International education enthusiast, writer, and perpetual learner.
About Me
Dr. Lily Lopez-McGee has dedicated more than a decade to capacity building and workforce and talent development within U.S. national security and foreign policy.
In her current role she serves as the Senior Director of Diplomatic Fellowships, Dr. Lopez-McGee manages a vital pipeline of talented U.S. diplomats. Prior to rejoining Howard University’s Bunche Center team, Dr. Lopez-McGee served as the inaugural Executive Director for DA Global Access Network (formally Diversity Abroad). She has also served as the director of the nationally recognized Pickering Graduate Fellowship Program.
Prior to her work at Howard University, Dr. Lopez-McGee served as manager at DA where she managed the DA Network, a professional network of institutions of higher education, and oversaw the development of the GEI Guidelines, the first assessment tool developed to evaluate access and inclusion efforts in study abroad offices at U.S. institutions. Dr. Lopez-McGee also previously worked at UNCF Special Programs Corporation where she worked with minority-serving institutions on capacity-building efforts related to campus internationalization and grant management.
Dr. Lopez-McGee is a scholar, researcher, and speaker on international education and exchange and careers in international affairs. Dr. Lopez-McGee has published in industry and academic journals including Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, Global Impact Exchange, and the IIE Networker. She also serves as a Co-Chair of the Global Access Pipeline and has helped coordinate the Expanding Access to International Affairs sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations.
She is a graduate of the University of Washington, where she earned her bachelor’s in International Relations and master’s in Public Administration. She completed her doctoral work at George Mason University where she studied students’ perceived self-efficacy gains from study abroad. She is deeply committed to increasing access to education and increasing opportunities for young people to gain international credentials. Dr. Lopez-McGee is based in Washington, D.C.
Skills and Expertise
Training and facilitation
Coordination and Collaboration
Project and Program Management
Strategy and Development
