The American Association of Geographers (AAG) has honored UCEAP Associate Dean David Lopez-Carr with the 2024 Research Excellence Award grant.

UCEAP Technical Project Manager Maggie Moser has received her Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute.

It's one of the highest certifications a project manager can receive. To obtain PMP Certification, a project manager must meet certain requirements and then pass a 4-hour exam, showing that they have mastered:

• Motivating people and teams through all phases of a successful project.
• Using predictive, agile, and hybrid approaches to determine which way of working is best for each project.
• Highlighting the success of a project and its impact on overall strategic organizational goals.

The UCEAP Finance team welcomed Maribel Acevedo, who came from the Office of Financial and Scholarships at UC Santa Barbara.

Maribel has worked in the financial aid field since 2013 and brings a wealth of experience and analyst knowledge to her new role. Maribel is a UC Santa Barbara alumna and majored in Spanish and Psychology. Outside of work, Maribel enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, going on walks/hikes, taking her girls to the park, museums, movies, and traveling.

Program Officer for the Australia/New Zealand Study Center

Damon's journey in global exchange first started in 2015, when he completed a semester exchange as a student at the University of Manitoba, Canada. Following the completion of his studies, he developed a wealth of experience in the student mobility and support spaces, serving as a student adviser, mobility officer, and mobility coordinator at Deakin University across a five-year stint. Most recently, he held the role of Mobility Coordinator at Swinburne University of Technology, where he was responsible for overseeing the marketing and promotion of Swinburne Abroad suite of overseas semester exchange, study tour, and internship programs.

Evan Brown has joined the UCLA International Education Office as an intake advisor.

A recent UCLA graduate, Evan received a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Psychology. He studied abroad on the island of Sardinia, Italy, during high school, an experience he describes as one of his most formative educational experiences. Most recently, Evan worked at the Luskin Conference Center’s front desk.

Join us in welcoming Sara Bularzik as an academic specialist.

Originally from St. Louis, Sara moved to Washington DC to study journalism and international relations at American University. She spent a semester in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she not only fell in love with Danish culture, but also formed lasting friendships with Chinese students from Peking University. This led her to pursue a master's degree at the University of Pittsburgh in international education with a focus on East Asia, which included a summer in Beijing to collect data for her thesis. She then spent six years working for CAPA as a faculty-led program manager and academic specialist, frequently traveling to Asia and Europe. Driven to conduct more academic research on study abroad, Sara recently completed a doctorate in higher education from the University of Denver. She lives in Denver with her husband, Jon, and dog Scout, where they do all the Colorado things, especially rock climbing, cycling, and camping.

Olivia Candelaria has joined the Alumni and Scholarships team as a new student worker.

Olivia is in her senior year at UC Santa Barbara where she is studying statistics and data science. Olivia is also a UCEAP alumna, having studied abroad in fall 2023 in Madrid, Spain, and competes on the club swim team at UCSB.

Evelyn Chavez has joined UCEAP as a study abroad advisor.

Evelyn received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and in Political Science from UC Riverside in 2019. She spent a fall semester abroad through UCEAP, studying politics and international relations at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK-England. She received her master’s of science degree in Political Psychology from the University of Birmingham in 2020. After graduating, Evelyn entered the education-technology industry to help K-12 students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Evelyn’s portfolio includes the Netherlands, Mexico, Singapore, and Costa Rica.

Claudia Diaz has joined UCEAP as a study abroad advisor.

Originally from Los Angeles, Claudia graduated from Lewis and Clark College in Portland with a bachelor's degree in Hispanic Studies and a minor in Russian. She spent a semester abroad in Alicante, Spain, and after graduation decided to return to Spain as a language assistant. Claudia then received her master's degree in Translation and Interpreting from the University of Westminster in London, UK-England. Claudia’s portfolio includes the UK-England (not summer programs in Sussex), Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa.

JoAnn Doll is joining the UCEAP as and academic analyst.

She has more than10 years of intercultural study and work experience in Taiwan, Indonesia, Spain, the Marshall Islands, Germany, China, and the US. Prior to joining UCEAP, JoAnn oversaw the Education Abroad office at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). She has a graduate certificate in Data Analytics from ETSU, a master's degree in International Education Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Music from the University of Kansas. Her responsibilities will include preparing academic reports, providing analyses of relevant trends, giving feedback on academic processes, and managing academic data requests from UCEAP units and the UC campuses.

