Experience

EUSA draws on decades of study abroad experience to create customized international academic experiences for our U.S.-based educational partners. In addition to our own background and infrastructure, we also tap into the extensive experience and resources of Boston University, a recognized leader in the field of study abroad.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PROFILES

Dr. Hayes' career embraces both the academic profession and the private sector. He has worked in Madrid for more than 15 years, first as the resident director of two US university study abroad programs, then as the managing partner of Comunicación Sin Fronteras public relations, working for clients like American Airlines, Citibank VISA and Bell Atlantic. He also worked in New York for Hill & Knowlton, then the world's largest public relations firm, and for the past 11 years has been internship director of Boston University 's Madrid Program. Aden is a strong proponent of linking experiential learning to classroom study. He has published both academic and popular books in English and Spanish and has given talks on cross-border internships to the Global International Internship Conference and the British Universities Transatlantic Exchange, among others. He holds a Ph.D from Princeton University.

Favorite travel destination: Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Philippe brings more than a decade of experience in finance to advise EUSA's operations in London, Dublin, Madrid, Paris and Geneva. He currently runs the financial aspects of Boston University 's International Programs Division, which has more than 45 programs in 18 countries focusing on language, liberal arts, fine arts, engineering and science. Prior to Boston University, Philippe served as Finance Director for the Americas Division of Comverse, a leading provider of hardware and software for the telecommunications industry. He is from France, has traveled widely and holds an MBA from Clark University.

Favorite travel destination: Sydney, Paris, Hong Kong, New York and Rio (in that order).

Robert studied Law and Art History at Cambridge University and is a qualified barrister. In 1978, Robert joined Christie's Auction House in London to found a new and innovative education program, which combined academic study and vocational training aimed principally at the future professionals in the art world. The program developed courses in New York and Paris and became a partner group of leading universities in the UK and US. Many of the present-day top auctioneers, dealers, museum curators and art administrators studied on one of the Christie's programs. In 2000 Robert retired from Christie's to devote his time to art critique, writing and lecturing, which he still continues to do. He has published more than 10 books, three of which have won international awards. In January 2005 he was appointed Director of British Programs for Boston University and joined the board of EUSA.

Favorite travel destination: Anywhere with a great Museum.

Tony Johnson
Executive Committee Member and Managing Partner, London

Tony Johnson founded and directed the London Internship Program in 1984, which became the Boston University London Program in 1987, to provide an academic program with a combination of classroom and work experience. Over the years he has placed more than nine thousand university students into professional practice internships in London. With more than two decades of internship placement experience, he has worked with hundreds of sponsor businesses spanning all the industry sectors London offers. Tony has a diverse background that includes co-founding Practicum Europa (an organization focused on intra-European internship placements), working in England's Conservative Party and serving as a trainer in Poland for the National Democratic Institute of Washington, D.C. He is also a published sportswriter. Tony was educated at Haileybury College and Thames Valley University and holds C&UPCA Certificates in Electoral Law.

Favorite travel destination: Pacific North West and anywhere in France at lunchtime.

EUSA TEAM

Samantha Barrett
University Relations Senior Manager, Boston

Samantha Barrett has been in the field on international education for the past three years. Prior to joining the EUSA Boston based team she worked for CIEE as a Project and Event Manager for their Work & Travel USA program. Her previous work experience at a small Boston based start up to working for Mercedes-Benz, Espana developed her ability to roll with the punches and tackle any project!

Samantha comes from a very international background having grown up overseas in Germany, Tanzania the U.S. and Ontario, Canada. While studying at Northeastern University to obtain her Bachelor of Science in International Business and Marketing she spent a year living in Madrid, Spain which she now considers her second home. Fluent in Spanish, Samantha loves any opportunity or reason to travel, and wants other to have the same opportunity of living abroad learning about another culture. As anyone who travels will know you learn a lot through travel about yourself and others. Her passion and dedication to international education is evident when talking about the opportunities for learning and personal and professional growth.

Favorite travel destinations: Gdansk, Poland; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Anywhere in Spain, and Singapore.

