Dr. Stam’s specialties are cross-cultural communication, Thai studies, refugee studies, and the cultural aspects of information technology. As an advisor for the regional student group “American and Refugee Students for Closer Connection,” she helps to organize activities for newly arrived refugees and local students to share their cultures and to ease the transition to American life for new arrivals. Her most recent project is “Refugees Starting Over in Utica, NY,” a SUNY Poly-based collaborative project that brings students and community members together through events, exhibits, film, social media, field trips, research, and volunteer work (www. startingoverutica.com). Dr. Stam is interested in supporting refugees in the arts and storytelling. She is the booking agent for the Refugee Artists of Utica (refugeeartistsutica.com).