Center Directors
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Meet our Center Directors, the greatest force in study abroad!
Chantal Omloo earned an M.A. in the History of International Relations at the University of Utrecht and an MSc in Development Studies at the School for Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. Her academic focus was centered on economic development in Sub Saharan Africa, and she has published a number of articles in this field.
Prior to joining IES Abroad in 2001, Chantal worked for Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), an NGO based in the United Kingdom. Chantal managed customized programs for IES Abroad out of the London Center before moving back to her native Netherlands to become our Amsterdam Center Director.
Originally from the Netherlands, Hester has been a long-time resident of Arles. She earned her Master's degree in French language and literature from the University of Amsterdam and during her undergraduate years was an exchange student at the University of Lyon and in Annecy. She is passionate about travel and exchange and is particularly eager to share her knowledge and appreciation of Arles with future IES students.
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Chris McMillan completed a PhD in Sociology at Massey University before to moving to London in 2010. While in London, Chris worked with study abroad students at Arcadia University and New York University’s London centers and developed a particular passion for experiential education and working with students.
Chris moved home to Auckland with his family in 2021 and was delighted to join IES Abroad. In addition to working with IES Abroad, Chris is an active teacher and researcher with a particular interest in cities and the sociology of sport.
Dr. Cèsar Alegre Alsina has been the Director of our Barcelona programs since 2008. He is originally from Barcelona and speaks Spanish, Catalan, and English fluently. He brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education to IES Abroad, including a noteworthy teaching career in the United States, experience in student services, and a strong research portfolio. Before coming to IES Abroad, Dr. Alegre Alsina taught Spanish language, as well as Spanish and Hispanic Culture and Literature at Amherst College for 16 years. He is the author of a book on Hispanic Americans (Scholastic), and has contributed to the Encyclopedia of Hispanic Americans (BRG Oxford) and numerous articles and reviews in American and international journals. Dr. Alegre Alsina received his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Auburn University, his Master’s degree in Hispanic Literature at Auburn University, and his doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Barbara holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. degree in political science from the University of Mannheim in Germany. She also studied for a year at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore with a fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD. Barbara conducted her Ph.D. research on the legitimacy of non-governmental organizations in global governance with a case study on women’s NGOs in the United Nations system. She has taught and published on civil society in global and European politics and on international relations theory. From 2007 to 2017, Barbara headed curricular affairs and admissions at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, a distinguished international graduate school that focuses on public policy and international affairs.
Ariel Yablon has more than 20 years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate students at local, regional, and international institutions. He has served as Academic Dean of the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLASCO) Buenos Aires, as Center Director at CEA Buenos Aires, and as Academic Dean and Associate Director of the IES Abroad Buenos Aires Center from 2008 to 2012. Ariel earned his PhD. in Latin American History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and has received grants from the Social Sciences Research Council, the Tinker Foundation, and the Newberry Library. He has published articles in prestigious academic journals such as the Journal of Latin American Studies and has presented his work at international conferences organized by, among others, the American Historical Association and the Latin American Studies Association. As a content writer, he was contributed to two major documentary series for the Argentine Public Television channel, and The History Channel.
David Reiersgord is the Center Director and Academic Manager at IES Abroad Cape Town. He holds a Master of Arts in English Literature from Stellenbosch University, where his thesis focused on metaphors of narrative in South African author Marlene van Niekerk’s novels Triomf (1995) and Agaat (2004). He has taught in the English and Linguistics Departments at the University of Stellenbosch, as part of the Extended Degree Programme, and worked as the Assistant Director of AIFS – Stellenbosch, with American exchange students. His research interests are in South African politics, fiction, narrative form, narrative temporalities, non-human histories and the relationship between the individual and the nation. He writes political commentary in South Africa’s online publication Daily Maverick, and reviews books in South Africa’s print newspaper Business Day.
Megan Markey earned an MBA in Education Management from the Institute of Education, University of London, and a Masters in Sociology from University College Dublin. Employed by IES Abroad since 2004, Megan teaches our community-based learning seminar, Service Learning: Youth Engagement and Education in Ireland. She has also taught qualitative research for the Sociology Department at University College Dublin. Megan was the Assistant Director of the Dublin Center from 2010-2014 and became the Center Director in 2015.
Merle Peitsmeyer has worked in multiple capacities at IES Abroad since 2002. Among her many accomplishments, Merle was instrumental in designing our Environment Studies & Science academic program, in addition to managing IES Abroad’s relationship with Universität Freiburg, which allows our students the opportunity to enroll in courses with local students in a variety of disciplines. She studied abroad at a young age in Brazil and Southern California, and carried out various internships in the US, which ignited her passion for international education. Merle is an alumna of the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg with a degree in Political Science and English.
