A native of the U.S. state of California, Raymond Leos has lived and worked in Cambodia for nearly two decades, serving as a university professor, faculty dean, government advisor and development consultant.

Professor Leos completed his Bachelor of Arts (B.A) with honors in history from Claremont McKenna College, and received his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from the University of California, Davis King Hall School of Law. He also did his post graduate study in the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) program in film and television production at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Theater, Film and Television.

Before joining AUPP, Professor Leos was the Dean of the Faculty of Communications and Media Arts at Pannasastra University of Cambodia for over nineteen years, and for nearly nine years, a senior adjunct lecturer at the Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE) in Phnom Penh, where he taught courses in the bachelor and masters programs in international relations and international law.

He has also served as a Senior Parliamentary Advisor to the National Assembly of Cambodia and as an advisor to the Access to Information Technical Working Group (TWG), which worked with the UN agency UNESCO and the Ministry of Information of the Royal Government of Cambodia in the drafting of Cambodia’s first access to information law.

Professor Leos has been a consultant for numerous development projects in Cambodia, including those funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Union, and The Asia Foundation. He has also served as a technical advisor to several local non-governmental organizations, and has forged ties with the business sector in Cambodia, through his association with the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (AMCHAM), and as a member of the AMCHAM Board of Governors from 2014 to 2016.

His professional and research interests include developing effective legal frameworks for transparency, the role of access to information in promoting human rights, good governance and economic growth, and the social, political and economic impacts of new digital media platforms. He is currently at work on two book projects—one examining the history and the social, political and economic underpinnings of propaganda, and another focusing on Cambodian-U.S. relations during the Indochina War of the 1960s and 70s.

Prior to coming to Cambodia in 2002, Professor Leos worked in the United States as a free-lance writer, filmmaker, and as a lawyer specializing in criminal law, media law, intellectual property, labor law and civil rights issues.

Kyra has over 15 years of Marketing Communications experience, mostly in the hospitality industry.  Prior to joining AUPP, Kyra was part of hotel brand managed by a multinational hospitality company and played an integral  role in the rebranding and relaunching of the property.  She has also been part of an international hotel management company where she helped build and develop brand and marketing strategies for properties in the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. She specializes in brand marketing and development, content and social media marketing, event marketing, crisis communications, public and media relations, and corporate social responsibility programs.

In her spare time, Kyra can be found lost in the pages of a book, searching for a movie to watch on Netflix, or trying out new pasta recipes in the kitchen.

Christina has almost two decades of Human Resources and Administration experience serving at multiple universities in the United States. She is also experienced with employee onboarding, talent acquisition, and streamlining the employee experience. Prior to joining AUPP, Christina earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management and a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Labor Relations. Moreover, she is a certified professional in human resources and is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).

In her spare time, Christina enjoys quality time with her family watching movies, or downtime at the spa to relax and rejuvenate to be at her best to assist staff and faculty.

Mika is a higher education administrator with over 9 years of progressive experience in the Office of the Registrar. Before joining AUPP, Ms. Akhmadiyeva worked at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan where she played an active role in establishing the office, developing academic policies, procedures and building a student information system. Over the last years, she has passed training and job shadowing programs at the University of Wisconsin Madison, the University of Pittsburg School of Medicine, and EY Academy of Business, and provided consultations to Kazakhstani universities. Mika received a BSc degree in Information Systems and an MSc degree in Higher Education Leadership.

Dr. Sidonie Pors is the Learning Center Director at the American University of Phnom Penh. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Melbourne, a MA in Instructional Technology and Media from Teachers College Columbia University, and Bachelor Degrees in Computer Science and English from the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Prior to joining AUPP, Sidonie has worked in the fields of Educational Technology, ICT, and Education in social enterprise, universities, and international organizations in Cambodia. She is interested in exploring the potential of educational technology to help students gain access to quality education in different educational and social contexts.

Sirikanyah Lane Dasom also known as Veronica is from Thailand with a dual nationality of Thai/Irish. She has a bachelor’s degree in International Tourism Management and master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Dhurakij Pundit University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Before joining the American University of Phnom Penh, Veronica was a lecturer in Thailand with experience in higher education, academic research, and student organization. She worked closely with students both inside and outside of the classroom environment, helped organizing events with various universities and planned fieldtrips in corporate social responsibility and educational on-site learning visits to various international organizations.

Veronica brings her commitment to providing students with transformational opportunities in student engagement, health and well-being and student advocacy towards reaching one’s highest potential.

Ms. Vuochnear Ly is the Academic Program Manager at the American University of Phnom Penh. From Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Ms. Ly received her B.A. in International Affairs and Political Science from Gettysburg College, USA. She also holds a B.Ed. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) from Royal University of Phnom Penh. Prior to joining AUPP, Ms. Ly was professionally involved with international NGOs and public institutions, including Halifax International Security Forum, Vital Voices, and Ministry of Women’s Affairs of Cambodia. With her experiences, Ms. Ly is committed to strengthening academic programs and bringing academic quality of excellence to AUPP students. Ms. Ly enjoys reading non-fiction books, travelling, baking, and practicing yoga.

Dr. Kaknika Lin is an Adjunct Professor of Law at AUPP. As a proud AUPP alum, she is excited to return to AUPP after having received her license as a lawyer in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Dr. Lin’s main interests are in business law and commercial transactions. She has broad experience working in law firms of all sizes, focusing on local and international commercial deals and labor and employment matters. Aside from law firms, she has also worked in-house in the legal teams of various companies, such as a global fitness and obstacle course racing corporation (Spartan Race) and companies in the education and healthcare industries. Currently, she manages her law firm in Phnom Penh, specializing in corporate law matters and commercial transactions.

Dr. Lin enjoys volunteering and getting involved in community work wherever she is. At AUPP, she has previously led teams of AUPP students to tutor high school students in Takeo province. In Boston, she was a student attorney assisting with family law/guardianship, consumer law matters, and volunteered as a tax preparer in her community. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing yoga and hiking.