Meet the Faculty
Chris Henderson
Chair of Social Sciences & Humanities
Arni Thor Arnthorsson
Associate Professor
Jacqueline Armijo
Associate Professor of English
Chris Henderson has been with AUAF since 2009. Having begun as an instructor, he was promoted to Assistant Professor of English in 2013 and has since held various teaching and administrative positions in the English Department and the Division of Social Sciences and Humanities. His teaching ranges from courses in the first-year core English and Afghanistan studies to classes in Linguistics and upper-division English and Business Communications for AUAF’s business department. He has contributed to AUAF’s development and resilience in the face of challenges over the years. Chris holds an MA in Education and a PhD in Applied Linguistics, with research and professional interests centered on student and lecturer literacy practices in English-medium higher education, particularly in American universities abroad. He is currently chairing the Division of Social Sciences and Humanities at AUAF and feels privileged to work with such dedicated colleagues, peers, and staff.
Dr. Arni Thor Arnthorsson, a native of Iceland, specialized in Marketing with a Ph.D from the University of South Carolina, USA. His work has expanded to the fields of leadership, diversity, motivation and research. He has worked and lived in nine different countries in his career, including the last eight years with AUAF. He was in administration roles from 2018-23, but was always connected to the classroom, teaching when he could.
Dr Arni is now a full time professor in the Business Department. He firmly believes that education will make a difference, and that Afghan students are the most inspirational and motivated students he has had the privilege to work with. He currently lives in Madrid, Spain, where he works remotely and tries to learn the language with limited success.
Dr. Jacqueline Armijo, a scholar of the history of Islam in China, has spent most of the past twenty years teaching at different international universities across Asia, most recently as a Visiting Associate Professor of History at New York University’s campus in Shanghai. She has carried out extensive fieldwork in China, as well as in the UAE and Qatar, where she was based for 13 years. Her research interests and publications focus on: Islam in China; the growing importance of China-Gulf relations and their rapidly developing cultural and educational links; the Chinese Muslim (Hui) diaspora around the world; and China’s use of education and research initiatives to strengthen regional relationships related to the Belt and Road Initiative across Asia. She has also taught at the Asian University for Women (Bangladesh), Qatar University, Zayed University (UAE), and Stanford University.
Nadeem Nooristani
Assistant Professor of Practice of Political Science and Public Administration
Nadeem Nooristani joined the Political Science and Public Administration Department at AUAF in 2017 as an adjunct faculty member and currently works as an Assistant Professor of Practice and Executive Coordinator of the Political Science and Public Administration program. Previously, he has worked as a teaching and research graduate assistant in the Political Science Department of Ball State University. He has years of extensive professional experience working for both national and international organizations in Afghanistan and abroad. Nadeem holds a BA in Economics from Aligarh Muslim University, a BS in Economics and International Relations, as well as an MA in Public Administration from Ball State University. His future research pursuits are centered on public administration, public policy, and local governance. Nadeem has taught a range of courses at the undergraduate level, including Introduction to Public Administration, Public Policy Making, Afghanistan Government and Politics, State-Building and Political Development, History of Afghanistan, and Civic Engagement.
Associate Professor Joanne Giesbrecht brings 25 years of management experience and holds an International MBA from the University of Edinburgh. She currently serves as the Interim Dean of Faculty. For the past two years, she has served as the Chair of AUAF’s Business Division, where she has collaborated with faculty to adapt the program to Afghanistan’s evolving needs. Joanne began her academic career as a consultant for a Canadian college in Qatar, but she soon discovered her passion for teaching and working with students. Her academic interests include cross-cultural management practices and identifying constraints to operational efficiency.
Outside of her professional life, Joanne enjoys sports, reading a wide range of literature, and continuous learning. She believes that the ability to learn, think critically, and communicate effectively is essential for societal development, and AUAF uniquely fulfills this mission. Joanne is consistently inspired by the resilience of AUAF’s students and the dedication of her colleagues. She is proud to be part of the AUAF community and considers it a privilege.
Interim Dean of Faculty