As the college’s director of international and intercultural affairs, Dr. McMahan leads efforts to recruit and serve both international and American multiethnic students. He and his staff assist with visa paperwork, travel arrangements, cultural adjustment, and ongoing support once students arrive on campus. His office also promotes intercultural learning on campus through services to raise awareness, develop cross-cultural skills, and advocate for racial reconciliation.

Dr. McMahan holds a doctorate in educational leadership/systems in higher education from Union Institute & University in Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as a master’s degree in student personnel administration from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Northwestern’s staff, he was the director of international programs and international student adviser for Seattle Pacific University. He and his wife, Lynne, also served with the National Initiative for Reconciliation in South Africa for a year while that country was undergoing its transformation from apartheid to a multi-racial democracy.

Dr. McMahan is a member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, for which he is a frequent conference presenter. He has also made presentations at conferences of the American Council on Education and the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. He is the co-author of “On the Bridge: A Cross-Cultural Mentoring Model for Higher Education” in Global Perspectives on Mentoring: Transforming Contexts, Communities and Cultures.