Biography: Jean-Paul Sewavi came to MSU from the University of Dayton where he worked as the Programs Manager for Education Abroad for several years. Prior to joining the University of Dayton, he served as a study abroad advisor at the State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY –New Paltz) for over four years where he developed expertise in planning and managing study abroad and exchange programs. Jean-Paul’s primary responsibility at MSU is the administration of education abroad programs offered through the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, as well as serving as liaison with the Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement and initiatives related to community engagement abroad.

With over 14 years of experience in education abroad program management, Jean-Paul brings invaluable experience and expertise in managing faculty-directed study abroad and global service-learning programs. Jean-Paul holds a Master’s degree in Multicultural and International Management from the School for International Training and he has extensive experience working and living in Africa.

Biography: As associate director, Inge provides leadership and direction for all functions related to program development and management, student advising, college/unit liaisons, and portfolio development and maintenance. She oversees program evaluations and works with the executive director and a team of program coordinators on ensuring a well-balanced program portfolio. In addition, she directs faculty engagement and development and is responsible for academic outreach, faculty seminars, and other faculty development initiatives, such as site visits, the Faculty Learning Community on Teaching & Learning Abroad, and an annual workshop series offered in conjunction with MSU’s Academic Advancement Network.

Inge has contributed scholarly articles to several books on topics ranging from orientation programming, culture learning/teaching and faculty development to assessing intercultural competencies. She is the co-editor of the forthcoming third edition of NAFSA’s Learning Across Cultures book. A member of and regular conference contributor to NAFSA: Association of International Educators since the mid-1980s, Inge has held various national leadership positions in the organization, mostly recently as chair of the 2016 national NAFSA conference.

A native of Heidelberg, Germany, Inge first came to the U.S. on a Fulbright and has now spent more than half of her life there. She earned her PhD in intercultural communication from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, where she also worked in the Office of International Education and taught in the department of communication. Her dissertation research focused on conceptualizing and developing a model to assess the impact of education abroad on students' cognitive development and she continues to be interested in defining and assessing education abroad learning outcomes. She considers herself fortunate to have a professional career that is also a vocation.

Biography: Haley Thompson works with MSU exchange partners around the globe and manages all aspects of exchange and direct enroll programs for both inbound and outbound student mobility.
A Michigan native, Haley attended Saginaw Valley State University where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in International Business and French. Throughout her time at SVSU, Haley worked as a study abroad peer advisor in the Office of International Programs. She also participated in study abroad program to Paris, France.
Haley also has a myriad of professional experience within the international education scope ranging from international student recruiting, advising and admissions with Indiana Institute of Technology to education abroad advising, marketing and program development with Illinois State University. Additionally, while at Illinois State, Haley participated in the NAFSA Academy and continued her education, earning a master of arts in Intercultural and Organizational Communication.
Haley is truly passionate about international higher education and enjoys guiding students through the education abroad process. As a first generation student herself, she believes experiences such as education abroad can have a transformative impact on a student’s life. She feels these experiences allow for meaningful engagement with a new community, an opportunity for self-reflection, personal growth and the development of skills related to managing challenges and ambiguity. She looks forward to supporting your education abroad endeavors.

Biography: Christine Trinidad provides leadership and direction for all functions related to enrollment management and student services. She is responsible for ongoing quality improvement of enrollment management systems, processes, policies and procedures; for ensuring that communication, promotion and outreach messaging is comprehensive, consistent and accurate; and for providing training for and oversight of all aspects of student advising.

Christine is a strong proponent of education abroad with over ten years of experience in higher education and the profession of international education. She has served in multiple capacities on the student services side of education abroad, including her current role, as well as an education abroad advisor at her previous position at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego in Political Science and Ethnic Studies and received her Master’s degree in Education with a focus on Postsecondary Leadership from San Diego State University. She spent a year at the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies in the United Kingdom that inspired her to enter the profession of international education.

Since 2006, Christine has made it her professional goal to improve the student experience (from first point of contact to return) and has made it her personal mission to reach out diverse and underrepresented populations.

Biography: Elizabeth Wandschneider is the Senior Assistant Director for finances and operational management in the Office for Education Abroad. As such, she supervises the Business Manager and oversees financial transactions for the office, including program budgets, student financial transactions and the office’s operational budget. She also supervises the Office Manager and oversees the daily operational strategy to ensure the implementation of important initiatives and priorities. In partnership with the Office of International Health & Safety, she is responsible for the development and maintenance of EA-specific health, safety, security and risk management protocols, including student conduct issues.

Elizabeth has taught in five different universities and published on data collection issues around post-program student evaluations. She has presented at numerous regional and national/international conferences on topics ranging from group dynamics in study abroad programs to exchange agreements. In addition, Elizabeth is certified to administer both the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and the Beliefs, Events and Values Inventory (BEVI). Each fall semester, she offers a three-credit introductory course through the College of Arts and Letters on cultural difference and study abroad.

Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, Elizabeth's international experiences began as a high-school student in 1982, when she was awarded an all-expenses-paid month-long trip to Germany through a competitive worldwide competition organized by the PAD (Pädagogischer Austauschdienst). She received her PhD in German Language and Literature from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario in 1995. She moved to East Lansing in 2000 to work at MSU's Office of Study Abroad as a program coordinator and became a proud US citizen in 2016.