Merle Peitsmeyer has worked in multiple capacities at IES Abroad since 2002. Among her many accomplishments, Merle was instrumental in designing our Environment Studies & Science academic program, in addition to managing IES Abroad’s relationship with Universität Freiburg, which allows our students the opportunity to enroll in courses with local students in a variety of disciplines. She studied abroad at a young age in Brazil and Southern California, and carried out various internships in the US, which ignited her passion for international education. Merle is an alumna of the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg with a degree in Political Science and English.
Dr. Javier Martínez de Velasco has been the Center Director of the IES Abroad Granada Center since 2005. He received his doctorate in Hispanic Literature from the University of Kansas with a concentration in International Theater, and his Bachelor’s in English Philology from Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. He was a professor at Central Washington University, including the William O. Douglas Honors College, from 1994 to 2002, teaching Hispanic and Latin American Literature and Spanish. He developed a Spanish language program for Spanish Speakers at CWU and directed CWU’s Summer Program with the University of La Coruña in Galicia, Spain. As a complement to his academic work, he is an accomplished theater director.
John brings over 15 years of experience with IES Abroad, including seven years with IES Abroad Milan and nearly three years with IES Abroad Siena before coming to IES Abroad London. Here, he oversees all programs in London and Oxford. During his time in Siena, John developed and implemented a banner program with a strong focus on cultural immersion and academic rigor. In Milan, he played a key role in improving and developing the Milan program, notably in the areas of student housing, student activities, orientation, and supervision of the student services staff. Prior to working for IES Abroad, John received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Italian Literature and Art History from Brigham Young University and worked in Geneva for the United Nations.
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 also has 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 considerable experience abroad also includes work and study in Germany, Sweden, and Brazil.
For more than 20 years, Roberto Andreoni has been the Director of the Milan program. Dr. Andreoni holds a doctorate in Music from the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his undergraduate degrees at the Conservatorio G. Verdi in Milan and the Civica Scuola di Musica. He has previously served as the director of the Civica Scuola di Musica in Assago and Milan. Dr. Andreoni is an internationally recognized composer whose works are regularly commissioned, performed, published, and recorded. Dr. Andreoni also serves as the Music Coordinator for IES Abroad Milan and is a professor of Composition at the Conservatorio di Musica G. Rossini in Pesaro. During Fall 2010, he was the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence for Music and Italian Studies at Scripps College.
Ariel Yablon
Center Director - IES Abroad Buenos Aires
Ariel Yablon has more than 20 years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate students at local, regional, and international institutions. He has served as Academic Dean of the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLASCO) Buenos Aires, as Center Director at CEA Buenos Aires, and as Academic Dean and Associate Director of the IES Abroad Buenos Aires Center from 2008 to 2012. Ariel earned his PhD. in Latin American History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and has received grants from the Social Sciences Research Council, the Tinker Foundation, and the Newberry Library. He has published articles in prestigious academic journals such as the Journal of Latin American Studies and has presented his work at international conferences organized by, among others, the American Historical Association and the Latin American Studies Association. As a content writer, he was contributed to two major documentary series for the Argentine Public Television channel, and The History Channel.
María del Carmen Cortés Arce
Center Director - IES Abroad Santiago
A native of Santiago, Maricarmen has over 30 years of experience with local development activities with government and non-profit organizations, including Wilder Center for Communities (part of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation), Franklin Covey Chile, the United States Peace Corps in Santiago, FINAM (a Women's World Banking NGO), and the Fundacion Miguel Kast. Maricarmen holds a Master's and B.A. in Architecture from the Universidad de Chile, and was also a Fulbright Scholar through the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship program with the University of Minnesota.
A native of Nagoya, Dr. Satoshi Tsukamoto has been the Director of the IES Abroad Center in Nagoya since 2000. He earned his Ph.D. in Cultural Foundations of Education from Syracuse University. His fields of study include the philosophy of education, multicultural education, cultural studies, and qualitative research methods. In addition to his work for IES Abroad, he is a professor in the Department of International Communications at Aichi University in Nagoya.
Nicolas Stefanni
Center Director
Nicolas was the Associate Director at IES Abroad Nantes for a year and a half prior to becoming Center Director.
