On-site staff for Lyon, France

The Lyon program has an on-site Resident Director (RD) who provides comprehensive support to students throughout their study abroad experience. RDs are responsible for the academic curriculum and faculty.

The RD meets the group flight at the airport, provides an on-site orientation, takes you to your program housing, and organizes interesting field studies and optional tours.

Meet the Resident Directors

Olga Grebeshkova

Resident Director, Olga Grebeshkova, Ph.D., has been with USAC since 2017. She previously served as the Program Assistant and Internship Coordinator and has worked closely with students, staff, professors, and L’Université Catholique de Lyon (UCLy) over the years.

Born and raised in Russia, she earned her undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in sociolinguistics in Lyon, where she moved at a young age to pursue her studies. She speaks fluent French, Russian, and English.

Joshua Dopkowski

Resident Director, Joshua Dopkowski, is a longtime Lyon resident with a background in higher education, business, technology, and international program support. Originally from the U.S., he has lived and worked in Europe since 2018 and teaches courses in Lyon in several areas, including finance, marketing, digital systems, and artificial intelligence. Joshua enjoys helping students make the challenging but rewarding transition from “visiting France” to actually learning how to live, study, and participate in French daily life.

As Resident Directors for the Lyon program, Olga and Joshua are the main on-site contact for USAC students. They support students with orientation, housing, university integration, local logistics, and communication with the U.S. Central Office, while working closely with our partner university, L’Université Catholique de Lyon (UCLy), and the local community.

Meet the Program Assistant

Sarah Kireche

Sarah Kireche, the Program Assistant, has been with USAC since September 2025. In her role, she works with students, staff, and faculty to support the smooth running of the program. Born and raised in Lyon, Sarah pursued her studies locally before moving farther north. She completed her undergraduate degree in French and Francophone Studies and English Studies in Lyon before earning a Master’s in Multidisciplinary Literature from the University of Lille (Northern France).