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:
- USAC Administration
- Advising
- University Relations
- Health and Safety
- Academic and Enrollment Services
- Advancement and Engagement
- Accounting
- Human Resources
- Information Technology
- 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, University Relations Coordinators, 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.
President/CEO
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.
Director of USAC Advising
Justine Manuel
Advising Department Manager
Emily Schmith
Partnership Program Coordinator
Lead Program Advisor
Programs: Czech Republic and France
Program Advisor
Programs: Thailand, China, and Korea (Winter session)
Program Advisor
Programs: Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, New Zealand, South Africa, and Uruguay
Program Advisor
Programs: England, Ireland, and Scotland
Program Advisor
Programs: Spain (Alicante, Madrid, and Valencia)
Program Advisor
Programs: India, Japan, and Korea (Summer/Fall/Spring sessions)
Program Advisor
Programs: Spain (Bilbao and San Sebastian)
Bonnie Matheson
Program Advisor
Programs: Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden
University Relations
The University Relations team is ready to answer any questions you may have about USAC or our programs. The team works with universities around the country and travel to many study abroad fairs.
If you have general questions about USAC, how to find a program in your major, or anything all, schedule an appointment with the University Relations Coordinator who works with universities in your state.
University Relations Coordinator
States: Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont.
University Relations Coordinator
States: Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas.
University Relations Coordinator
States: Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming.
Thomas Phillips II, M.A., Ph.D.
University Relations Coordinator
States: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia.
University Relations Coordinator
States: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Tennessee, 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 Huskin Rice
Senior Health and Safety Manager & Support Officer
Christine Sieben, Ph.D.
Health and Safety Manager & Support Officer
Victoria West
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.)
Kara Bingham, M.A.
Director of Academic Affairs
Justus Watt, M.A.
Senior Academic Affairs Coordinator
Sonomi Hanspal, M.A.
Academic Affairs Coordinator
Joel Lippert
Senior Enrollment Specialist
Specialty Programs: Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba & Uruguay
Kathryn Rogers
Enrollment Specialist
Specialty Programs: China, Czech Republic, India, Ghana & Thailand
Stacey Arnsdorff
Enrollment Specialist
Partnership Programs: England, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland & Sweden
Specialty Program: Virtual Internships
Rachel Alperstein
Enrollment Specialist
Specialty Programs: England, Ireland & Italy
Phoebe Stears-Macauley
phoebe.stears-macauley@usac.edu
Enrollment Specialist
Partnership Programs: Australia, Israel, Japan, Korea, New Zealand & South Africa
Advancement and Engagement
Advancement and Engagement (A+E) Department comprises five key areas of focus — marketing, creative and web, development/alumni relations, external/internal communications, and PR/media relations.
A+E 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.
Marisa Dylan
Director of Advancement & Engagement
Katrina Raenell
Marketing Communications Manager
Nicole Duxbury
Marketing Communications Specialist
Allie Crichton
Web Content Specialist
Elise Burgess
Freelance Social Media Manager
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
Senior Accountant
Schyler Tune
Staff Accountant I
Cat Thompson, M.Acc.
General Ledger Accountant
Bonnie Hardy
Accounting Administrator
Jason Connolly
Lead Student Accounting Specialist
Jeadene Solberg
Student Accounting Specialist
Kai Mars
Student Accounting Specialist
Ricci Curren
Student Accounting Specialist
Joe Uhrich
Student Accounting Specialist
Isabell De Jesus
Accounting Specialist
Human Resources
Human Resources supports USAC's world-wide employees empowering them to serve students participating in our programs abroad.
Virginia Dunn
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
Ognjen Grubor
Application Specialist
Mason Najima
Support Specialist I
Andrew Zeiser
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 |
| China | Chengdu | Wentao Song |
| China | Shanghai | Jessica Wang |
| Costa Rica | Heredia | Carlos Oviedo |
| Costa Rica | San Ramón | Dr. Carlos Salas |
| Cuba | La Habana | Sebastian Bombi |
| Czech Republic | Prague | Jan Stodola |
| England | London (Summer) | Dr. Jeremy Doughty |
| France | Lyon | Stefano Pizzetti |
| France | Pau | Robina Müller |
| Germany | Lüneburg | Dr. David Gilland |
| India | Bengaluru | Smriti Chhabra |
| Ireland | Cork | Patrick O’Donnell |
| Ireland | Galway (Summer) | Dr. Mark Quigley |
| Italy | Reggio Emilia | Simona Lai |
| Italy | Torino | Eliana Silvestro |
| Italy | Verona | Gozde Lago |
| Italy | Viterbo | Francesca Del Giudice |
| Spain | Alicante | Luis Fernández Rellán |
| Spain | Bilbao/Getxo | Dr. Ibon Zamanillo Elguezabal |
| Spain | Madrid | Dr. Sara Elso |
| Spain | San Sebastián | Dr. Patricia O'Connor |
| Spain | Valencia | Laura Rostowfske Reilly |
| Thailand | Chiang Mai | Chaidarun "Jum" Tippawan |
| Uruguay | Montevideo | Sebastian Bombi |
USAC Partnership Programs
Partnership Programs feature support from the host university and international programs offices.