Executive Team

Selin Yildiz Nielsen, Ph.D.

Founder & President

SYN@hmir.org

Dr. Selin Yildiz Nielsen, with a career in international education, refugee advocacy, and global engagement, serves as the Founder and President of the Human Migration Institute, and a Professor of Global Studies. Born in Ankara, Turkey, Dr. Nielsen and her family immigrated to California in 1987, where she later earned her undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of California, Riverside. She then co-founded Glocally Connected, that gave way to establishing Human Migration Institute.

With a career spanning three decades, Dr. Nielsen has held roles as a director, professor, coordinator, manager, instructor, and consultant in global education. She has shared her knowledge through teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and gave numerous presentations and guest lectures throughout the world.

Dr. Nielsen's commitment to refugee causes commenced in Iowa in 2009, where she led a project for the Human Rights Commission for education of displaced people. Her impactful initiatives extended to providing trauma management to teachers in Syrian refugee camps in Southeast Turkey. As the leading figure of HMI, Dr. Nielsen has organized the establishment of numerous international aid programs, passionately advocating for refugees worldwide. Notably, she has contributed to the education of refugee girls both locally and internationally establishing scholarships for several disadvantaged girls. Dr. Nielsen is now serving as the chair of Scholars at Risk at University of California, Riverside.

A seasoned speaker and advocate, Dr. Nielsen has addressed the United Nations Headquarters twice, speaking on the critical issues surrounding the education of refugee women and girls. Currently, she plays a key role in overseeing both local and international operations and strategically planning the growth of HMI.

Dr. Nielsen's scholarly contributions include numerous articles, book chapters, and the co-authored book "Encounters in the Turkey-Syria Borderland." This work explores the touching stories of refugees at the onset of the Syrian crisis. In 2022, she published in Nature magazine with an article titled "Telemental health provides much-needed support for refugees" (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-022-01366-y), emphasizing the importance of immediate mental health support to prevent PTSD among displaced populations.

Hsin-Yu Teresa Hsu-Contreras

Academic & Outreach Director / RCRECSH Grant Project Director

teresahhc@hmir.org

Hsin-Yu Teresa Hsu-Contreras is the Academic and Outreach Director of Human Migration Institute, as well as the RCRECSH Grant Program Director. She participates in HMI with an advanced TESOL certificate and an M.Ed degree with a TESOL emphasis from the University of California, Riverside.

Since 2017, Teresa has been an active instructor at the Glocally Connected/HMI Community ESL Program. Her community building experiences also include serving as the lead coordinator of K-6 Summer Program in 2017, for which she assisted GC/HMI in partnering with the Riverside Art Museum and the Salinas and Coyotes: Instruction in Poetry and Prose from California State University San Bernardino. Meanwhile, Teresa and colleagues worked with the ESL students and published Taste of Afghanistan, a cookbook consisting of recipes for traditional Afghani dishes as well as artworks and poems written by the younger generations.

In 2020, Teresa transitioned into an administrative staff member, where she continued her position to design curriculums for the ongoing Community ESL Program. Furthermore, with her position as the RCRECSH Project Director, Teresa leads and collaborates with program staff members to provide educational and life skill training programs, responding to the needs from the target community.

Sedef Altug was born in Riverside, California. Her family and she moved to Turkey, where she completed her education. She received her BA degree in Law in 2018 and her LLM degree in 2019 in Turkey. She has been a member of the Ankara Bar Association as a fully accredited lawyer since 2019.

During her college years, she worked on The Sun Will Rise For You Project. The project was prepared for competition within the Ankara Bar Association and received third place. This project raises awareness of babies and small children residing in prison because of their parents' imprisonment. The result of the project is that the babies and young children residing in prison are introduced to an outside environment by volunteer lawyers and child psychologists.

She moved to Orange County, California in 2019 and worked with immigration lawyers. In this position, she was responsible for client management and composing, revising, and submitting legal documents. She has been actively advocating on behalf of immigrants and refugees worldwide since then.

In her current role, she aims to make a big impact by building the capacity to enable Human Migration Institute’s continued work of providing integrated services to refugees.

Lindsey Escamilla is a dedicated advocate for immigrant and refugee communities, with extensive experience in workforce development, nonprofit advocacy, and postsecondary education. As a doctoral candidate in Comparative Literature, her research examines the portrayal of "badness" among Latinos in popular media, mass incarceration in the United States, and the history of revolution. Lindsey is particularly interested in using popular media as a tool for challenging and transforming inequitable structures.

Born and raised in Riverside, California, Lindsey’s personal experiences have deeply informed her commitment to social justice and equity. Her work in education has included teaching nontraditional students, such as veterans, refugees and immigrants, which has further fueled her belief in the importance of accessible education for all, regardless of background or income. Lindsey is fluent in Spanish and has a strong background in communication and project management, which she uses to connect marginalized communities with the resources they need.

In her role as a Reception & Placement Caseworker at HMI, Lindsey is instrumental in resettling Latin American families in the Inland Empire. Her responsibilities include securing housing, coordinating essential services, and providing the support necessary for these families to rebuild their lives. Lindsey’s work is driven by a deep commitment to equity, cultural understanding, and community empowerment, ensuring that she makes a lasting impact on the lives of those she serves.

Academic & Outreach Coordinators

Communication & Media Team