelly Huang, a native of China, fell in love with exploring different cultures and arts via communicating with people from different cultural backgrounds during her 8-year tenure working at Shanghai International Airport in China. Kelly came to the United States in 2000 and graduated from CU Denver with a B.A. in Communications. Because she was the only Chinese student in the classroom, her different perspectives and life stories always interested American faculty and students. Kelly then worked for Western Union, a global financial service company on the APAC team. Her global perspective and extensive experience in communicating with diverse people became a great asset for the team. Kelly recently joined the Office of International Studies at Metro and works with many faculty members to develop study abroad courses and assist faculty in participating in international activities. Additionally, Kelly serves as the coordinator between Metro State and our partner schools in China, including Yunnan Radio & TV University, Chengdu University, and Sichuan University.
Jennifer Provizer - Study Abroad Advisor & Program Assistant - Jennifer's love of travel began at age 7 with an extensive family trip to Asia, Europe, and Africa. Since then she has been a travel addict, and fortunate enough to have visited six of the seven continents. Jennifer’s travels have a variety of foci, from academic study to volunteering to outdoor adventure. Jennifer received her Bachelor’s Degree in History from The Colorado College, where she studied abroad in Costa Rica, and conducted senior research in and around Delhi, India. Before continuing on to her graduate studies, Jennifer ventured to Spain for a few months to focus on her language skills and to travel the country. She then completed her Master’s Degree in History from the University of Colorado, Denver. Jennifer believes that international education enriches student development (academic and personal), and hopes to encourage as many Metro students as possible to leave the country (for a bit at least).
