Asia
CET Beijing
Zhu Li
CET Beijing
Director of China Programs
Before serving as Director of China Programs, Zhu Li served as Academic Director at CET Beijing for almost 15 years. She has also served as Chinese instructor at Middlebury College, Capital Normal University in Beijing and Hochschule Bremen University in Germany, and has taught all levels and aspects of Chinese language. She has earned certification in the areas of Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) testing, the development of multimedia teaching materials, and the conducting of Oral Proficiency Interviews. The author of numerous publications and the recipient of many teaching awards, Zhu Li brings to the program superior teaching skills and intimate familiarity with CET and the field of Chinese language teaching, and has trained countless Chinese language teachers over the years.
Omega Tennant
CET Beijing
Resident Director
Omega Tennant is a passionate traveler, published author, and certified nutritional therapist. While double majoring in Asian Studies (Chinese Concentration) and Human and Organizational Development at Vanderbilt University (BS, 2015), Omega studied abroad with CET Beijing in 2013 and later served as campus ambassador before returning to China for the Critical Language Scholarship Program in 2014. Native-born “Georgia peach”, Omega has traveled and/or worked in Peru, Ecuador, China, Tanzania (Zanzibar), Kenya, Brazil, India, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, and Thailand. Of all her travels, Omega has spent most of her time in China and enjoys using creative writing, personal coaching, public speaking, and performing arts to enhance experiences abroad for students.
Liang Xia
CET Beijing
Summer Academic Director
Professor Xia comes to CET from Washington University in St. Louis, where she served as both a professor and the director of the Chinese language program. She not only reshaped the university’s Chinese program, but also published a series of textbooks and research papers. Her other experiences cross the globe and include the College of William and Mary, Beijing Normal University, Princeton in Beijing, Middlebury Summer Chinese School, and even Duke in China’s Intensive Summer Language Program—where she served as director for five years. In 2019, Professor Xia will publish an advanced Chinese class teaching demonstration video and her academic work, 美国大学中文教育研究.
CET Harbin
Ren Shujing
CET Harbin
Academic Director
Ren Shujing received her BA in English from Dalian College of Foreign Languages in 1990. She started teaching Chinese at the Harbin Institute of Technology and CET Harbin in 1996. During her tenure at CET, she has taught all courses, arranged one-on-one tutorials, trained teachers of all levels, and created and managed curricular materials. She is also the editor of Chinese language teaching materials produced for the Singapore College of Art and Literature.
Li Yanqiu
CET Harbin
Resident Director
A native of Harbin, Li Yanqiu joined the CET Harbin staff in 2003 and has served as Resident Director since 2007. Li Yanqiu studied English at both Northern Union University (1993-1995) and Heilongjiang University (1999-2002). She worked at Harbin’s Kunlun Hotel for eight years, eventually serving as manager of the Personnel & Training and Front Desk departments. As a certified tour guide she has also led tours in many of China’s major cities.
Linda Zhang
CET Harbin
Resident Advisor
Linda’s interest in Asia began after living in Inner Mongolia as a child. While she grew up in North Carolina, she never forgot her early childhood experiences in China and yearned to better understand the country that had such a great impact on her. During her junior year of college, she finally had the opportunity to go back and study through CET Shanghai. It was this experience that solidified Linda’s passion for Asia, travel, and education. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill (BA, 2016), she moved to rural Japan to teach English through the JET Program. She used this opportunity to explore Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan. In addition to her love for travel, she enjoys movies, naps, and spicy food.
CET Kunming
Liu Fang
CET Kunming
Academic Director
Liu Fang oversees the summer program in Kunming. She comes to CET from Oberlin College, where she has served as a Chinese instructor since 2000. She has taught all levels of Chinese at many schools and programs, including the Middlebury Summer School, Boston College, and the University of Vermont. She has presented papers at numerous conferences and is currently working on a Chinese language teachers’ reference book.
