Multi-Location Summer - Museums & Beyond: Art & Culture in Paris, Rome & Madrid

Nathalie Lenfant
Center Director - IES Abroad Paris BIA

Nathalie Lenfant has been with IES Abroad Paris since 1998. She was named Associate Director of the Paris French Studies program in 2002, and became the Director of the Paris Business and International Affairs program when it opened in 2007. She holds a Licence degree in English with a specialization in American Civilization from the University of Poitiers, as well as a certificate in translation and interpretation. She has a graduate degree from the Ecole Supérieure de Traducteur Interprète et Commerce Extérieur and from the Catholic University of Lille. During her studies, she spent a year as a foreign exchange student in Richmond, Virginia and a summer at Oregon State University. Prior to joining IES Abroad, Mme. Lenfant worked at the French National Office of AFS (American Field Service) as a regional coordinator of volunteering and as a coordinator of housing, intercultural training, and student activities.

Dott. Gianni Ponti
Center Director - IES Abroad Rome

Dott. Ponti is an archaeologist specialized in Imperial Roman architecture. After earning a BA in Classics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dott. Ponti obtained a Laurea in archaeology from the University of Rome. He has worked on a number of archaeological excavations in the Mediterranean, including Troy, Aphrodisias, and Leptis Magna. His studies and research focus on the use of marble in Roman construction, the ancient marble trade, quarrying and carving techniques. Dott. Ponti has worked on a number of excavations in Rome, including the Palatine Hill and the Imperial Fora. He has done research for the Department of Antiquities on a number of conservation projects including the Ara Pacis, the Column of Trajan and the Arch of Constantine. He is currently directing an excavation at the Villa of Maxentius on the Via Appia, as well as conducting architectural studies at Leptis Magna, Libya, with the Università di Rome Tre. Dott. Ponti has taught at the Istituto Centrale del Restauro of the Department of Antiquities and is currently Archaeology Advisor of the American Academy in Rome. He has been teaching archaeology courses at IES Abroad Rome since 2004. Starting in 2007 he became the Academic Dean of the Rome Center, and, in 2013, became the IES Abroad Rome Center Director.

Elvira Muñoz, Ph.D.
Center Director - IES Abroad Madrid

Dr. Elvira Muñoz has been the IES Abroad Madrid Center Director since 2005. She served a two-year appointment as Associate Director for the Education Abroad program at the University of California Madrid. Her association with the University of California began at UCLA, where she was a Lecturer and Associate Undergraduate Vice Chair of the Mathematics Department, 2000–2002, and visiting Assistant Professor, 1995–2000. Dr. Muñoz received two Distinguished Teaching awards during her career at UCLA. She has also taught mathematics at State University of New York at Stony Brook, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, and Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Mathematics from Université Paris Xi, and a B.S. in Mathematics from Universidad de Salamanca. Her experience abroad also includes work and study in Germany, Sweden, and Brazil.