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.

Cody Nielsen is a second-year student studying Animation and Game Design at California College of the Arts. A longtime volunteer with the Human Migration Institute, Cody began supporting HMI’s mission at a young age—distributing goods and traveling to refugee camps and disaster zones to assist displaced communities. He completed high school at an International Baccalaureate program in Denmark, where he was active in environmental justice clubs and student initiatives. With a creative mind and a deeply caring spirit, Cody brings compassion and visual storytelling to his work with HMI.

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.

Valerie's role at HMI is to onboard volunteers and provide them with the resources they need to support our beneficiaries. She also matches what the volunteers have to offer, and what our beneficiaries need. Additionally, she helps our career navigators with finding classes and vocational training for those in our population who have recently arrived in the United States. Valerie's career has been as an educator, and she holds a Master of Advanced Studies in French, as well as an MA in English. She has been an instructor of French and of foreign language pedagogy at California State University, San Bernardino for over twenty years, and she received the best lecturer award for the whole of CSUSB in 2022. She has given workshops, written articles, designed new CSUSB courses, and completed additional certification, such as the rigorous ACUE course in effective college instructions.

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.

Allison Severns is the Communication Director at Human Migration Institute (HMI), where she leads the Communication Team in external outreach and also manages two critical programs: the Refugee Career Pathways (RCP) Grant and the Afghan Newcomer Support Program (ANSP). In her multifaceted leadership role, she directs team workflows, leads cross-functional teams, and ensures that all initiatives are mission-aligned and community-impact driven. She is responsible for strategic storytelling, cultivating key partnerships, elevating public understanding around refugee issues, and reporting on program outcomes to demonstrate real-world impact.

Allison holds an M.A. in Cognition and Communication from the University of Copenhagen, where she researched public perceptions of Syrian and Ukrainian refugees in Denmark. She also holds a B.A. in Public Relations with an emphasis in Nonprofit Organizational Studies and Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Her fieldwork includes direct engagement in Izmir, Turkey, where she participated in HMI’s Teddy Bear Project by delivering essential supplies to a Syrian refugee settlement.

Driven by a deep commitment to equity and justice, Allison brings creative insight, cultural fluency, and strategic leadership to her work. She enjoys international travel, thoughtful design, and building initiatives that empower and uplift vulnerable communities.

Sabahat Dawar is a graduate student at the University of Southern California (USC), pursuing her M.S. in Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence. She holds a B.S. in Computer Science from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). Sabahat serves as the Outreach & Data Coordinator at the Human Migration Institute, where she combines her technical background with a deep passion for community building and empowerment.

As a former refugee, Sabahat is driven by the desire to give back to the community in the same way she was supported when she first arrived in the United States. Through data, outreach, and heart, she works to uplift immigrant and refugee communities, ensuring others have the opportunities and encouragement that helped shape her own journey.

Nanyori Davis-Arnold is the Communications and Media Outreach Assistant at the Human Migration Institute (HMI), where she supports storytelling, digital strategy, and community engagement across the institute’s programs. In this role, she develops visual and written content that amplifies migrant and refugee narratives, strengthens community partnerships, and advances HMI’s mission to build empathy and awareness around global displacement.

She holds a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, Riverside, where she worked under the Black Student Success (BSS) Initiative and served as President of Sisters Affirming our Social-Cultural Identities (SASI). She also completed UCR’s SEED Lab Extension Program, which cultivates leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation for community impact.

Nanyori is the co-founder of Elevating H.E.A.R.T.S., a youth-focused organization dedicated to promoting digital literacy and student leadership. A proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., she continues to champion cultural empowerment and social change. Guided by a passion for storytelling and justice, she brings creativity, empathy, and purpose to her work at HMI.

Asma Safi is from Afghanistan and has shown remarkable resilience and leadership since arriving in the U.S. She was honored with the Portrait of a Graduate of Excellence Award at Abraham Lincoln High School, recognizing her commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and community service. Asma also became A-G eligible, and was named one of Riverside’s 25 Most Remarkable Teens for her outstanding achievements both in school and in helping others.

Tahira Safi, from Afghanistan, is a dedicated case manager at the Human Migration Institute in Riverside, CA, where she coordinates critical services for refugee and immigrant families, including housing, public benefits enrollment, employment support, cultural orientation, and ongoing family assistance.

Fluent in Pashto, Dari, and English, Tahira bridges language and cultural gaps, supporting clients through their integration journey and providing live interpretation as needed.

Her experience as an academic tutor and educational program assistant highlights her commitment to empowering individuals of all ages through education and mentorship.

Tahira holds a Bachelor's degree in Religion & Law from Salam University, Kabul, Afghanistan and is currently pursuing an A.A. in Registered Nursing at Riverside City College.

She has earned certifications including the Afghan Youth Mentorship Program from the International Rescue Committee, Youth Panelist Recognition from California Department of Social Services, Recognized by the UN International Organization for Migration with a Certificate of Appreciation, and Resilient Awad from Human Migration institute.

Tahira's expertise and passion make her a vital contributor to refugee support and community integration efforts.

Matthew Silguero is a young professional with a diverse background involving volunteer emergency response, k-5 education, and community engagement projects. Matthew will be graduating with honors at the end of December 2025, where he will receive a B. A. in Anthropology. He plans to continue working with the Human Migration Institute to make positive impacts within the refugee community and beyond.

As someone with a heart to serve at-risk communities, Matthew hopes to spend his career working with refugees, eventually expanding into areas faced with ecological crises. 

Matthew Silguero is a young professional with a diverse background involving volunteer emergency response, k-5 education, and community engagement projects. Matthew will be graduating with honors at the end of December 2025, where he will receive a B. A. in Anthropology. He plans to continue working with the Human Migration Institute to make positive impacts within the refugee community and beyond.

As someone with a heart to serve at-risk communities, Matthew hopes to spend his career working with refugees, eventually expanding into areas faced with ecological crises. 

Hi, I am Joey!  Academic and Outreach Coordinator of HMI, I develop comprehensive educational programs and build strategic community partnerships, specializing in language education, intercultural competence, and volunteer capacity building. My approach integrates academic rigor with community-responsive programming, with a particular focus on adult and international populations. I am committed to developing sustainable, evidence-based initiatives that bridge educational institutions with community organizations to maximize impact and resource effectiveness.

Asma Safi is from Afghanistan and has shown remarkable resilience and leadership since arriving in the U.S. She was honored with the Portrait of a Graduate of Excellence Award at Abraham Lincoln High School, recognizing her commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and community service. Asma also became A-G eligible, and was named one of Riverside’s 25 Most Remarkable Teens for her outstanding achievements both in school and in helping others.

Asma works at the Human Migration Institute as a Tutoring & Classroom Assistant, providing translation and tutoring support to immigrant students adjusting to life and school in the U.S. She also created a translation website to help non-English speakers access educational resources. Her civic engagement project included developing posters and presentations to educate over 600 students and families about scholarship opportunities beyond GPA requirements.

Asma will attend the University of California, Riverside in the fall, where she plans to study Biology. Her journey reflects her tenacity, empathy, determination, and a desire to serve her community.

Hello, my name is Mahmood Mosa. I am a second-year Biology major at the University of California, Riverside and a math tutor at HMI. I focus on helping Afghan students build a strong foundation in mathematics and gain confidence in their skills. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball, staying active, and supporting my community.