Li Qunhu
CET Kunming
Academic Director, Summer 2019
With a BA in Chinese from Tianjin Normal University and an MA in Chinese Linguistics (People’s University), Li Qunhu’s passion for Chinese language has seen him through more than three decades of teaching Chinese as a foreign language. Though his resume is vast and varied, some highlights include his ten years at Middlebury College’s Chinese school, various leadership and teacher training positions at the Associated Colleges in China (ACC) in Beijing, and teaching positions at Princeton in Beijing and Williams College. He also founded the New Century Language and Culture Center in Tianjin in 2001. Li Laoshi believes his own ongoing personal and professional development as an educator is essential to program development, and strives to keep up with the latest teaching trends in both China and the United States.
Rosalyn Shih
CET Kunming
Resident Director
Rosalyn is the child of Hong Kong emigrants to Canada and spent most of her childhood in Hong Kong. She went on to study English Literature at Columbia University (BA, 2011), and earned a New York State Teaching Certificate in Adolescent Education (English Language Arts). After graduation, Rosalyn became a Teaching Fellow at the Urban School of San Francisco. She moved to Beijing in 2012, where she offered academic and college counseling for Chinese high school students planning on attending university in the United States. More recently, Rosalyn has been a facilitator for experiential education programs in regions including Beijing, Henan, Shanxi, Sichuan, and Yunnan. She especially enjoys leading programs on contact improvisation, mindfulness, and other contemplative practices.
Li Li
CET Kunming
Office Coordinator
A native of Kunming, Li Li received her BA in Japanese Language & Literature from Yunnan University. She began working as the Program Assistant for the Middlebury School in China in Kunming in 2010. Li Li assists students with visa issues, organizes activities, and coordinates the Chinese roommate program. Li Li is a lover of Yunnan cuisine. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking and playing badminton.
CET Shanghai
Nova Shao
CET Shanghai
Resident Director
Nova is a Shanghai native and has worked for US-based study abroad programs in Shanghai since 2007. Nova holds a BA in Sociology from East China Normal University and an MPhil in Social Anthropology from the University of Bergen. Nova loves introducing students to her native city and helping them develop closer relationships with their Chinese roommates.
Allison Rottmann, Ph.D
CET Shanghai
Academic Director
Allison Rottmann is a historian of modern China, with a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley (2007) and a law degree from Duke University School of Law (JD, 1988). She first discovered her passion for China as an undergraduate studying international affairs at George Washington University (BA, 1984). For the past ten years, she has directed and taught in study abroad programs in Shanghai. Her teaching and research interests in Chinese history are centered on Shanghai, gender, and revolution.
Qu Zheng
CET Shanghai
Academic Director
Qu Zheng graduated from Beijing Normal University where she received her MA in Applied Linguistics and BA in History, with a minor in Chinese Language and Literature. She lectured in the Department of East Asian Studies at Princeton University from 2007 to 2011. She has served as lead instructor at several summer language programs including Princeton in Beijing (PIB) and CET Hangzhou. She has also served as a contributing editor for university-level Chinese textbooks published and adopted by Princeton University. She has taught a wide variety of Chinese classes from beginning to advanced level. Qu Zheng joined CET Shanghai in 2012.
Jeremy Friedlein
CET Shanghai
Program Development Specialist
Jeremy is a specialist in program management, student management, out-of-classroom learning and student internship programs. He has lived in China since 1995, started working for CET in 1999, and now travels the globe in support of CET initiatives. Jeremy has served as a resident director at three CET programs–C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in China, Hangzhou Summer Immersion and Intensive Chinese Language in Beijing, and has been instrumental in the founding of new programs including CET Shanghai in 2008 and CET Taiwan in 2015. When not travelling for work, Jeremy can be found in Shanghai hard at work on his Chinese language studies. Jeremy holds a BA in China Studies from North Carolina State University.
Jenny He
CET Shanghai
Internship Program Manager
Jenny, a Shanghai native, graduated from Shanghai International Studies University in 2011 with a degree in English. She served 3 years at PCHome.com as a Manager’s Assistant and 1 year at JD.com as a Team Manager, and this fast-paced private-sector experience gave Jenny an uncanny knack for finding unique new internships. Jenny also loves teaching children and cooking Shanghainese cuisine.