Julie Bitaud
Program Director, Paris

Julie joined the EUSA team in October of 2005 following completion of her Master's Degree in Politics from the University of Marne La Vallée where she specialised in cross-cultural communication. She participated in the University of Rennes's Education Abroad Program for a year's exchange at the University of Belfast (Northern Ireland). She also participated in a Work and Travel program in New York in 2003. She is passionate about travel, educational and cultural exchange.

Favorite travel destinations: Any place that she hasn't been on condition that there aren't too many tourists!

Samantha Cooper
Consultant to the Managing Partners

In addition to working, studying and living in Europe, Samantha has traveled extensively and has a passion for the field of study abroad. A Francophile, she lived and studied in Grenoble, France and is a life-student of the French language. She has expertise in both program management and study abroad and has worked in the field in both a university setting and with a study abroad organization. Previously at the University of California 's Education Abroad Program, she now heads up EUSA's Boston office. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Favorite travel destination: Fiji.

Aimee Charest
Program Manager, Paris

A native of Southern Massachusetts, Aimee joined the EUSA Paris team in January 2008. She interned abroad with Boston University's Paris Internship Program during the summer of 2005. After graduating in 2006 with a degree in journalism and minor in French language and literature, Aimee worked for Morrissey & Company, a public relations and reputation management firm in Boston. She enjoys playing tennis, traveling, reading and getting lost in Paris.

Favorite travel destination: Has always been Paris; now excited to find new favorites!

Aline Dimitriou
Program Director, Geneva

Aline has a Bachelor's degree in "Foreign languages applied to International Business" and a Master's degree in "International Business Negotiations". Aline has worked for Leroy Consultants - BPI Group, a consulting company in Human Resources and has also worked for IAESTE (International Association for the Exchange of students for Technical Experience) founded by the UNESCO. Additionally, Aline spent her "senior" year of university at UT-Austin (a EUSA Partner Uni) and her "Junior" year in Barcelona.

Favorite travel destination: South Brazil, South of France and Portugal.

Kate Duffy
Placement Director, London

Favorite travel destination: Thailand.

Joe Dwyer
Placement Manager and Counsellor (MBACP), London

Joe is an American who has lived in London since 1992, having first arrived on the BUNAC Work in Britain Program in 1989. His experience includes seven years with the Council on International Educational Exchange, where he created a service to advise and assist UK and international students searching for internship opportunities in the US. While with CIEE, he completed an MA in Psychotherapy and Counseling at Regent's College, London in addition to working for two years as an Associate Counselor with the University of Greenwich. Joe has a strong interest in the personal side of the international experience and encourages students to see their placement in terms of personal as well as professional development. He earned his BA in English and Political Science and from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Favorite travel destination: Italy.

Sylvia Earley
Program Administrator, Dublin

Sylvia Earley earned a degree in English and History from NUI, Maynooth before going on to complete a Master’s degree in Modern History from Trinity College, Dublin. She subsequently become an editor and continues to carry out freelance editorial work when not working with EUSA, Dublin. In her spare time she enjoys travel, cooking, going to concerts and raising money for, and awareness of, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

Favorite travel destinations: California, New York and any part of Italy.

Kaitlin Gibson
Program Director, London

A California native, Kaitlin studied abroad in London during college and returned to London after graduation. She worked for EUSA's affiliate, Boston University British Programs, for two-and-a half years before joining the EUSA team full time. She graduated from Claremont McKenna College in 2002 with a dual degree in Government and Spanish.

Favorite travel destination: Mammoth, California.

Xavier Gonzalez Del Valle
Consultant, Paris

Xavier Gonzalez del Valle earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations from the Universidad Complutense in Madrid. He has since honed his experience in management consulting for business and educational institutions on a Europe-wide scale (AIESEC in Paris, Council on International Educational Exchanges in Paris, Columbus in Paris, European Institute of Education and Social Policy in Paris, Experiment in Paris, Observatory of the Magna Charta Universitatum in Bologna, Socrates & Youth technical assistance office in Brussels, University Language Centre in Buenos Aires). He directs the educational consulting firm, Aquarius Educational Group, and has authored numerous studies commissioned by public and private institutions, including the European Union, in the area of education and training. He joined EUSA in June 2002.

