By Autumn Walden, Editor, AACRAO Connect, Content Strategy Manager, AACRAO
The AACRAO International Education Standards Council Fellowship offers emerging professionals a valuable opportunity to deepen their knowledge, engage with experienced leaders in international credential evaluation, and contribute original research to the field. As participant-observers and non-voting members of the council, fellows collaborate on timely topics, join in ongoing professional discussions, and share their findings with the broader community.
This year’s fellows, Doreen Sheridan and Esther Zhao, bring distinct experiences and perspectives to the 2025–2026 fellowship topic, AI and International Admissions. Sheridan, Academic Records Coordinator in the Office for Education Abroad at Michigan State University, pairs years of experience in global learning and transcript processing with the perspective of a former international student. "We hope to share valuable information for the AACRAO community and showcase how AI can positively impact our work, what needs to be considered, and what needs to be further researched," said Sheridan. "While there is potential in AI, the uncertainties can make it feel unsettling. Hearing from others in the field helps all of us consider these issues while transforming our work for greater productivity, accuracy, and service to both our students and our academic stakeholders."
Zhao, Senior International Admissions Counselor at Baylor University, brings a multifaceted background in recruitment, credential evaluation, social media strategy, and student support. "We hope our research will encourage more professionals in international admissions and credential evaluation to engage with the AACRAO community in exploring how AI can enhance the efficiency and impact of our daily work," said Zhao. "We are excited to collect data and gather feedback from institutions through a survey on AI in International Admissions and Credential Evaluation. We look forward to sharing the results at the AACRAO Annual Meeting in New Orleans this April."
In this interview, they reflect on their personal and professional journeys, what drew them to the fellowship, and how they see AI beginning to shape the future of international admissions.
How has your personal and professional journey shaped your curiosity about international admissions and evaluation?
Sheridan: Having been an international student myself, I was drawn to work in International Education to support students and to make positive contributions to promoting intercultural exposure, exchanges, and research. Initially, I worked at a smaller university where we were closely tied to international admissions for our student population, while we also supported and managed the available study abroad programs. My professional focus on education abroad grew over time, and while I was taking a professional break for my family, I started working more in the education abroad course approval and credit world. Initially part-time, I have worked in this area on a full-time basis since 2024. The insights and experiences over the past few years have taught me much. Now, I am excited and honored to learn from the IESC members and to understand more about credit evaluation discussions and considerations.
How do you think that your cross-functional perspective shapes the way you approach international admissions?
Zhao: I have been working in international admissions since 2018. The landscape of international student mobility has changed dramatically due to COVID-19. In recent years, the emergence of AI has introduced another wave of transformation at both national and global levels. Embracing these changes opens new possibilities, offering an exciting opportunity to explore how AI is transforming our profession in a positive way. I approach this work from a cross-functional perspective, viewing recruitment, credential evaluation, enrollment, and engagement as interconnected parts of a larger ecosystem rather than as separate tasks. This moment presents an exciting opportunity to study and better understand how these developments are reshaping our profession. Engaging in thoughtful, ongoing dialogue is important as we navigate these changes and confront the uncertainties ahead together.
What drew you to the IESC Fellowship at this point in your career, and what are you most hoping to learn from the fellowship experience—especially with this year’s focus on AI and international admissions?
Sheridan: The area of credential evaluation fascinates me, and that is why I became curious about the fellowship. My position as Academic Records Coordinator is fairly new here in our office and even though I have worked closely with our Registrar’s Office on credit transfer and grade and credit conversions for a while, there is always more to learn and there are always improvements to make. We create conversion charts for short-term programs and usually do benchmarking before we get approvals from the academic areas, so I was curious about ways to approach this and to see what the experts in the field do and talk about.
Zhao: As my role and responsibilities in international admissions at Baylor University have grown, I have taken deliberate steps to learn more about international credential evaluation. Attending the pre-conference sessions at the 2025 Strategic Enrollment Management Conference, hosted by AACRAO in Las Vegas, provided valuable hands-on learning experiences and motivated me to pursue further professional development to better serve our students and the institution. During my online research, I discovered the IESC Fellowship, which I find particularly exciting this year due to its focus on AI and international admissions. AI is not just a passing trend; it has the potential to change how we approach our daily tasks in higher education over the long term. I am excited to learn how peer institutions are thoughtfully exploring and implementing AI into their international admissions processes.
When you think about AI in international admissions, what feels most promising right now—and what feels like it needs the most caution or human oversight?
Sheridan: I am more cautious about new things when it comes to technology. In general, I like to read, learn, and listen before I dive into something new. I feel the same about AI tools and how they can be utilized, especially when addressing complex academic evaluation and decision-making. I am very interested in learning more about what is already used in the field and what has potential, or what may need to be reconsidered. I think the idea that some processes could be more streamlined and made easier using AI sounds promising, but questions of accuracy and human judgment are critical.
Zhao: Everything has its pros and cons. AI has the potential to greatly benefit Admissions by reducing the time spent on repetitive manual tasks, document processing, report drafting, and data calculations. This allows admissions professionals to focus more efficiently on work that prioritizes student-centered needs. However, it is essential that AI can serve as a tool rather than a substitute for professional judgment, as considerations still depend on human expertise.