Hannah Arrington is an English and Spanish teacher at the Emery/Weiner School in Houston, Texas. She earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations and Spanish, as well as a master’s in modern Languages, from the University of Mississippi. Fluent in Spanish, she has volunteered with local communities in Argentina and Chile and collaborates with CIEE to send students abroad for foreign language and thematic study summer programs. Hannah is passionate about advocating for restorative justice and equitable education. Ever globally minded, she also leads international exchanges for her students, focusing on multicultural and experiential learning through travel. Her most recent project, as an Engaging Eurasia Teaching Fellow for the 2024-2025 academic year, involves studying the use of multimedia and identity politics in contemporary world literature.
Azamat Sakiev is an educator with a passion for explaining political and international processes to learners, particularly focusing on the Eurasia/Central Asian region. He is currently a faculty member in the Department of Social Sciences at Santa Rosa College in California. His research interests include democratization and (non)transition, critical security issues, political leadership, in Russia and Eurasia. As a dedicated educator, Azamat considers any college campus his home and cannot imagine himself in any other setting. Believing that education is the greatest social equalizer, he has personally benefited from it, holding a BA from the American University in Central Asia, an MA from Central European University, and a doctoral degree from Syracuse University. Now, Sakiev works diligently to convey this message to those who would benefit most—groups historically underrepresented in higher education.
Eunice Bonaparte is the Theory of Knowledge Coordinator at Washington Preparatory School in Bothell, Washington. A California native, she has taught in New York City as a Teaching Fellow and at international schools in Myanmar and Bahrain. She served in the Peace Corps as a Teacher Trainer in Ukraine (twice), Liberia, and the Republic of Georgia. In addition, she has worked as a short-term and long-term observer with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Armenia (twice), Albania (twice), Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, and Tajikistan. Bonaparte holds a bachelor’s degree in arts and humanities, as well as master’s degrees in international relations from United States International University, International Human Rights Law from the University of Strasbourg, and Teaching Adolescents Social Studies from Pace University.
Julia Fisher has lived all over the United States, including both coasts and numerous states in between. She received her bachelor’s degree in Russian and French languages, with minors in Spanish, German, and Psychology. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she worked for 10 years at a French manufacturing firm. She then returned to graduate school, earning a master’s degree in Linguistics and a PhD in Cognitive Linguistics from the University of Colorado. Following her doctoral studies, she completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in memory and cognition and subsequently taught at various universities in Colorado, Massachusetts, and South Carolina. Recently, Julia transitioned from university teaching but continues to serve as an adjunct at the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics in South Carolina, where she has been involved for over 15 years. Fisher’s research interests include coherent and effective communication, examining how language and linguistic processes reflect culture and identity. In addition to her teaching career, Julia is passionate about competing in endurance horseback riding. She has participated in riding competitions throughout the Southeast as well as internationally, including in France, Ireland, and Morocco. Since 2013, she has taken part in five separate riding excursions in the Mongolian Steppes, enjoying the long rides, while raising money for disadvantaged children through the Veloo Foundation.
Tara Ann Carter is an Upper Division English teacher at Milken Community School in Los Angeles, California. After nearly a decade in Philadelphia public schools, she transitioned to progressive independent schools in 2017, working in St. Petersburg, Florida, and later in the Los Angeles area. She is a professional development leader, student marathon coach, advocate for AI usage and development, and award-winning curriculum designer. Tara’s teaching focuses on engaging students with non-traditional texts and fostering critical thinking about privilege and power. Her curriculum, informed by graduate research at Villanova University and fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University, emphasizes diverse perspectives and the voices of women and marginalized groups through graphic novels, television, and online media. As English Department Chair, she has implemented inclusive instruction across all courses. Committed to enriching her and her students' understanding of world cultures, Tara participates in international fellowships such as the Keizai Koho Center study tour of Japan, the Russian American Folklore Society expedition to remote Russian villages, and the Goethe Institute’s Transatlantic Outreach Program in Germany. Most recently, she engaged in the 2023 Discover Korea Fellowship and the 2024 Brussels-Luxembourg EU Study Tour, aiming to transform students from passive viewers into active, empathetic agents of change.
