Darnishia L. Slade is a 1998 alumna of Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech) with a degree in business administration/international business and Walsh College with a Master’s of Management degree. She is passionate about the diversification and internationalization of Michigan Tech and many of her job responsibilities and volunteer efforts are centered around these two priorities. Slade has remained very active with Michigan Tech, serving on the Alumni Association’s board of directors since 2008. She recently completed a term as president, only the second woman and first African American in the role. Slade has she spent several years working in youth development on a global scale. This included two years in the Up with People – Worldsmart International Leadership Program and three years with Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit. Slade returned to Michigan Tech in 2005 as a regional admissions manager in Southeast Michigan, where she specialized in the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities. In 2012 she transitioned into the International Programs & Services Department where she currently serves as the director. Her responsibilities include undergraduate recruitment of international students, study abroad recruitment, immigration compliance, acculturation, retention, and globalization of the campus and community. Slade is simultaneously pursuing her second Michigan Tech degree, a doctorate in applied cognitive science and human factors.