Zhang Xinjun
CET Shanghai
Office Manager
Zhang Xinjun graduated from Shanghai Normal University with a BA degree in Event Economy & Management. Xinjun enjoys traveling and before joining CET, worked within the field of tourism. Xinjun loves helping CET students assimilate into local life and enjoy their time in China.
CET Taiwan
Andrew Terwilliger, Ph.D
CET Taiwan
Resident Director & Academic Coordinator
Andrew found his way to China and Taiwan through music. While earning a BA in Linguistics (Carleton College, 2010), he began studying two Chinese musical instruments: erhu and zhongruan. Andrew earned an MSt in Music from Oxford University (2012), writing on the politics of music in Taiwan. He then spent time in Taipei–one year as a Fulbright Fellow and another year studying Mandarin and Hokkien at the International Chinese Language Program. Before joining CET, Andrew conducted the Chinese Music Ensemble as Visiting Instructor in Music at Wesleyan University, where he is also a PhD candidate in Ethnomusicology. He is especially excited to return to Taipei to enjoy the city’s music scene, quirky cafes, and stinky tofu.
Chunling Wang
CET Taiwan
Internships Director & Office Manager
Chunling completed her undergraduate studies in English Literature at National Taiwan University in 2004 and got an MA in the same discipline at National Sun Yat-sen University in 2008. She then went on to work as a research assistant on a wide variety of government-funded education, literature and the humanities projects at both her alma maters and at National Cheng Kung University. Chunling has a special affinity for Shakespeare and has worked for three different organizations dedicated to the study of his work! While no stranger to the big city and an expert on all things National Taiwan University, Chunling was born and raised in rural southern Taiwan and loves to introduce foreign students to the unique language, culture, and geography of this region.
UW in India: Varanasi
Harini Narayanan
UW in India: Varanasi
Programs Director
Harini Narayanan has extensive experience as a faculty member and administrator for study abroad programs in India, having taught courses on Delhi, Modern Indian History and Sacred Geographies for US undergraduates in Delhi before joining the CET-UW program in Varanasi. A journalist and urban geographer by training, she has completed doctoral coursework in Urban Geography and an MS in Journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Harini researches and writes about the built environment and urban change, and advises not-for-profit organizations on issues related to urban and social equity. She has lived in India, the US, the UK, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa, and is fluent in three languages.
Sundar Rao
UW in India: Varanasi
Resident Director, Logistics
Sundar was born and raised in Varanasi. He began working with the UW in India Program in August 2012. Prior to that, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Banaras Hindu University (1999), worked at a Dell Computers call center in Delhi, and assisted study abroad students in Varanasi as a freelancer.
Nichole Springer
UW in India: Varanasi
Resident Director, Student Life
Nichole graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BBA in 2017. During her time as an undergraduate, she focused on international business, marketing, Chinese communication, and South Asian studies. In addition to having traveled to China and Thailand, she is an alumna of the UW in India program. Today she is the Program Coordinator, where she enjoys sharing her experience and love of the program with CET students.
Manleen Sandhu
UW in India: Varanasi
Resident Advisor
Manleen has worked as an educator and mentor for high school and college students since 2014. She received her undergraduate degree with a double major in Cultural Anthropology and Religious Studies from the University of Virginia. Having spent several years working and traveling in South Asia, Manleen has cultivated a strong interest in understanding issues of environmental, economic and social justice that affect millions in this region every day. In the past, her work in the cultural research and education space has ranged from documenting oral history narratives to designing and teaching creative communications programs to leading study abroad programs in India with Davidson College and the American Councils for International Education. She is passionate about analyzing historical narratives, examining social inequities and reading ethnographies. She enjoys working with young adults engaged in developing a more comprehensive understanding of the lives of diverse communities around the world
UW in India: Delhi
Harini Narayanan
UW in India
Programs Director
Harini Narayanan has extensive experience as a faculty member and administrator for study abroad programs in India, having taught courses on Delhi, Modern Indian History and Sacred Geographies for US undergraduates in Delhi before joining the CET-UW program in Varanasi. A journalist and urban geographer by training, she has completed doctoral coursework in Urban Geography and an MS in Journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Harini researches and writes about the built environment and urban change, and advises not-for-profit organizations on issues related to urban and social equity. She has lived in India, the US, the UK, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa, and is fluent in three languages.
