Khem Sedhai is a PhD candidate in Educational Policy and Leadership (EPL) at the University at Albany-SUNY. His dissertation research focuses on access to higher education and social mobility of Dalits, a marginalized and socially excluded population from South Asia. Khem works as a data analyst at the Student Affairs Assessment and Planning Division at the University. His research interests include marginalized populations, first-generation students, social justice, social mobility, international education, and public diplomacy. With over two decades of experience, including 15 years in international higher education, Khem's professional background includes roles as a lawyer, K-12 schoolteacher, journalist, human rights and policy advocate, and international student advisor and recruiter. He holds an MA in International Relations from Syracuse University, and both a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Master of Laws (LLM) from Nepal Law Campus, Tribhuvan University.Khem has been honored with several recent awards including the Sanford H. Levine Fellowship (2024-2025), Dean’s Excellence Award in Leadership and Service (2024), President’s Award for Leadership (2022), and GTW-School of Education Scholarship (2020-2024). Additionally, he is a 2024 David L. Clark Scholar (UCEA-AERA) and a 2024 WES-CIHE Summer Institute presenter. Khem loves traveling and listening to folk and country music.