Favorite travel destinations: Anywhere with a combination of sun, water, sports and culture.

Hendrik Grobbelaar
Finance Director

Originally from South Africa, Hendrik moved to the UK in 2003 after completing my Bachelor of Commerce degree in Financial Accounting and joined EUSA in July 2007. Prior to EUSA Hendrik been working as Financial Controller for American InterContinental University with campuses in the US, UK and UAE. He is passionate about traveling and learning about new cultures and places.

Favorite travel destinations: USA, anywhere sunny!

Catherine Hanley
Development Director

Catherine Hanley has more than a decade of marketing/communications and business consulting experience in a variety of industries, but has particular specialization in the educational services sector, focusing on both international education and educational publishing. Catherine has worked both in the U.S. and Europe to develop and market educational products and services and has classroom teaching experience in both Spain and the Republic of South Korea. She grew up on three continents, has traveled to more than 40 countries and is passionate about the educational importance of study-abroad. Catherine holds an Ed.M from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Favorite travel destinations: Ronda, Spain.

Devon Seward Howland
Program Director, San Francisco

Devon has a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Master's studies in Labor & Industrial Relations and Human Resources Management. He worked in the corporate world for Boeing and Bank of America in College Recruiting & Relations roles. He was in Career Services in Employer Relations and Career Advising at the University of Chicago and, his alma mater, Illinois State University. He was also employed in the non-profit sector for INROADS, the leading US internship organization for students of color. Devon completed several marathons and is training for running and biking and events in Northern California.

Favorite travel destinations: San Francisco, CA; Sanibel Island, FL and Anchorage, Alaska.

Caitlin Jones
Program Manager, Madrid

Caitlin Loesch Jones hails from Boston MA. She received her Bachelors degree in theatre performance and sociology from the University of Miami, FL. Her dual citizenship to the UK and the U.S has afforded her a great deal of work/study abroad experience over the years and developed her appreciation for educational travel. Before coming to EUSA, Caitlin spent a year working for Viajes Araque, a Madrid based provider for ACIS.

Favorite travel destinations: Rome, Kenya, Mykenos.

Tom Kelley
Program Director, Dublin

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Tom completed his Bachelors degree in History at Kenyon College. Subsequently he went to Trinity College, Dublin, where he did a Masters in Reformation and Enlightenment studies as well as a doctorate in Irish History, specializing in sectarian conflict in 19th Century Ireland. After lecturing at Trinity, Tom ventured into academic administration, first in the School of English at Trinity College, Dublin and then as Dean of Academic Affairs at the Institute of Business and Technology in Dublin. While committed to academic development, Tom also plays left field for the Irish National Baseball team. Tom holds dual citizenship with the USA and Ireland.

Favorite travel destinations: Poland, Croatia, West of Ireland.

Julie Kelly
Operations Director

Julie is an American who has lived in London for over 20 years and developed a passion for study abroad when she spent a year at University of London. Her experience within the field has come from 15 years working for study abroad programmes in London, focusing on internship programmes. Julie has also worked with political consultancy groups in London on a freelance basis. Julie has a BA in history from Southern Methodist University. Julie loves to travel and is always planning her next trip.

Favorite travel destinations: Abaco Islands, Bahamas, Umbria, and Tuscany.

Linda Miles
Program Manager, London

Although, originally from the Washington DC area, Linda has spent several years away from home and enjoys traveling and living abroad. She graduated from Virginia Tech in 2005 with a degree in International Relations and worked at Virginia Tech's study abroad office as a peer advisor. Half Swedish, Linda has studied in both Sweden and Spain. More recently she has taught English in Madrid and Prague.

Favorite travel destinations: Any big mountain with fresh snow on a clear day.

Becky Milsted
Placement Manager, London

Becky holds a BA (Hons) degree in Literature and Writing from the University of Derby as well as a Masters degree in Critical Theory from the University of Nottingham. Since leaving University, Becky has worked in both operations management and account management for clients in various sectors within the telecommunications and IT industry. Becky has also spent some time in Seoul, South Korea as an English teacher. Becky has a passion for adventure travel and has travelled to far flung places such as Papua New Guinea, Sao Tome and Guyana.