CET Japan
Hiroko Hino
CET Japan
Academic Director
Born and raised in Japan, Hiroko Hino earned her BA in Russian Language from Sophia University (Tokyo, Japan) and MA in Linguistics from University of Sydney (Sydney, Australia). Her teaching career spans over 30 years and an array institutions and universities in both Japan and Australia. Most notably, she served as a full-time Lecturer of Japanese at Sophia University for 10 years before relocating to the United States in 2015. Once in the US, Hino Sensei served as Faculty Associate of Japanese at Arizona State University while continuing to hold her Lecturer position at Sophia University during the summer sessions. Hino Sensei joined CET in 2018.
Malika Watson
CET Japan
Resident Director
Malika studied Cognitive Psychology and Japanese at Vanderbilt University, and studied abroad with CET Japan in the Spring of 2012. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in 2013, Malika worked in student support at CIEE in Maine and then joined CET as Student Services Coordinator for Asia Programs from 2015 to 2017. Malika is a Texan who grew up all over the place – Texas, India, Spain, Pennsylvania, and Germany. Finding her passion for language, education, and cultural studies at an early age, it’s no surprise her career path led to International Education. Malika is a foodie and a bookworm, loves living in Japan, and is excited to share her enthusiasm with students in Osaka.
Masatomo Yonezu
CET Japan
Assistant Resident Director
Masatomo Yonezu studied both Swahili and East African culture, completing an BA at Osaka University of Foreign Studies in 2007 and an MA in International Studies at Hiroshima City University Graduate School in 2009. He then relocated to the United States to pursue a degree in ethnomusicology at Indiana University Bloomington. He has conducted ethnographic research in Tanzania, focusing on institutionalization of traditional music. Prior to joining CET, Masa served as an assistant Japanese language instructor for beginning through advanced levels, and led study abroad programs for Indiana University high school students.
CET Vietnam
Loc Pham
CET Vietnam
Academic Director
Loc received his PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2011. Prior to joining CET, he served as Vice President of Hoa Sen University, a private university in Ho Chi Minh City. He also served as Dean of Faculty & Professors in the University’s Department of Languages & Cultural Studies. He has taught courses at both SIT Vietnam and the Loyola Center in Ho Chi Minh City, and has cultivated an extensive faculty network throughout the region. Loc has published in diverse research areas, including postcolonial studies, gender studies, and translation studies. His most recent academic pursuit is researching social and emotional learning (SEL) as it relates to the student experience.
Vu Ho
CET Vietnam
Resident Director
Vu comes from the central highlands of Vietnam. He moved to Ho Chi Minh City to attend both high school and college, and graduated from the University of Economics of Ho Chi Minh City in 2013 with a BA in finance. At school, Vu was an active member and leader of the University’s Volunteer Club. He first joined the CET Vietnam team in 2010 as a Vietnamese roommate and considers his experience with the 2012 summer program in Quang Tri one of the most memorable times of his life. In addition to learning new languages and cultures, he enjoys playing sports, traveling and cooking.
Europe
CET Prague
Jiří Bukovinský
Prague Programs
Director of Prague Programs
Jiří is a graduate of Charles University in Prague, where he studied Religious Studies and Pedagogy. He also studied in Scotland, at the Divinity Faculty of the University of Glasgow. Jiří has organized programs for international volunteers and coordinated conferences for human rights organizations. Relying on this experience, he has enhanced the service-learning opportunities for CET Prague students, and specifically Central European Studies concentrators.
Kevin Johnson, Ph.D
Prague Programs
Academic Director of Prague Programs
Kevin was bitten by the study abroad bug when he spent two months in Germany at the age of 17 as part of an immersive language program for Indiana high school students. He went on to participate in a number of other study abroad programs in Germany and the Czech Republic, including a year as Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Leipzig and several intensive Czech language programs. With a BA in German and Anthropology from Indiana University and an MA and PhD in Germanics from the University of Washington (with an emphasis on cinema), he speaks German and Czech fluently. Kevin has extensive teaching experience at a variety of institutions in both the USA and in Prague, including the University of Washington, Lawrence University, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and Charles University. Prague has been a consistent port of call since 2000 and his permanent residence since 2015. Before starting at CET, he taught courses on Prague literature and film studies at Anglo-American University in Prague and for several study abroad programs in the city.
