Jenifer Ruby
Board Member
Jenifer Ruby has worked in international education for more than 30 years and currently serves as Director of International Student Support at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. Throughout her career, she has focused on supporting international students and scholars, advancing global engagement, and building connections across cultures and communities.
Jenifer has held numerous leadership roles with NAFSA: Association of International Educators at the state, regional, and national levels, including Chair of NAFSA Region VII and leadership roles with NAFSA’s International Student and Scholar Services Knowledge Community. She has also served as Chair of the Florida Association of International Educators and has contributed extensively to professional development and training within the international education field.
Jenifer’s connection to Japan began as an undergraduate when she studied abroad at Kansai Gaidai University. Following graduate school, she returned to Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, serving as an Assistant English Teacher in Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, from 1994 to 1996. Her experience living and working in Wakayama had a lasting influence on her career and commitment to international education and cross-cultural understanding.
Over the course of her career, Jenifer has developed and led international student programs, intercultural initiatives, exchange partnerships, and community-building efforts. She has also led faculty and staff educational programs in Japan and worked with universities and organizations throughout Asia. Her work reflects a longstanding interest in creating meaningful connections between people and institutions across borders.
Jenifer earned a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College and a master’s degree in East Asian Studies from St. John’s University. Joining the Florida-Wakayama Cultural Association Board represents a meaningful full-circle opportunity to reconnect with a place she considers one of her homes and to contribute to strengthening the relationship between Florida and Wakayama.