Staff
USAC staff are here to provide you with personalized support throughout your study abroad experience. We are comprised of staff located in the Central Office in Reno, Nevada, and program on-site staff or support of varying levels depending on location.
Departments
- Academic and Enrollment Services
- Accounting
- USAC Administration
- Advising
- Health and Safety
- Human Resources
- Information Technology
- Institutional Relations
- Marketing, Communications and Engagement
- Staff Abroad
Central Office Staff
The USAC Central Office is located in Reno, Nevada on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno. The office is composed of Program Advisors, Institutional Relations Officers, Enrollment Representatives, Accounting Specialists, and other staff who are here to provide personalized pre-departure advising and support you throughout your study abroad experience.
USAC Administration
Alyssa Nota, Ph.D.
(she/her)
President/CEO
Strategic Initiatives/Special Projects
Amanda Stewart
Special Projects & Alumni Development Officer
Advising
USAC Program Advisors are your main contact for questions about your program site, housing abroad, student visa process, travel plans, health and safety, pre-departure and arrival information, scholarships, and more. They are also the primary contact for students when they are studying abroad.
If you have questions about a specific USAC program or country and would like to chat one-on-one about it, please find the corresponding USAC Program Advisor below to schedule an appointment.
Cami Alfaro, M.S.
(she/her)
Director of Advising
Justine Manuel
(she/her)
Manager of Advising
Emily Schmith
(she/her)
Partnership Program Coordinator
Alissa Qualheim, M.Ed.
(she/her)
Partnership Program Coordinator
(she/her)
Lead Program Advisor
Programs: Germany and Spain (Madrid)
(they/them)
Program Advisor
Programs: Czech Republic, France, and Portugal
(he/him)
Program Advisor
Programs: Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, India, Japan, and New Zealand
(she/her)
Program Advisor
Program: Spain (Alicante and San Sebastián) and Sweden
(she/her)
Program Advisor
Programs: England, Ireland, Israel, Scotland, and South Africa
(she/her)
Program Advisor
Programs: Netherlands and Spain (Bilbao and Valencia)
USAC/UNR Advising
Institutional Relations
The Institutional Relations team is ready to answer any questions you may have about USAC or our programs. The team works with universities, colleges, and other institutions around the country and travel to many study abroad fairs.
Richard Menard
Director of Institutional Relations
States: Idaho and Washington
(she/her)
Institutional Relations Officer
States: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
(she/her)
Institutional Relations Officer
States: Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
(she/her)
Institutional Relations Officer
States: Alabama, Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and U.S. Virgin Islands
(he/him)
Institutional Relations Officer
States: Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont
(he/him)
Institutional Relations Officer
States: Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia
(he/him/his)
Institutional Relations Officer
States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Oregon
Thomas Phillips II, M.A., Ph.D.
(he/him)
Institutional Relations Officer
States: Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
Health and Safety
The Health and Safety team is your primary resource for questions regarding your health, safety, and security on USAC programs. Contact the Health and Safety Team with questions and concerns regarding travel, insurance, and other well-being abroad inquiries.
Elizabeth Rice
(she/her)
Senior Health and Safety Manager
Christine Sieben, Ph.D.
(she/her)
Health and Safety Manager & Support Officer
Victoria West
(she/her)
Health and Safety Assistant
Academic and Enrollment Services
Academic and Enrollment Services is your best resource for questions about your application or our admissions process, internship placements, course registration, syllabi, and academic records (i.e., transcripts and grades.) Schedule an appointment with one of our Enrollment Specialists.
Kara Bingham, M.A.
(she/her)
Director of Academic Affairs
Justus Watt, M.A.
(he/him)
Registrar
Stacey Arnsdorff
(she/her)
Assistant Registrar
Valentina Ossio-Marin
(she/her)
Registration Assistant
Jillian Kent, M.A.
(she/her)
International Student Coordinator/
Scholarships Administration
Joel Lippert
(he/him)
Senior Enrollment Specialist
Specialty Programs: Czech Republic, Germany, and Spain (Bilbao and San Sebastían)
Rachel Alperstein
(she/her)
Lead Enrollment Specialist
Specialty Programs: Italy
Stephanie Seitz, M.Ed.