Previously at the Université de Nantes, Nicolas was the European Project Manager specializing in Social Sciences and Humanities and coordinating activities of international researchers specialized in the History of Religions. He also worked on research project funding proposals for the European Research Council (ERC), the French National Research Agency (ANR), and regional funds. He earned his master’s degree in arts, literature, and languages at the Université de Nantes, having wrote his thesis on American contemporary literature. Nicolas has also spent parts of his education and professional career abroad in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Berit holds two German State Law Exam degrees as well as a Master of International Business Law from the University of Rostock, Germany. She had her own law firm in Rostock for a few years, worked at the University of Duisburg-Essen/Germany before relocating to Nice. Here she worked for four years as consultant in the Intellectual property domain for a French company, an international active software manufacturer. In November 2018, she became Center Director of the Nice Center.
Dr. Scott Lyngaas has been the IES Abroad Paris French Studies Center Director since 2014. Scott came to IES Abroad from Beloit College, where he was Associate Dean and Associate Professor of French. He received his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he wrote his dissertation on Francophone historical fiction. In addition to Paris, Dr. Lyngaas has also lived and worked in Aix-en-Provence and Brussels.
Dr. Scott Lyngaas has been the IES Abroad Paris French Studies Center Director since 2014. Scott came to IES Abroad from Beloit College, where he was Associate Dean and Associate Professor of French. He received his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he wrote his dissertation on Francophone historical fiction. In addition to Paris, Dr. Lyngaas has also lived and worked in Aix-en-Provence and Brussels.
Tania has been the director of the IES Abroad Quito & Galápagos Islands Center since 2018. Tania brings a wide range of international education administration experience. She directed the International Partnership for Service Learning and Leadership Program at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), and spent 10 years as the Resident Director in Quito for Kalamazoo College. Previously she taught for IES Abroad, instructing our Internship Seminar and Social Science and Community-Based Learning classes at USFQ. Tania has traveled and worked around the world, spending nearly 20 years devoted to NGOs.
Prior to his work as Director of the Rabat program, Mr. El Addouli was the Director and co-founder of the International Arabic Institute in Meknes. He was also the Program and Outreach Director at the Moroccan American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (Fulbright Commission) in Rabat. Mr. El Addouli is a former Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the University of New England in Maine. He held teaching, coordinating and training positions at different institutions in Morocco, the US and Europe namely Al-Akhawayn University in Ifrane, the International School of Bologna in Italy, and QWL in Rabat. He first studied Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy at the University of Bologna in Italy and then participated in a four partner university program to obtain two masters in Global Studies and International Relations from the Universities of Leipzig in Germany, the London School of Economics in the UK, the University of Vienna in Austria, and the University of Wroclaw in Poland. Mr. El Addouli's interests span the fields of TAFL, Educational Curriculum Development and Design, Global Studies, Educational Governance, Civil Society and Democracy, Cultural Studies, and International Law. He has translated books and written and published articles and book reviews on transformational Education, issues on North African Politics and other related subjects. Mr. El Addouli holds a strong cosmopolitan outlook as he has studied, visited, lived in, and was trained in more than twenty foreign countries.
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.
Originally from the United States, Barbara Liberatore has been living and working in Salamanca for over 25 years. She is fluent in Spanish and Italian. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island, where she studied languages, and her Master’s degree in Italian Studies from Brown University, where she also held a teaching assistantship. Barbara brings to IES Abroad more than 25 years of experience in teaching, management and supervision in international education. She has taught a wide range of courses and languages to students of all ages. Barbara taught in Brown University’s Summer Intensive English Program, was the Assistant Director for the University of Rhode Island’s Summer Study Abroad Program in Salamanca, and directed other American study abroad programs in Salamanca before beginning with IES Abroad. She has held the position of Center Director at the IES Abroad Salamanca Center since 2008. As Center Director, Barbara is in charge of Center management, supervises both staff and faculty, and focuses on academics and curriculum development at the Center.
A native of Santiago, Maricarmen has more than 30 years of experience with local development activities with government and non-profit organizations, including Wilder Center for Communities (part of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, Saint Paul, MN), Franklin Covey Chile, the United States Peace Corps in Santiago, FINAM (a Women's World Banking NGO), and the Miguel Kast Foundation. Maricarmen holds a Master's and B.A. in Architecture from the Universidad de Chile, and was also a Fulbright Scholar through the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship program with the University of Minnesota.
Suyeon Lee has been working as the University Relations and Counseling Manager for SAF Korea since 2021 and serves as the Program Manager for IES Abroad programs in Seoul. Suyeon has more than 10 years of experience in international education, including Lecture at Mongolia International University and Senior Admission Counselor at an international boarding school and a German university.
Suyeon holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Japanese Studies and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from McMaster University, ON, Canada, and is currently studying for a Master of Business Administration at International University of Applied Sciences.
