Honorary Co-Chairs

Icelandic representatives

Dr. Bryndís Björk Ásgeirsdóttir (Chair) is a professor at the Department of Psychology and the Dean of the School of Social Science at Reykjavik University. She received her PhD from King´s College London in 2011 and has in her research focused on trauma, mental health and the effects of sexual abuse. In 2018 Bryndís was a Visiting Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University.

Dr. Hrund Ólöf Andradóttir is a professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Iceland. She received her PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from MIT in 2000. She worked for 6 years in management consulting before joining the University of Iceland in 2006. Dr. Andradóttir has contributed to the research fields of sustainable urban drainage, air quality, and physical limnology.

Geir H. Haarde served as Ambassador to the U.S. from 2015–2019 and then was Executive Director at the Board of the World Bank Group on behalf of the Nordic and Baltic countries from 2019–2021. Previously, Mr. Haarde served as Prime Minister of Iceland from 2006–2009, Foreign Minister from 2005–2006 and Minister of Finance from 1998–2005. He was a member of the Icelandic Parliament, Althingi, from 1987–2009. Mr. Haarde has an M.A. in Economics from the University of Minnesota, an M.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University – Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. in Economics from Brandeis University.

Dr. Berglind Tómasdóttir is a flutist and interdisciplinary artist, as well as a professor of contemporary music performance at Iceland University of the Arts. In her work she frequently explores identity and archetypes, as well as music as a social phenomenon. Berglind holds degrees in flute playing from Reykjavik College of Music and The Royal Danish Music Conservatory in Copenhagen and a DMA in contemporary music performance from University of California, San Diego, where she was a Fulbright fellow.

Dr. Kristinn Andersen (alternate) is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Iceland. He received a Fulbright grant to study in the U.S., where he received his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt University in 1993. He joined Marel, an Icelandic firm developing technology solutions internationally for food processing, where he held positions in product development and as a research manager for over 20 years. He joined the University of Iceland in 2014 where his research area is robotics, artificial intelligence and industrial applications.

U.S. representatives

Elizabeth Lay (Vice-Chair) is a researcher and PhD student at the School of Education, University of Iceland, with a focus on immigrant parent involvement. She previously worked as an architect from 2000 to 2010 in Reykjavík and Washington, D.C. She has volunteered for immigrant organizations, served on the Immigrant Council of the Ministry of Welfare, the School Board of the International School of Iceland, and founded Vera Center, an information service for immigrant citizens of Reykjavík.

Dr. Catherine Chambers is the Research Manager of the University Centre of the Westfjords. She received her PhD in Fisheries from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2016. In her research, Catherine focuses on human dimensions of fisheries governance and small-scale fisheries management, among other things. Catherine was a Fulbright fellow in Iceland in 2011.

Jeff Dirks (Treasurer) is a newly retired State Department Foreign Service Officer, most recently serving as the economic and commercial officer in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Prior tours included Bogotá in Colombia and Banjul in Gambia. Through his economic work, Jeff saw first-hand the global benefits of the Fulbright program and how it leads to innovation and stronger intracultural connections. The State Department was Jeff’s third career. First was journalism, where Jeff was a reporter, editor, and general manager for newspapers in his Pacific Northwest home. Following was a 16-year stint at Microsoft, where he ended his time as a business development director working on products for education. Jeff holds a degree in Political Science from Pacific Lutheran University.

Adam Bentley is the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Iceland.  A career Foreign Service Officer, he previously served in Korea, China, and Washington, D.C. Before joining the Department of State in 2016, Adam practiced law for several years in white-collar defense and litigation.  Adam holds a bachelor’s in philosophy from BYU and a J.D. from UCLA.

Rebecca Doffing (alternate) is the Arctic Watcher at the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik, Iceland.  A career Foreign Service officer, she previously served in Turkey, Pakistan, Niger, and Washington, D.C.  Rebecca has a degree in Diplomacy and Turkish Studies from Boston University, and studied as a Fulbright research scholar in Turkey in 2008.