Favorite travel destinations: Poland, Slovenia and Uganda.

Hazel Moloney
Program Manager, Dublin

Hazel Moloney studied Politics and Greek & Roman Civilization in University College Dublin. While completing a Masters in Classical Civilization, she tutored undergraduates in the Dept of Classical Studies and went on to teach a course to students in the north and south of Ireland on ancient history as an Associate Lecturer in the Open University. After completing a Masters in Politics, she worked at the Institute for British-Irish Studies for 18 months as a project assistant. She went on to teach various politics, history, and sociology courses for EUSA Dublin, Boston University and the School for International Training. She has recently returned from a two year stint in Paris where she taught marketing and advertising professionals how to make their pitches sound exciting to Anglophone clients.

Favorite travel destinations: must include cafe terraces and people watching.

Kate Moore
North America Senior Manager

Kate's experience in internship and recruitment based work includes National Recruiter for the Association of State PIRGs focusing on experienced candidates, alumni involvement, and lateral recruitment. Prior to that she served as Director of Internships for American University in Washington D.C. where she oversaw the placement of 1,200 student interns for all Washington-based programs, including six summer and 40 traditional semester programs each year. Kate has also worked with the Close Up Foundation as their Academic Outreach and Government Relations Manager. She has a Master's degree from Eastern University in Nonprofit Management and a Bachelor's degree from American University in International Studies. As a student Kate participated in American University's World Capitals Program in Vienna, Austria.

Favorite travel destinations: Monet's Giverny and Angkor Wat.

Cristin O'Gorman
EUSA Administrator, London

Cristin has recently moved to London from Ireland. She holds a B.A. (Hons) degree in French and History, and is very interested in working within the Education Sector and learning more about the Study Abroad sector. Cristin has worked in several capacities as an Administrator including Clanwilliam Institute, Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre in Dublin and the Musée du Chocolat, Biarritz, France. Cristin has also volunteered with the Lasallian Developing World Project in Ethiopia.

Favorite travel destinations: Anywhere that doesn't rain as much as it does in Ireland!

Matt Ramagli
Program Manager, Geneva

Matt relocated to Switzerland in January of 2007 after completing his postgraduate studies at the Glion Institute of Higher Education, earning a postgraduate diploma in Sports, Leisure and Events Management. Prior to accepting his position with EUSA Geneva in November 2007, he worked with an independent jazz record label based in New York City for four years, with a focus on Artist Management, Concert Promotion, Tour Management and Concert Booking. His undergraduate studies were done at the Ohio State University, and he is an avid fan of all Cleveland's professional sports teams.

Favorite travel destinations: New York City, Rome, Provence.

Brooke Roberts
University Relations Manager, Boston

Brooke joined EUSA in February 2007. Although originally from Kansas, Brooke has always been a wonderer and she spent much of her undergraduate experience studying abroad: a semester in Geneva, a summer in France, and another semester studying at the London School of Economics, where she also did an internship in the British Parliament House of Commons. After receiving a B.A. in International Affairs and Political Science from Northeastern University, Brooke moved to the wonderful world of Ohio to begin her M.A. in College Student Personnel at Bowling Green State University. While a graduate student, Brooke worked as the advisor in the study abroad office and as a Residence Director at Baldwin-Wallace College. Following the completion of her graduate degree, instead of getting a 'real job,' Brooke moved to southern China where she taught English for six months at Beijing Normal University-Zhuhai. International experiences have defined her academic, professional, and personal life, and Brooke is excited to encourage more students explore the other side of the rainbow. She loves Indian food, hates peanut butter, and enjoys beer and wine tasting.

Favorite travel destinations: London, Hong Kong, and her farm in Kansas.