Petra Kulasová
CET Prague
Resident Director, CET Prague
Petra earned her BA in Business Management from Universita Jana Evanelisty Purkyně (2009), her MA in Marketing Communication from Vysoká Škola Finanční a Správní (2011), and her MBA from University of the Incarnate Word (2013). She has extensive knowledge of exchange program and study abroad program development. A native to the Czech Republic, Petra spent five years in the US where she worked for an international campus to help place college students in study abroad programs in Europe.
Martina Tomanová
CET Prague
Resident Director, CET Prague
Martina is a graduate of Palacký University (BA, 2008; MA, 2011) and Caritas College (DiS, 2011) in Olomouc where she earned her degrees in History, Jewish Studies, and Social Work and Humanitarian Aid. Before her current position, Martina worked first in a Czech NGO focused on helping disadvantaged kids and their families and then in the Department of Health & Social services. Martina, a lover of all things travel, was a student on the CET Prague program before joining the staff in 2018.
Marta Vondráčková
Marta studied at Masaryk University in Brno, earning a BA in History and English (2010) and an MA in English (2014). Her thesis focused on secondary school pupils and their perception of the Holocaust. She has served as a guide from the Jewish quarter of her hometown, and has worked for travel agencies organizing trips and guiding tours. She joined the CET Prague team in 2010.
Maggie Budinský
Prague Programs
Student Life Coordinator, Prague Programs
Maggie grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and attended Sewanee where she earned a BA in history (2012). While studying abroad at the University of Oxford her junior year, she became passionate about travel and developed an interest in international education. After graduation, Maggie moved to Prague, where she taught in international schools for five years before joining CET. As Student Life Coordinator, Maggie uses her experience as an American living in Prague to help students make the most of their time abroad.
CET florence
Emiliana Caldarelli
CET Florence
Director of Italy Programs
A native Italian, Emiliana earned a Laurea in Political Science in 1996 and a Post Graduate Master in Mediterranean Studies and Islamic Finance in 2013 from the University of Florence. In 1994, during her graduate studies, she was awarded a scholarship from Rutgers University in New Jersey where she conducted a research study about the financing of political campaigns. After returning to Italy, her work has focused on educating American students in Italy. She served as coordinator for the Rutgers Study Abroad Program in Florence, and from 1997 until 2002, taught classes on Italian culture, politics and history in US university programs in Florence such as Rutgers Junior Year in Florence, Richmond College, Portland Community College and University of San Diego-Law School. Emiliana has been involved with the CET programs in Italy since their inception. She began as the CET Siena Resident Director (2001-2003), continued as the CET Florence Resident Director (2003-2004), and has served as Italy Programs Director since 2004.
Katie Palumbo
CET Florence
Program Director
Originally from California, Katie fell in love with Italian culture and language as an exchange student at northern Italy’s University of Trento. Shortly after graduating from UC Santa Barbara with degrees in Sociology and Italian Studies (BA, 2005), she returned to Italy where she lived and worked for several years. In 2015, Katie earned her MA in Postsecondary Educational Leadership at San Diego State University and has since worked closely with college students pursuing their own study abroad experiences. Her number one piece of advice for students: leave your comfort zone. Try new foods, speak the language as much as you can, and embrace the many joys and challenges that come with this time.
Jackie Pollis
CET Florence
Assistant Program Director
As an American with Italian ancestry, Jackie became interested in learning more about her heritage in college by taking Italian language classes. She quickly fell in love with the language and spent a semester abroad in Florence, where her heart has been ever since. After graduating from Indiana University (BA, 2008), she went on to earn her MA in International and Comparative Education at Loyola University Chicago, where she conducted research on the re-entry experiences of students after studying abroad. She has worked with university students in Florence since 2014. You can often find Jackie enjoying her bike ride along the Arno River to the CET Center or visiting the Sant’Ambrogio market.