Paul R. Edleman is a Professor of Political Science and Communication at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, IL. Paul earned his PhD in Political Science from Syracuse University and an MA in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas. In addition to his teaching duties, he coordinates the study abroad and international programming for Sauk Valley. Paul also co-directs a reciprocal faculty and student exchange program with a college in Pakistan, is an executive board member for the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs, and a board of trustees member with the American Institute of Pakistan Studies. In 2022, he served a one-month fellowship in Azerbaijan through the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus.
Mickey Marsee is an English Professor in the Department of Composition, Creative Writing & Literature at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, AZ. Mickey teaches first-year writing and focuses on internationalizing curriculum in academic writing, particularly integrating COIL virtual exchange. As a former Council of American Overseas Research Center (CAORC) Faculty Seminar participant in Jordan (2020) and a University of Arizona Fulbright-Hays Fellow (2022) in Uzbekistan, her students have participated in virtual exchange with students in Iraq, Jordan, and Colombia. Additionally, Mickey is an Engaging Eurasia Teaching Fellow (AY 21-22) with Harvard’s Davis Center and a 2021-2022 Maricopa Institute for Learning Research Fellow researching the impact of virtual exchange on composition student learning outcomes. Currently, Dr. Marsee provides training for faculty in the U.S. and abroad in COIL virtual exchange course development. Mickey earned her PhD in English at the University of New Mexico.
Phillip Moshoyannis is an adjunct professor at Nassau Community College in Garden City, New York, where he has taught for over twenty-five years in various formats, including in-person, hybrid, and online (both synchronous and asynchronous). He taught various courses in Sociology, including Introduction to Sociology, Sociology of the Family, and Introduction to Sociology Honors. For his exceptional teaching, he was honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching. Additionally, he was a recipient of the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellowship, conducting fieldwork in Peru. Phil has also participated in numerous professional development programs, including NEH Seminars, The White House History Teacher Institute, Teaching American History Seminars, and Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Summer Seminars. Besides teaching at Nassau Community College, Moshoyannis has also taught at SUNY Farmingdale State College and recently retired from teaching at Lee Avenue Elementary School in Hicksville, New York, where he spent the last 29 years in room 215. This marks his second retirement. Phil previously retired from the New York Army National Guard as a battery commander with the 1st/258th Field Artillery. During the September 11th terrorist attacks, he led his troops at the World Trade Center and was awarded an Army Commendation Medal for his bravery.
Marie Sarnacki earned her bachelor’s degree in English and history at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, and she completed a master's degree in secondary education at the University of Arizona. She taught U.S. and Modern World History in Omaha, Nebraska from 2014 to 2017 before moving to Michigan, where she currently teachers English and History. Some of her favorite pastimes include reading, writing, and running.
Sharolyn Stauffer teaches history and government at Star Valley High School in Afton, Wyoming, and serves as an adjunct faculty member for Grand Canyon University and Western Wyoming Community College. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in history from Adams State University. Sharolyn has participated in several prestigious fellowships, including the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation and Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms. As a certified mindfulness and meditation instructor, she integrates these practices into her academic work. Outside the classroom, Sharolyn enjoys traveling and exploring diverse cultures, beliefs, and practices, often incorporating her global knowledge into her teaching. She is also a proud mother of three children.
Sarah Sudar is currently an Associate Professor of English, Literature, and Communications at the Community College of Beaver County in Monaca, PA. In addition to teaching English Composition, Public Speaking, World Literature, and Communications courses, she serves as the director of the college’s Honors Program. Sarah earned a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Point Park University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a minor in French Language and Literature, from the University of Pittsburgh.
Henry Wend currently serves as the Director of the Transcript Designation Program in Global Scholarship at the University School of Milwaukee. Henry graduated with a degree in history from the University of Montana and a PhD in United States History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His dissertation and subsequent monograph examined the impact of the Marshall Plan on western German industrial reconstruction following the Second World War. Henry has been the recipient of three Fulbright grants, a German Academic Exchange Fellowship, a fellowship from the German Historical Society, and research grants at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library. He moved on from academic work to independent school teaching at the University School of Milwaukee in 2003. While at USM, he has been the recipient of a Klingenstein Summer Institute fellowship and has completed a Global Competency Certification from Teachers College at Columbia University.