Our Educational Leaders

Head of School

Dr. Daniel Mullen

UISG Head of School

Dr Mullen is an international educator from the United States with 30 years of experience in business, team management, and education, including 15 years in international settings. He is dedicated to creating inclusive and inquiry-driven learning environments. His commitment to education is shaped by his role as a parent of three children who completed the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme and went on to earn degrees from respected U.S. institutions, including UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara.

As an advocate for students, Dan promotes cultural understanding and encourages values of empathy and service among students and staff. He emphasizes high-quality, student-centered learning through the IB Continuum and recognizes the importance of mother-tongue learning and language acquisition in an international context. Dan focuses on building collaborative relationships within school communities. His previous roles include positions at The American School of Kinshasa, Casablanca American School, Hangzhou International School, Harare International School, and Peninsula School District. He also serves on the Board of The Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA), supporting schools globally.

Head of Primary

Chantelle Parsons

UISG Head of Primary

Chantelle is an international educator from the UK who specializes in innovative, student-focused teaching. With over 10 years of experience at International Baccalaureate (IB) schools, she has worked in the UK, Ukraine, and China and delivered workshops throughout Asia. Chantelle is passionate about enhancing student voice and agency. She achieves this by pioneering educational practices and mentoring fellow educators to embrace new ideas and confidently decentralize decision-making to empower learners.

She is highly collaborative and loves creating links within and beyond the school community. She led and developed the North China Network for IB schools, creating a supportive group that arranged professional development events and job-a-likes for sharing best practices across schools. Chantelle enjoys parent workshops and discussions where they can explore educational philosophies and processes.

Chantelle joined the UISG family with her husband, Adam, who works in digital finance, and their Beijing rescue dog, JoJo. After 8 years in the north of China, they are looking forward to exploring the south and experiencing all that Guangzhou and the surrounding area has to offer.

Head of Secondary

Martin Grist

Head of Secondary

Martin joined UISG in August 2023. He has been in international education for 27 years. He has a wealth of experience as a teacher, MYP Coordinator, and Senior Leader within many different schools across the globe. As an international educator, he has been involved with the International Baccalaureate – in addition to teaching both MYP and DP, he worked on the Personal Project ‘next chapter’ guide and continues to be a Personal Project examiner. One of the key elements at the heart of the IB programmes is the Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills. For Martin, these are the vital components that enable students to succeed at school and set them up for success as lifelong learners beyond the school’s walls. Martin has a Bachelor of Arts from London City University, a PGCE from York University, and a Masters in Education from the University of Bath.

Director of Innovation & ICT

Dr. Betsy K. Lee Verb

Director of Innovation & ICT

Betsy joined the UISG & UISZ community at the beginning of the 2021-22 academic year. She has 26 years of experience teaching technology and design thinking, focusing on digital and product design from (STEAM-based) Pre-K to the college level. In addition to her classroom experience, she has served in various leadership positions globally for the past ten years.

Betsy has a Doctorate in International Education and Leadership focusing on the Cultural Influences in Design Thinking. She also has a Master of Science in Educational Media Design and Technology and an Ed.S. in Curriculum Design and Instruction, emphasising Distance Learning. Betsy has designed and implemented numerous Innovation & Design Labs worldwide, focusing on maximising the use of space. Her philosophy on education is to create spaces and provide training to educators where students can learn innovative methods of design and technology through experiential learning to increase their knowledge, develop skills and learn various ways to contribute to society.