Anna DiBiase
CET Florence
Assistant Director for Academic Affairs
Anna received a BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College in 2006 and an MA in Italian Language and Linguistics from the Middlebury College School in Florence, Italy in 2007. She is an Italian-American dual citizen and has spent many years studying and working in Italy, with Georgetown University where she served as the Resident Coordinator, with The Institute at Palazzo Rucellai where she served as the Housing Coordinator, and with CET, where she has served as Resident Director for the Siena Program and Assistant Director for Academic Affairs. Anna adores her adopted country and all of the opportunities that it has afforded her.
Giada Borlotti
CET Florence
Student Life and Services Coordinator
Giada graduated from the University of Padua with a degree in Historical Science (2016). Before joining CET, she worked as a tour guide for the Historical Institute of the Sienese Resistance, and contributed to a training course organized by the region of Tuscany. Giada first served as an Italian roommate for the CET Siena program. In her current role, she acts as a linguistic and cultural resource for students, and helps them get the most out of their experience in Italy.
Laura Giovannoni
CET Florence
Housing and Academic Coordinator
Laura graduated in 2014 with a BA International Relations (emphasis on Political Science) and started to work as an intern for CET shortly thereafter. She is now Housing and Facilities Manager for the CET Florence program, and loves showing students the true beauties of Italy and Italian culture. As much as she enjoys traveling and seeing the world, Laura believes that there is nothing better than taking a stroll in her stunning hometown of Florence.
CET Siena
Emiliana Caldarelli
CET Siena
Director of Italy Programs
A native Italian, Emiliana earned a Laurea in Political Science in 1996 and a Post Graduate Master in Mediterranean Studies and Islamic Finance in 2013 from the University of Florence. In 1994, during her graduate studies, she was awarded a scholarship from Rutgers University in New Jersey where she conducted a research study about the financing of political campaigns. After returning to Italy, her work has focused on educating American students in Italy. She served as coordinator for the Rutgers Study Abroad Program in Florence, and from 1997 until 2002, taught classes on Italian culture, politics and history in US university programs in Florence such as Rutgers Junior Year in Florence, Richmond College, Portland Community College and University of San Diego-Law School. Emiliana has been involved with the CET programs in Italy since their inception. She began as the CET Siena Resident Director (2001-2003), continued as the CET Florence Resident Director (2003-2004), and has served as Italy Programs Director since 2004.
Victoria Van Luit
CET Siena
Program Director
Victoria grew up in California and studied at the University of California San Diego. In 1998, she participated in a UCSD study abroad program in Siena, an experience that changed her life. Victoria has been in Siena ever since, marrying her Italian husband and raising their two daughters, and working in study abroad. She has worked at the UC Siena Study Abroad Center and Dante Alighieri Siena. Victoria has a keen understanding of student cultural adjustment and other issues related to living abroad.
Anna DiBiase
CET Siena
Assistant Director for Academic Affairs
Anna received a BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College in 2006 and an MA in Italian Language and Linguistics from the Middlebury College School in Florence, Italy in 2007. She is an Italian-American dual citizen and has spent many years studying and working in Italy, with Georgetown University where she served as the Resident Coordinator, with The Institute at Palazzo Rucellai where she served as the Housing Coordinator, and with CET, where she has served as Resident Director for the Siena Program and Assistant Director for Academic Affairs. Anna adores her adopted country and all of the opportunities that it has afforded her.
The Middle East
CET Jordan
Manal Yosef
CET Jordan
Academic Director
Manal Yosef has over a decade of experience teaching Arabic as a foreign language. Her previous positions include Academic Director and Senior Instructor for the Arabic Flagship Overseas program; Senior Instructor, Course Coordinator and Curriculum Developer for the Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA) program; and several other leadership roles for international programs at the University of Damascus. Manal has participated in extensive teacher training workshops through The Ohio State University and the University of Maryland, and is a certified ACFTL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) tester. As Academic Director, Manal manages all issues related to Arabic curricula, including developing syllabi, overseeing language instruction and the language partner program, and conducting teacher training seminars.