Almendra Staffa-Healey
Program Director, Madrid

Almendra has been working for seven years in foreign languages and four years in Study Abroad as Resident Director and Academic Director for US University programs in Madrid. She was born in Spain to American parents, and has lived, studied and worked extensively in both countries. She holds a Bachelor's degree from NYU in Art History, and an MBA from the Instituto de Estudios Bursátiles, an institution associated with the Universidad Complutense of Madrid and the Madrid Stock Exchange. Her professional focus has been cross-cultural understanding through education and she has recently published a guidebook commissioned by the European Union on perfecting foreign language and interpersonal skills through internships abroad.

Favorite travel destination: Italy.

Tanya Stevens
Placement Manager, London

Originally from New York, Tanya studied in London through Boston University in Fall 2002 and has been in the UK ever since. After completing a EUSA organized internship at the House of Commons, she graduated with a BA in International Relations and BS in Print Journalism. She began working for EUSA in 2003 and simultaneously earned an MsC in Public Policy at UCL and interned at the British Institute of International & Comparative Law. Tanya worked at EUSA for 3.5 years before pursuing a graduate position in Operations at Lehman Brothers. Her interest in the growing policy & development aspects of the academic internship experience and belief in study abroad as a vehicle for expanding student horizons brought her back to EUSA in 2007. She enjoys travel, writing, Pilates and salsa dancing.

Favorite travel destinations: Bruges, Venice.

Michael Thornhill
Academic Director

Michael was educated at the University of Leeds (B.A. hons), the London School of Economics (M.A.) and St Antony's College, Oxford (D. Phil). He has held lecturing positions with the universities of Oxford and Boston, and was Research Co-ordinator of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, which was published in 60 volumes - and 60 million words - in 2004. His research interests include British and American foreign policy since 1945, the politics of the Middle East, and the history of popular music. He has written numerous scholarly articles and contributed pieces for the Times Literary Supplement, BBC History Magazine, the ( London ) Times, and Egypt 's Al-Ahram Weekly.

Favorite travel destination: The Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

Nuria Velázquez
Placement Director, Madrid

Nuria Velázquez holds a degree in Primary and Special Education from the Escuela Universitaria La Salle in Madrid. In addition to academic credentials in education, Nuria has a background in the private sector in publications and public relations. She worked with international clients such as Citibank and American Airlines and local journalists. For the past eight years she has been working in higher education as placement director for internships in Madrid.

Favorite travel destination: Egypt.

Sean Williams
Program Director, Boston and New York

Sean has passion for international education, and has had a range of professional experiences in the fields of law, finance, business, and academia. Sean has worked for John Hancock Financial Services and Financial Times Interactive, among other private sector companies. More recently, he has worked for the Cambridge Public Schools Bilingual Department and the Smithsonian Journeys division of EF Education. In his leisure time, Sean enjoys playing tennis, basketball, and the drums. Likewise, he enjoys going to wine-tastings, art exhibits, used-book stores, and 'getting his groove on' at music venues. Sean has a Master's Degree from the London School of Economics and a Bachelors degree from Connecticut College, in which he spent his junior year abroad at New College, Oxford University.

Favorite travel destinations: London, Sevilla, and Nice.

Rebecca Woolf
Communications Senior Manager

Originally from the US, Rebecca has lived in Ireland continuously since 1996. Prior to launching EUSA's Dublin office in 2002 where she served as Program Director for nearly six years, Rebecca divided her time between academic research in English and Irish literature and work in marketing and operations for Cisco Systems, Global Knowledge, and Hewlett-Packard. She holds degrees in literature from Smith College and the University of Dublin (Trinity College), and has teaching and residential life experience working with students ranging in age from 11 to 24. Rebecca is a passionate voting rights activist, and is a frequent contributor to the Irish media on the topic of US politics.

Favorite travel destinations: San Francisco, Rome, and the Berkshires

Emily Wray
Placement Manager, London

Emily has joined the EUSA London team from Seattle Washington in 2007. After studying abroad in Nantes, France in college, she graduated from the University of Washington with her Bachelors degree in Business Administration, concentration Marketing and a Certificate of International Studies in Business, concentration French. Emily has most recently worked as a Business and Marketing teacher at a public high school in Washington. She enjoys traveling to new places, camping with friends and family and her granny's hobby, knitting.

Favorite travel destinations: Cinque Terre, Barcelona and home (San Juan Islands).