Bio
Mark Bladel joined FIU in June 2025 as the Director of Office of Education Abroad. He brings to the Office over a decade’s worth of experience working in international education for institutions of higher education and the federal government. Most recently, he served at the U.S. Department of Education’s International and Foreign Language Education Office, where he worked on competitive international scholarships for American educators and students. Prior to this he worked several years in careers in study abroad, prestigious scholarship advising, international student recruitment, enrollment, and retention.
Mark holds a master's degree in higher education policy, research, and administration from Goucher College and a bachelor's degree in urban studies and Spanish from the University of Pittsburgh. As an undergraduate he had the opportunity to participate as an exchange student in São Paulo, Brazil. This experience inspired him to pursue a career in international education and he remains passionate about providing meaningful global experiences to educators and students.