Anne Eickelberg has joined UCEAP as an academic specialist.

She most recently served seven years as advisor and undergraduate program coordinator for the Feminist Studies department at UC Santa Cruz. She has a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Iowa and a second bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Portland State University. While at PSU, she was a student services representative in the Admissions department. She lives in Aptos, Calif., with her husband and two cats, enjoying exploring new towns and cities and listening to eclectic music.

Zak Frieders has joined UCEAP as the study center associate program director.

Zak has over 20 years experience working in higher education, including at both the community college and UC level. Most recently, Zak served as executive director of the Global Learning Hub at UC Davis overseeing their global leadership programs, experiential learning, and study abroad operations. Zak’s prior experience includes service as director of Study Abroad (UC Davis), UCEAP program coordinator (UC Davis), budget and student service administration (Cabrillo College), and a variety of leadership roles within NAFSA, including academy coach, Region XII chair, and current national chair-elect of the Teaching, Learning and Scholarship Knowledge Community. Zak holds a master’s degree in Educational Policy from UC Davis and has published multi-institutional research on student self-efficacy and preparation for study abroad.

Martin Garcia has joined the UCLA International Education Office as an international programs advisor.

Before joining IEO, Martin worked at IES Abroad in enrollment management and college relations. Prior to IES, Martin was a study abroad advisor at his alma mater, Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Martin’s own study abroad experiences have taken him to the American University of Rome in Italy, the Universidad de Cádiz in Spain, and to Guayaquil, Ecuador, where he completed an internship.

Samantha Jewell has joined UCEAP as a study abroad advisor.

While pursuing a bachelor's degree in Classical Civilization with minors in Archaeology and Political Science at UC Irvine, Samantha studied abroad in Athens, Greece. While there, she was able to act as a college relations representative for her program. Samantha also participated in an archeology excavation in both Greece and Portugal. Returning to Irvine, she was a study abroad peer advisor at UCI’s Study Abroad Center from 2021-2022. Samantha’s portfolio includes Spain (not summer), Chile, and Argentina.

Joselit Juarez has joined UCEAP as a study abroad advisor.

Joselit received her bachelor's degree in Language Studies-Italian from UC Santa Cruz. From 2015-16, she studied abroad in Bologna, Italy, through UCEAP. Joselit gained experience working in higher education as an international admissions advisor at California State University, Northridge, before taking part in the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program in Spain. Recently, she was a language assistant at CEIP Pedro Garfias in Seville, Spain. Joselit’s portfolio includes France, Belgium, Switzerland, Thailand, Hong Kong, and the summer programs at Sussex, Glasgow, and Dublin.

Hasmik Khatchadrian has joined the UCEAP Facilities and Administrative Services team as the afternoon administrative assistant.

She most recently worked for the Vanguard Group in Malvern, Penn. She is a 27-year member of the Armenian Relief Society and is fluent in Armenian and Russian.

Lara Kleine is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and is now in sunny Las Vegas, Nevada.

She has spent most of her professional career working in higher education in the Registrar’s Office, primarily at the University of San Francisco. Lara completed her bachelor's degree at UC Santa Barbara, studied abroad in France, and taught abroad in France. She completed her master's degress in International and Multicultural Education with an emphasis in Human Rights at the University of San Francisco. During her graduate program she participated in an immersion course in the Amazon jungle in Ecuador, working to support an indigenous tribe and their rights. Lara is passionate about working in international education and is excited to be joining the UCEAP team.

Noeli Martinez has joined the UC Santa Barbara Education Abroad Program as an academic integration specialist.

She also serves as the program advisor for UC Santa Barbara’s Capital Internship Program. A UCSB graduate, Noeli interned through the UCDC program when she was a student and understands the value of off-campus opportunities. She is looking forward to working with academic departments on their integration efforts.

Isabel Moreno joined the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) as a student intern working with the UCEAP Madrid team.

Isabel joins the team after returning to Madrid from a year abroad in California, where she studied as an international student at UC Santa Cruz.

Alyssa Oliver has joined UCEAP as a study abroad advisor.