Lihong Yang
Assistant Director, IES Abroad Shanghai
Ms. Lihong Yang has been working in the field of international education for over 20 years. She has extensive experience in helping young adults achieve their success while they study abroad.
Prior to joining in IES Abroad in 2012, Lihong had worked for Council on International Educational Exchange for 12 years. Lihong is currently the assistant director at IES Abroad Shanghai center, mainly responsible for center daily operation, managing the customized programs and supervising internship program and student affairs issues. In addition, she serves as the regional expert for Student Affairs in Asia-Pacific region.
Originally from the vibrant city of Shanghai, Lihong is a great resource for information on historical and cultural sites throughout China. Lihong has a bachelor degree from Xiamen University and a master degree in Business Administration from the University of Hong Kong.
Veronica Semeraro has worked at our IES Abroad Siena Center since the founding of the program in 2006 when she was hired as the Student Affairs Coordinator. Since that time, she has been actively involved in all aspects of the program, including housing, customized programs, arrival and orientation, field trips, and academic coordination. Veronica was promoted to Center Director of IES Abroad Siena in 2012.
Prior to working with IES Abroad, Veronica graduated with honors in Archaeology from the University of Siena. Her thesis addressed the GIS platform of the newly discovered and frescoed rooms beneath the Cathedral of Siena. She contributed, with vectorial maps and archaeological drawings, to the publication Sotto il Duomo di Siena (2003). Upon winning a research grant following graduation, Veronica spent six years working in the University of Siena archaeology laboratory in Computer Science. She also spent several years drawing dig maps while working on site in various important archaeological digs in Tuscany (rooms beneath the Siena Cathedral, castle of Miranduolo, Podium Bonizio village) specializing in GIS technology. Veronica is an avid traveler and a member of an all-female Brazilian drum group in Siena.
Kate Smart has been the Director of the Sydney programs since 2016. Kate has over 20 years of experience in International Education, including senior Study Abroad roles at Macquarie University, the University of Sydney, and University of New South Wales.
Kate has lived and worked in the United States and studied abroad in Thailand and Jamaica. She has a Master of Arts in International Studies from the University of Technology, Sydney, and a Master of Education in International Education from Monash University, and post-graduate qualifications in Psychology. Kate loves sharing her knowledge of the city (and the rest of Australia) with new students, from her favorite beaches to swim at to the best place to grab a great flat white.
Caleb Foale was first appointed as Center Director in 2015 and his personal and professional experiences span the globe. Born in Britain, he grew up in the UK and New Zealand, graduating from the University of Otago in New Zealand with a degree in Politics. He then carried out research and postgraduate study in Japan and Australia. While in Australia, he earned two Master’s degrees—an M.A. in Strategic and Defense Studies from the Australian National University and an M.Ed. in TESOL from Queensland University of Technology. He also spent a significant amount of time living and working in Brazil, before his return to Japan in 2000. He graduated with an M.B.A. from the University of Leicester in 2016. He worked on an education related project in the Philippines from the latter half of 2018 to early 2019, and brings extensive experience in teaching and management in tertiary education to our Tokyo Center.
An international scholar, Dr. Solvik holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Music and Intellectual History from Cornell University. Born in Norway, he speaks Norwegian, German, and English fluently, and uses French as a research language.
Dr. Solvik was instrumental in setting up the IES Abroad Vienna Music Program, which he has coordinated since 1999, and has also designed and taught numerous courses in Music History. In addition to his work with IES Abroad Vienna, Dr. Solvik has served as lecturer at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst (The University for Music and Performing Arts). His teaching and administrative experience is augmented by his active and productive scholarly career as an expert on Gustav Mahler.
Melissa joined IES Abroad in 2013 and has worked in a variety of roles including advisor, recruiter, manager, and currently Executive Director overseeing the Internship Programming department. As Director, she leads a team of talented professionals in developing and expanding IES Abroad’s full-time global internship programs. Melissa has worked in higher education for 10 years. Previously, she worked in career services at DePaul University and at the University of Chicago, where her primary focus was counseling students on career exploration and preparedness. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Education degree in Counseling with a concentration in College Student Development from DePaul University.
Melissa joined IES Abroad in 2013 and has worked in a variety of roles including advisor, recruiter, manager, and currently Executive Director overseeing the Internship Programming department. As Director, she leads a team of talented professionals in developing and expanding IES Abroad’s full-time global internship programs. Melissa has worked in higher education for 10 years. Previously, she worked in career services at DePaul University and at the University of Chicago, where her primary focus was counseling students on career exploration and preparedness. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Education degree in Counseling with a concentration in College Student Development from DePaul University.