(she/her)
Lead Enrollment Specialist
Specialty Programs: India, Spain
(Alicante, Madrid, and Valencia),
and Virtual Internships
Ashleigh Patton
(she/her)
Enrollment Specialist
Specialty Programs: Ireland
Partnership Programs: England, Ireland, New Zealand, and Scotland
Kathryn "Kat" Rogers
(she/her)
Enrollment Specialist
Specialty Programs: France
Partnership Programs: Australia, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden
Esmeralda Rosales
(she/her)
Enrollment Specialist
Specialty Programs: Chile, China,
Costa Rica, Cuba, Thailand (Chiang Mai),
and Uruguay
Partnership Programs: Thailand (Khon Kaen)
Phoebe Stears-Macauley
(she/her)
phoebe.stears-macauley@usac.edu
Enrollment Specialist
Partnership Programs: Israel, Japan, Korea, and South Africa
Marketing, Communications and Engagement
The Marketing, Communications and Engagement Department comprises five key areas of focus — marketing, creative and web, development/alumni relations, external/internal communications, and PR/media relations.
The team provides strategic and creative counsel, facilitates connections across our target audiences, and enhances the engagements and experiences others have with USAC with the ultimate goals of advancing USAC's mission by enhancing its brand, reputation, visibility, and audience engagement.
This is accomplished through integrated and innovative approaches to marketing, creative communications, and fundraising/development solutions. Contact us at marketing@usac.edu
Marisa Dylan
(she/her)
Director of Marketing, Communications and Engagement
Bill Goloski
(he/him)
Marketing Communications Manager
Lauren Broce
(she/her)
Social Media Manager
Allie Crichton
(she/her)
Web Content Specialist
Accounting
The Accounting Department is ready to help you with billing, payment, budget sheets, and financial aid consortium agreements.
David Mustard, CPA
Director of Finance
Shelly Bass
Accounting Operations Manager
Leah Radcliffe
Accounting Supervisor
Bonnie Hardy
Accounting Administrator
Schyler Tune
Staff Accountant I
Isabell De Jesus
Staff Accountant
Tim Smith
Financial Planning & Analysis
Kai Mars
(he/him)
Accounting Systems Analyst
Jason Connolly
Lead Student Accounting Specialist
Ricci Curren
Student Accounting Specialist
Jeadene Solberg
(she/her)
Student Accounting Specialist
Nicholas Steiner
(he/him)
Student Accounting Specialist
Joe Uhrich
Student Accounting Specialist
Human Resources
Human Resources supports USAC's world-wide employees empowering them to serve students participating in our programs abroad.
Virginia Dunn
(she/her)
Director of Human Resources
Stacey Puentes
Senior Human Resources Representative
Information Technology
The Information Technology Department oversees network administration and application development, and supports users of the USAC Gateway and Global online portals.
Fritz Roske
Director of Information Technology
Josh Black
Software Development Manager
Francisco Becerra-Ortiz
(he/him)
Software Developer I
Yasiel Sanchez
(he/him)
Software Developer II
Jaroan Tatum
Software Developer I
Ognjen Grubor
Application Specialist
Mason Najima
(he/him)
Support Specialist I
Andrew Zeiser
(he/him)
Server and Cloud Systems Administrator
Staff Abroad
USAC programs offer on-site staff and support at varying levels depending on the program. Learn more about on-site staff on the program pages.
USAC Specialty Programs
Specialty Programs feature full-time, on-site support from USAC Resident Directors, staff, and faculty. Resident Directors run and manage the entire program on-site including academics, hiring, planning, emergency support, and more.
| Country | Program | Resident Directors |
|---|---|---|
| Chile | Santiago | Jorge Molina (he/him) |
| China | Chengdu | Wentao Song (she/her) |
| Shanghai | Jessica Wang | |
| Costa Rica | Heredia | Carlos Oviedo |
| San Ramón | Dr. Carlos Salas | |
| Cuba | La Habana | Sebastian Bombi |
| Czech Republic | Prague | Jan Stodola |
| England | London (Summer) | Dr. Jeremy Doughty (he/him) |
| France | Lyon | Stefano Pizzetti (he/him) |
| Pau | Robina Müller | |
| Germany | Lüneburg | Dr. David Gilland |
| India | Bengaluru | |
| Ireland | Cork | Patrick O’Donnell |
| Galway (Summer) | Dr. Mark Quigley | |
| Italy | Reggio Emilia | Simona Lai |
| Torino | Eliana Silvestro | |
| Verona | Gözde Lago | |
| Viterbo | Francesca Del Giudice | |
| Spain | Alicante | Luis Fernández Rellán |
| Bilbao/Getxo | Dr. Ibon Zamanillo Elguezabal | |
| Madrid | Dr. Sara Elso | |
| San Sebastián | Dr. Miriam Diaz Granado | |
| Valencia | Laura Rostowfske Reilly | |
| Thailand | Chiang Mai | Chaidarun "Jum" Tippawan (she/her) |
| Uruguay | Montevideo | Sebastian Bombi |
USAC Partnership Programs
Partnership Programs feature support from the host university and international programs offices.