Alyssa graduated from UC Berkeley in 2021 with a double major in English and Political Economy. Although the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many of her plans, she was still able to complete her undergraduate studies remotely from Carlos III University of Madrid. She also studied Spanish at the Spanish Institute of Puebla. She is deeply committed to student success, and she is excited to apply her experiences to the study abroad advisor role at UCEAP, helping UC students achieve their goals at home and abroad. Alyssa’s portfolio includes South Korea, Denmark, and Norway.

Lisa Pasquinelli has joined the UCEAP Bologna Study Center as a program assistant.

Lisa is an alumna of the University of Bologna, where she earned her master’s degree in Foreign Languages for International Communication. She has had the opportunity to live in various European countries through study abroad programs. Before joining the UCEAP Bologna Study Center, she worked with two other university study abroad programs in Italy. Lisa is excited to support UCEAP Bologna students in their cultural experiences and academic pursuits.

Kim Priebe joined the International Health, Safety, and Crisis Management (IHSCM) team as associate director.

In this role, Kim will serve as an emergency responder supporting all UCEAP students, ensure compliance with established policies within the risk management space, and support the work of study center staff through training programs and tabletop exercises. Kim has more than 20 years of experience in international higher education, with expertise in risk management in education abroad from her recent past roles as director of Study Abroad and manager of Global Health and Safety at North Carolina State University. Her professional reputation in the university health and safety community further elevates the IHSCM department as a recognized leader in study abroad risk management.

Rachel Rigoli joined the UCEAP Global Programs team as a new program/operations specialist.

Rachel spent more than 20 years as a study abroad advisor at UC San Diego, where she worked on multiple initiatives and process improvements to enhance the application and predeparture experiences. Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine where she studied abroad through UCEAP at the University of Melbourne, and she holds a master’s degree in International Affairs from George Washington University. A proud UCEAP alum, Rachel's passion for study abroad runs in the family—both her kids have participated in UCEAP programs. Her daughter, Carys (UC Irvine), studied in Italy on back-to-back programs (University of Bologna and Rome Art, Food, and Society), while her son, Kylan (UC Santa Cruz), studied at the University of Sydney this past spring.

Max Salcedo has joined UCEAP as the new network/systems analyst.

Max enjoys reading and audiobooks, DJing, working out, cooking, producing music, playing pickleball, and riding his Vespa scooter around town! Max is excited for the opportunity to contribute his talents and skills as part of the UCEAP IT team.

Arturo Torres has joined the UC Santa Cruz Global Learning team as a global gearning advisor, providing general advising on all global learning program types.

Arturo completed dual bachelor’s degrees in International Development Studies and Sociology from UC Los Angeles. As an undergraduate, he studied abroad in Switzerland through UCEAP and discovered a passion for international education and first-generation experiences abroad. Recently, Arturo served as an education abroad advisor at Northern Arizona University and specialized in all programs in Latin America and Spain.

Trung Tran has joined UCEAP as a program coordinator.

While completing his bachelor's degree from UC Los Angeles, Trung studied abroad with UCEAP in Bologna and is now the program coordinator at the Bologna Study Center. He has extensive experience working in international education, particularly with faculty-led programs in Italy. He earned a master's degree in Food History from the University of Bologna and is finishing his second master's degree with a focus on the history of international education at the University of Padua.

After working at the UC Davis Global Learning Hub for the last 10 years, Sarah Wiens is now a program coordinator and advisor.

An alum of UC Berkeley, Sarah studied abroad in London through UCEAP, as well as served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kyrgyzstan. Sarah received a master's degree in International Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Prior to joining UC Davis, she managed a women’s micro-credit program for Winrock International in Kyrgyzstan and interned with Mercy Corps. After working in Washington, DC, for five years, implementing study abroad programs in Africa, Turkey, and Asia, Sarah joined the UC Davis Global Learning Hub. Sarah will be advising for UK-England, Latin America, Canada, and Barbados.

Phoebe Wicks has joined UCEAP as a study abroad advisor.

Phoebe grew up in Uganda and has lived in four countries around the world. She studied abroad in the United Kingdom and Mexico. Phoebe has bachelor's degrees in English Literature and Global Studies from Westmont College in 2021. After studying abroad twice in college—once in the United Kingdom and once in Mexico—Phoebe knows first-hand the transformative experience that cross-cultural study can be. Phoebe's portfolio includes Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland, Barbados, Canada, Brazil, and Sweden.

