Staffing Updates July 2018
Authored By:
Africa & Middle East
Lara Dunwell - Director,
Global Institute - Cape Town
Lara has held portfolios at the University of Cape Town in the field of international education since 2001. Most recently, she managed the semester study abroad program at UCT – the largest of its kind in South Africa – and in that role served as CIEE’s main partner for our popular Arts and Sciences program. Lara has a Master’s in English Language and Literature from UCT, and currently serves on the management council of the International Education Association of South Africa.
Asia Pacific
Thomas Uehara - Executive Director,
CIEE Asia
In this role, Thomas is responsible for serving as the senior officer for CIEE in Japan—a business headquartered in Tokyo with a branch office in Kyoto, and responsible for managing CIEE-Taiwan and CIEE’s WFOE in China. Thomas comes to us from British Council, a cultural relations arm of the British Embassy, where most recently he managed operations across all English services in Thailand. Thomas is a proven leader with wide-ranging experience managing multiple stakeholder interests in complex profit and non-profit environments.
Europe
Melinda Pap - Interim Director,
CIEE Budapest
Melinda has been working as Program Coordinator for CIEE Budapest since 2017. Before joining CIEE, Melinda worked at Budapest Metropolitan University and Budapest Business School. She holds two master's degrees, one in English Language and Literature and the other in Communication.
Renée Spruit - Interim Director,
CIEE Brussels
Renee Spruit, the current Director of CIEE Amsterdam, will take on the role of Interim Director for CIEE Brussels while we search for a permanent Director. Renee will be transitioning out of her Director role in Amsterdam in mid- August. Her new position as Interim Director in Brussels will take effect on August 16.
Rasmus Wendt - Academic Director,
Global Institute - Copenhagen
Previously, Rasmus served as the president for California International Business University and was also a professor at the MBA program. He has a background in international economics and holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. from Roskilde University in Denmark. Rasmus has been a senior adviser working with innovation policy and international trade under the Nordic Council of Ministers. He worked several years as international adviser and trade expert at the Confederation of Danish industry and has advised the Danish Government and the European Commission on Free Trade Agreements. Rasmus has been a research fellow and external lecturer at Roskilde University and published a number of articles and teaching material within international politics and economics.
Latin America
Lucia Agüero - Academic Coordinator, Global Institute - Buenos Aires
Lucía has been working with international education for more than a decade. As a Professor in Spanish and Latin-American Literature from Buenos Aires, she has taught Spanish as a Second Language to students of all ages and continents. At CIEE Buenos Aires, she has taught Spanish, organized exchange sessions between US students and Argentineans, and coordinated the Multimedia Storytelling High School study abroad. In addition to teaching, she is part of a research group which focuses on Latin American Literature and Gender Studies. She is also in the process of writing her first short story book as part of her master's degree in Creative Writing.
Natalia Castro - FAC and Internships Coordinator, Global Institute - Santiago
After more than 5 years working for CIEE Valparaiso as Academic Coordinator, Natalia transferred to CIEE Santiago Global Institute in July 2018. Natalia has a Bachelor of Arts in language translation, a bachelor’s degree in languages, and is finishing her master’s degree in International Relations from Universidad Tecnológica de Chile.
Carolina Elgueta - Director,
CIEE Valparaiso
Carolina, a native of Valparaiso, has over 10 years of experience managing programs for international students, including faculty-led programs and internships, at her Alma Mater, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso (PUCV). She earned her bachelor's degree in Business Administration at PUCV. As an undergraduate, she was an international exchange student in Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico. She also earned a master's degree in Sustainability from UNED, Spain. Carolina is fluent in Spanish and English, and has beginning proficiency in Portuguese.
Natalia Nadal - Director of Student Life, Global Institute - Buenos Aires
Natalia has been working in international education for 25 years. She has experience teaching Spanish as a Foreign and Second language. She has developed two different exchange programs for two different institutions for High School students and University students from five different continents. She has a 5-year degree in Language and Literature and a graduate degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language. She has travelled around the world and lived in Canada for 4 years - two things that have opened her mind and eyes to the beautiful diverse world we live in.
Maria Jose Olivares - Academic Coordinator, CIEE Valpariso
Maria Jose has a BA in English and is a translator of English into Spanish. Since 2017, she has been studying for a master's degree in Applied Linguistics for Language Education, focusing her research on intercultural education. She has over 5 years of experience working with people and languages.
Juana Pueyrredon - Student Life Assistant, Global Institute - Buenos Aires
Juana spent eight years teaching English in an elementary school in Buenos Aires and since 2014 has worked as an Event Producer. In her spare time, Juana enjoys singing, traveling, playing soccer, and performing musical comedy. She especially loves meeting new people and exploring cultural activities around the city she calls home.