Mazen Bernieh
CET Jordan
Resident Director, Logistics
Mazen’s interest in international education began in 2008 when he began working as a coordinator for the Arabic Overseas Flagship program at the University of Damascus. He quickly realized his passion for helping foreign students adapt to life in the Middle East. While overseeing the Flagship program, Mazen also served as an administrative coordinator for the Center for Arabic Studies Abroad (CASA) program in Damascus. Relying on this experience, Mazen now helps CET students adjust to their host culture in Jordan. Mazen administers all non-academic aspects of the program. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, learning about other cultures, reading, football and the occasional sheesha.
Ahmad AbuShaikha
CET Jordan
Resident Director, Student Life
Ahmad is a proud Ammani who has been in the study abroad field for the past 10 years. After graduating from The Hashemite University with a BS in Cultural Heritage Management (2007), he turned his focus to sharing the jewels of Jordan with students. Ahmad completed an MA in International Development at the University of Sussex (2018) in the United Kingdom and is committed to creating sustainable opportunities for community engagement with students. In his free time, Ahmad enjoys cooking, traveling, and music.
Latin America
CET Brazil
Sérgio Duarte Julião da Silva
CET Brazil
Academic Director
Sérgio holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics (Portuguese as a Foreign Language) from the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil. Sérgio Duarte has served as Visiting Lecturer & Research Scholar at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami and Coordinator of the Portuguese Language Program for Liberal Arts with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) in São Paulo. He has also worked as a teacher trainer and materials writer, and implemented a Portuguese as a Foreign Language program in the Netherlands in the 1990s. His current projects include a study of talk in interaction and an analysis on how people manage conversations while talking.
Súlia Folli
CET Brazil
Resident Director
Súlia Folli earned her BA degree in Film from Universidad del Cine (in Buenos Aires, Argentina) and a certificate of Photography from Escuela Creativa Andy Goldstein. As a undergraduate, she studied abroad in Vancouver, Canada. Before joining CET, Súlia served as the Program & Housing Coordinator for CIEE in São Paulo. She has participated in productions for various film festivals and cultural organizations, and enjoys developing her own photography projects. Súlia loves to travel and learn about different cultures, and she enjoys helping CET students get to know São Paulo.
Ariane Facci
CET Brazil
Resident Coordinator
Ariane Facci is currently our Resident Coordinator. Besides implementing the excursions and activities that support the program’s academic goals, Ariane handles on-site logistics and works to ensure students safety, wellbeing and learning. Ariane earned her BA in International Relations from Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo in December, 2018.
In 2015 she traveled to Cairo to spend one year teaching English as a second language at an international school, where she pursued her passion to learn about different cultures and languages. Her enriching experience in Egypt inspired her to write her undergraduate thesis on how women’s participation in Egypt’s January 25 Revolution narratives were constructed. As a language and cultural studies enthusiast she is currently studying Spanish and French, and also wants to continue to learn Arabic to enhance her knowledge in the field.
CET Colombia
Mariela Palacios
CET Colombia
Director of Operations
A schoolteacher by vocation, Mariela holds undergraduate degrees in economics (Universidad de La Salle en Bogotá, 1998) and education (Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó “Diego Luis Córdoba” Quibdó, 1989). She has pursued graduate work at London Metropolitan University and is currently completing her thesis for an MA in Population Studies at Universidad Externado de Colombia Bogotá. Mariela has more than 20 years of experience working in the development of Afro-Colombian communities across the country, under the auspices of both government and international cooperation agencies. She has served in a variety of positions, from managing one of the biggest cultural festivals in Colombia to devising a job creation plan for 200 people in the city of Quibdó.
Cyntoya McCall
CET Colombia
Resident Director
Cyntoya, a native of Niles, MI, graduated from Michigan State University where she studied Spanish (Secondary Education) and Sociology (BA, 2012). She has since been active in education, teaching Spanish, mentoring students, and eventually moving to Colombia as a two-time recipient of the Fulbright ETA scholarship (2014, 2015). Most recently, Cyntoya lived and worked with Afro-Colombian communities in the department of Chocó. Over the years, she has developed a passion for empowering the lives of people from diverse communities of the African diaspora through language education, arts and music, and promoting awareness of Afro descendants in U.S. and Latin America.