Xinduo Xiong has joined UCEAP as a study abroad advisor.

Coming from Beijing, Xinduo started her academic journey in the US as a high school exchange student in Minden, La., finishing high school in Redmond, Wash. She received her bachelor’s degree in Communication and Global Studies from UC Santa Barbara, where she participated in a yearlong UCEAP program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2018. Xinduo received her master’s degree in Anthropology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to joining UCEAP, Xinduo worked as a program coordinator on the Global Networks and Professional Exchange team at World Learning in Washington, DC. Xinduo’s portfolio includes Japan, Iceland, India, Dominican Republic, and Czech Republic.

Austin Ye has joined UCEAP as a study abroad advisor.

Hailing from Syracuse, NY, Austin received his bachelor’s degree in East Asian Linguistics, Chinese Studies, and AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Studies from Binghamton University-SUNY in 2020 and his master’s degree in Chinese Studies from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2022. Austin has participated in study abroad programs at the University of Tokyo in Japan and Suzhou University in China. Austin has partial fluency in Mandarin Chinese and is self-studying Japanese. His portfolio includes Spain (summer), China, Taiwan, Botswana, Ghana, Germany, and Israel.

Ashley Arvanites has accepted the role of predeparture managing supervisor.

A UC San Diego alumna, Ashley participated in study abroad programs in Mexico, Peru, Italy, and Egypt during her undergraduate degree. After graduating, she completed her TEFL Certification and worked as an English teacher in Chang Mai, Thailand. She continued her career in International Education as an instructor and academic advisor at UC San Diego Extension’s International Programs. Prior to joining UCEAP, Ashley served as a study abroad program coordinator at the UC Davis Global Learning Hub and as the lead advisor for Inbound and Custom Programs at the UC Irvine Study Abroad Center.

Katerina Georgieva has been elevated to lead program specialist.

While earning her bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and Italian Studies with a minor in Spanish at UC Santa Barbara, Katerina became a three-time UCEAP participant in programs in Italy and Spain. Katerina has been with UCEAP since 2012 and will continue to handle program specialist responsibilities with additional leadership duties, including supervising the UCEAP study abroad advisors.

Monica Macias is taking on the new role of application managing supervisor.

Monica learned about UCEAP during her first week as an undergraduate advisor at UC Santa Barbara as she guided several students returning from Spain and Chile through the course petition process. Four years later she joined UCEAP as a program advisor for Spain and the Americas and transitioned to the role of program specialist in 2013. Monica has strengthened campus relations and foundationally changed our application process by leading the Application Processing Workgroup for several years.

Jessica Muscat is taking on the new role of academic associate program director. She has been an academic specialist at UCEAP for eight years.

Prior to that, Jessica was the academic advisor at the UC San Diego International Programs. She has over 12 years of experience in international education at the University of California. Jessica also worked as an English language professor at Duoc UC, a nonprofit private institute of higher education in Santiago, Chile.

Nancy Osbourne is taking on the role of systemwide travel insurance liaison for the University of California.

UCEAP will host her new unit, Travel Registration and Insurance Services. Nancy will support the International Health, Safety, and Crisis Management team and all campus Risk Management offices with more advanced guidance on complex travel insurance questions and issues. She will also focus on increasing trip registration across the UC system and improving information about the travel insurance available to all UC travelers.

May Ponthongsunun has been promoted to lead program specialist.

May has worked at UCEAP for more than 16 years and has managed the predeparture logistics of various UCEAP programs. May is actively involved in UCEAP’s hybrid outreach efforts and is also highly engaged in DEI initiatives. May earned her undergraduate degree from UC Los Angeles, with a double major in International Development Studies and Sociology and a minor in Southeast Asian Studies. While there, she received a US Department of Education fellowship to study Thai language at Chiang Mai University and later studied abroad in Thailand and Hong Kong through UCEAP. Her international education continued at the University of Nottingham, UK-England, where she received a master's degree in International Studies. In her new role, May will continue to handle program specialist responsibilities as well as new leadership and supervision duties.

Allison Ulona joined the UC Irvine Study Abroad team as the international risk and operations manager.

