Biography: Chad Odom is the Business Office Manager and oversees all accounts associated with the Office for Education Abroad. Chad is responsible for all aspects related to financial and operational management and is responsible for the office’s operational budget. He supervises the business office staff and serves as a resource for staff, program directors, and college contacts on financial and policy issues. Chad has a degree in Finance from Davenport University and over 15 years of experience. Outside of the office Chad enjoys golf, volleyball, and spending time with his family.

Biography: Hailee Ridge is the Education Abroad Program Coordinator for the College of Arts & Letters and the College of Music. In this role, she manages a portfolio of education abroad programs. In addition, Hailee is the liaison to the Center for Gender in Global Context, the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD), and the Fostering Academics Mentoring Excellence (FAME) program. Her liaison responsibilities allow Hailee to help foster equitable access to education abroad opportunities, an important goal of hers. Hailee received bachelor’s degrees in Women’s and Gender Studies and Social Relations and Policy from Michigan State University. She also has a minor in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Sexuality Studies. In 2019, Hailee obtained her M.Ed. in International Higher Education from Loyola University of Chicago. Hailee studied abroad four separate times in Ireland, the Netherlands, Vietnam, and Italy, and has worked in the field of international higher education for 8 years. When Hailee is not working, you can find her reading fantasy books or habitually monitoring flight prices for her next adventure.

Biography: Jean-Paul Sewavi is a Program Coordinator responsible for managing education abroad programs offered through the Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Engineering, and Natural Science. Jean-Paul also serves as liaison with African Studies Center and the Center for Community-Engaged Learning. With over 25 years of experience in education abroad program management, he brings invaluable experience and expertise in managing faculty-directed study abroad and global community-engaged learning programs. He holds a master’s degree in Multicultural and International Management from the School for International Training (SIT) and has led countless global education initiatives to Africa and continues to champion international development initiatives. Prior to MSU, Jean-Paul managed education abroad programs at the University of Dayton and the State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY –New Paltz).

Biography: As associate director, Inge provides leadership for all functions related to program development and management, including supervision of a team of program coordinators. She works with the colleges on developing and maintaining a well-balanced overall program portfolio. In addition, she directs faculty engagement and development, including academic outreach, faculty seminars, site visits and an annual workshop series. Inge has written scholarly articles on a variety of international education topics and has co-edited two books, including NAFSA’s Learning Across Cultures. A member of and regular conference contributor to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Inge has held national leadership positions, including as chair of the 2016 national NAFSA conference. A native of Heidelberg, Germany, Inge first came to the U.S. on a Fulbright. 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. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exercising, and cooking.

Biography: Zach Thomas is a Global Learning Coordinator who works with the College of Social Science. In this role, he manages a portfolio of over 30 education abroad programs covering various faculty-directed, direct enroll, and provider-managed programs. In addition, Zach is the liaison to the Asian Studies Center and the Asia Hub.

Zach received his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with a minor in economics from Denison University in Granville, Ohio, and his master’s degree in international public service from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. Zach studied abroad twice, one semester program on sustainable development in Costa Rica and one spring break program on ethical leadership in Colombia. Over the past 12 years, he has worked in the field of international humanitarian affairs, managing front-line life-saving humanitarian programs in Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Panama, Costa Rica, and Venezuela with the United Nations and U.S. Agency for International Development.

Zach is originally from the mid-Michigan area and after 12 years abroad is excited to be back home with his family. When he is not working, you can find Zach somewhere outside with his family enjoying Michigan's hiking trails and lakes.

Biography: Haley Thompson is the Senior Coordinator for the American Semester Program and Exchanges unit of the Office for Education Abroad. She’s responsible for the strategic direction and daily operation of the inbound visiting student programs (American Semester Program) and also manages the oversight of all exchange partnerships, including working with outgoing students. Haley oversees the ASP Ambassador program and liaises closely with many colleges and units across campus. She has more than 10 years of experience in international higher education and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Saginaw Valley State University and a Master of Arts in Intercultural Communication from Illinois State University. When not on campus, Haley can be found hitting the trails with her family or in a lake somewhere.