People

Dr. Katie Lopez is an adjunct clinical associate professor and director of the Office of Global Activities at the School of Social Work. She leads the administration office, which includes managing study abroad opportunities for students, international institutional partnerships, scholarship and grant opportunities, programming to support international degree-seeking students, and the exchange visitor program. As a licensed social worker, she serves as field faculty for MSW students completing placements outside the U.S. and international exchange students completing placements in Michigan.

Lopez serves as the faculty lead for the Global Social Work Pathway concentration. Additionally, she co-leads the Coalition for Welcoming and Belonging, which works to transform the U-M campus into a more inclusive, welcoming, and supportive environment for community members from migrant and refugee backgrounds. In recognition of her contributions to international education, Lopez was awarded the U-M President’s Award for Distinguished Service in International Education in 2023.

Lopez has lived and worked abroad in countries including Mexico, the Philippines, Tanzania, and Honduras. Her work in these settings inspires her commitment to building intentional, mutually beneficial, and sustainable collaborations among social work programs to train students to address global issues. Lopez frequently presents on a variety of topics at social work and international education conferences in the U.S. and abroad. She received her MSW degree from the University of Michigan School of Social Work with a focus on community organizing and her PhD in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education from Michigan State University. Her dissertation explored the experiences of students of color who studied abroad in a location where they were a part of the racial or ethnic majority.

Sarah Nunez (she/her) is the program manager in the Office of Global Activities at the School of Social Work. In this role, she supports global programming that provides students with opportunities to engage in international learning, cross-cultural experiences, and global social work practice.

Nunez is a bilingual (English/Spanish) social worker and educator with professional experience in international education, PK-12 education and mental health. Prior to joining U-M, she served as a school social worker, supporting students and families across a school district. She previously worked as a student therapist, providing accessible mental health services to immigrant and refugee communities.

Nunez’s interest in global education was shaped by her experience as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she developed a deeper interest in cross-cultural exchange and international learning. She also studied abroad in Santiago, Chile, as an undergraduate, which opened her eyes to global citizenship.

She earned her Master of Social Work with a concentration in mental health from Washington University in St. Louis and her Bachelor of Arts in social work, with a minor in Spanish, from the University of Iowa.