Allison brings a wealth of experience in global security after working in the private sector, including at the Walt Disney Company and Paramount Pictures. Allison is a current graduate student studying International Relations at American University. Allison is passionate about global security issues and has completed the Private Sector Overseas Seminar Certification from the US State Department, specializing in overseas safety and security risks to American travelers.

Hannah Vander Sal has accepted the role of academics managing supervisor.

Hannah began her involvement with UCEAP as a participant in 2010 when she studied abroad at the University of York, UK-England, through UCEAP as part of her undergraduate degree at UC Davis. After receiving her master’s degree in UK-England, she returned to California and began to work in the nonprofit and education fields until she secured a position at UCEAP in 2015. Since then, she has been assisting UC students in pursuing their study abroad dreams. Hannah started as a program advisor for programs in Europe before she transitioned into the role of academic specialist in 2018. Hannah has shown incredible dedication to UCEAP over the years and her level of knowledge about the academic specialist position will serve her very well as she moves into his new role.

Anabel Garza has left the UCEAP Finance team to become the assistant director of operations at UC Merced.

While at UCEAP, Ana brought a wealth of knowledge regarding student financial aid awards as well as the skills needed to effectively communicate with students. She quickly mastered the new M2 student Portal system as well as becoming knowledgeable with the QuickBooks system used for monthly reporting for her country responsibilities of London and Edinburgh study centers.

Staci Hagen has left UCEAP to become the director of Global Health, Safety, and Risk at Santa Clara University.

Staci served as assistant director for the UCEAP International Health, Safety, and Crisis Management team. As the IHSCM assistant director, she supported the direction and leadership of the team as they facilitated the well-being of University of California students and staff in over 142 locations worldwide. Staci spent six years at UCEAP.

Allison Larson has departed UCEAP to pursue further studies in the field of instructional design.

During her time as a valued member of the Reciprocity team, Allison worked diligently to process student applications, advise students, and support a wide range of initiatives, including marketing, website testing, data management, and serving as a liaison with partners. Allison’s dedication and expertise have helped improve many processes and have made a lasting impact on students.

Nicole Spector has left UCEAP’s Marketing, Communications, and Engagement team to become senior writer: finance for the GOBankingRates website.

While at UCEAP, Nicole contributed to multiple communication channels, including The Californian Abroad, UCEAP website, Explore the World social media campaign, and the UCEAPulse newsletter.

Jason Brown left UCEAP after a nearly 24-year career on the IT team.

Over the course of his work with UCEAP, Jason worked closely with staff in the UCEAP Systemwide Office and at UCEAP Study Centers around the world. He has dedicated his talent and IT skills to serving the organization through numerous growth, contraction, and renewal phases. His contributions have been both substantial and varied. Throughout his tenure, Jason transitioned from team member to leader of the network team, adapting as organizational needs evolved.

Emma Beckman and Jenna Tantillo have left UCSC Global Learning.

Reciprocity Relations Director Paulette Greisner retired from UCEAP at the end of June. She had been with the University of California for nearly four decades, with the majority of her time at UCEAP.

Paulette’s role as manager of inbound students was crucial to UCEAP’s success and enviable reputation. Her work with the earlier regional teams and then with the Global Program Team, as well as with campus registrars, admissions officers, federal government relations staff, and International Students and Scholars staff, was instrumental to Reciprocity’s success. All of us in UCEAP have relied upon Paulette’s wealth of knowledge and experience, and her ability to bring up facts, policies, and earlier communications in the blink of an eye is truly astounding.

Karen Hyslop has retired from UCEAP after 10 years on the Finance team.

Karen was a participant of UCEAP’s yearlong program in Pau/Paris during her junior year at UC Santa Barbara. Following her graduation from UCSB, she worked at Dako for 34 years as the finance manager. In 2014, Karen joined the UCEAP Finance team as an accountant and was promoted to study center supervisor in 2016. Karen was a highly collaborative colleague, serving on several search committees for other units, successfully onboarding numerous study center staff members and faculty directors, and attending study abroad recruitment fairs. In her much-deserved retirement, Karen plans to spend more time with her two grandchildren in Denver, Colo., gardening, yoga, volunteering, and learning how to play pickleball. .

Peggy Kidney is synonymous with the University of California Education Abroad Program in Bologna, Spain.

When she moved from California to Bolognia in 1993, she could not have foreseen that she would become an institution, fundamental to envisioning, creating, and guiding this much-loved program.