LEADERSHIP
ABOUT
Carl Jubran, PhD
IAU Alum '92
President
Carl Jubran, PhD
IAU Alum '92
President
Based at the Aix-en-Provence Campus and the U.S. Office of Admissions and Advancement in San Diego, CA
Dr. Carl Jubran, a 1992 alumnus of ACM’s study abroad institute, the Institute for American Universities (IAU), and previous member of the Council of Academic Advisors, became ACM’s 5th President in May 2011. He completed his undergraduate education in linguistics, participated in a Master’s program through the Sorbonne, Paris IV through New York University, and later earned his M.A. in Spanish Linguistics and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Jubran was a professor of Language and Literature at the University of San Diego and also served as an Associate Provost for International Affairs. He has developed courses in French, Spanish, Arabic, world civilizations, and global studies and has led and overseen programs in France, Mexico, Morocco, and Spain. Dr. Jubran’s multilingual fluency in French, English, Spanish, Arabic, and Hebrew positions him well to lead students, faculty, and staff in developing multicultural understanding and learning the essential importance of the interconnections among social equity and justice, economic viability, and environmental vitality in building a sustainable community in today’s world.
ABOUT
Garett Heysel, PhD
Provost
Garett Heysel, PhD
Provost
Based at the Aix-en-Provence Campus
Dr. Garett Heysel, previous member of IAU’s Council of Academic Advisors, became ACM’s inaugural Provost in September 2022. In addition, Heysel is a Professor of French and serves as ACM’s Senior International Officer (SIO). He completed his undergraduate education in French, International Political Science & Economics at Middlebury College and studied at the Ecole Française de Middlebury in Paris. Before earning his MA in French at Northwestern in 1992, Heysel worked in finance and accounting in Boston and Chicago. Dr. Heysel completed his PhD at The Ohio State University in 1997 and taught French at Connecticut College, Utah State University, and Lycoming College where he earned tenure and served as Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. In 2006, Heysel returned to Ohio State, first as Senior Associate Director at the University Honors & Scholars Center, then Assistant Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences. From 1994 to 2006, Heysel served as Dean at Lac du Bois, Concordia Language Villages French languageand culture immersion program. In 2020, Heysel was appointed Associate Dean at Emory University where he directed the Office of International and Summer Programs. His research interests span 19th and 20th-Century French Literature and Culture, the avant-garde, and queer studies. His publications have appeared in theModern Language Association and Contemporary French Civilization, Stanford University Press, and Le Figaro and has presented in several countries. Active in AIEA, he has recently presented on DEI-focused program design and leadership at the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Diversity Abroad, NAFSA. Heysel is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and has studied Spanish and Italian.
ABOUT
Kurt Schick
Vice President, U.S. Operations
Kurt Schick
Vice President, U.S. Operations
Based in the U.S. Office of Admissions and Advancement in San Diego, CA
Kurt Schick, ACM’s Vice President of U.S. Operations, began his career at ACM-IAU in 2001. He previously served as Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Concordia University (River Forest, IL) and initially honed his recruitment skills as an admissions counselor at his alma mater, Augustana College, in Rock Island, IL. He received his B.A. in English/French from Augustana in 1990 and obtained his M.S. in Organization Leadership from Regis University in 2016. Since he began at ACM, Kurt has overseen ACM’s Admissions operations, focusing on developing new institutional partnerships and enhancing existing ones. Under Kurt’s leadership, the admissions office has grown from a two-person office to a staff of 25. With ACM’s expansion into Spain, the inclusion of multi-country January term programs, the addition of faculty-led programming, and the options of degree programs, enrollment at ACM has gone from 300 per year to more than 1,000 students. In 2016, Kurt took on the role of Dean of Alumni Affairs, leveraging the robust network of over 20,000 alumni with the goal of increasing ACM’s endowment and scholarship opportunities for future students. Hosting regional alumni receptions and follow-up from ACM’s incredibly successful 60th-anniversary celebration and alumni reunion – held in May 2017 at ACM’s Aix-en-Provence, France campus – have proven to be successful strategies.
ABOUT
Kristin Mylander-Ouerfelli
IAU Alum '86-87
Chief Operations Officer
Kristin Mylander-Ouerfelli
IAU Alum '86-'87
Chief Operations Officer
Based at the Aix-en-Provence Campus
Kristin Mylander-Ouerfelli is the Chief Operations Officer and Director of Finance and Administration, overseeing finances and personnel. She began her career at ACM-IAU in 1990. She was previously Registrar, and Chief Financial Officer. She is an alumna of ACM’s study abroad institute, IAU, having studied at the Centre d’Aix for the academic year 1986-87. She received a B.A. in Math and French from Wake Forest University. She is fluent in English and French.
ABOUT
Emile Lamah
Chief Financial Officer
Emile Lamah
Chief Financial Officer
Based in the U.S. Office of Admissions and Advancement in San Diego, CA
Emile has over 35 years of experience in business, finance, and accounting. He joined IAU in September 2023 as the Chief Financial Officer. Before joining IAU, Emile worked as a financial consultant for eight years namely outsourced and fractional CFO services where he served many small and medium-sized enterprises in several sectors including higher ed, manufacturing, logistics, video production, engineering, and retail. Emile also served as the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Lebanese American University (LAU) where he oversaw the wellbeing of LAU’s finances, supervised the financial functions at the university including financial planning and budgeting, treasury and endowment management, accounting, grants administration, and financial reporting and controls. He also provided leadership in developing policies and procedures to ensure that all the functions were properly managed to serve LAU’s strategic goals.
ABOUT
Ignasi Pérez, PhD
Vice President, Spain and Italy Programs
Ignasi Pérez, PhD
Vice President, Spain and Italy Programs
Based at the Barcelona Center
Dr. Ignasi Pérez has been the ACM-IAU Barcelona Center Director since 2016 and ACM Spain Director since 2021. He holds a degree in Sociology from University of Barcelona and a PhD in Political Science from UB with European honors from University of Florence (Italy). He is also a member of GRAPA (Group of Research and Analysis of Public and Comparative Public Administration) since 2012. His areas of research are Comparative Politics, Political Sociology, Political Economy and Cultural Anthropology. He has taught in Italy (Universitàdegli study di Firenze and University of Sassari) and in Spain for University of Barcelona, Universitat Abad Oliva, and European University. In the last 12 years he has taught for different Study Abroad programs such as IES Abroad, CEA Study Abroad and Barcelona International College. He is fluent in Spanish, Catalan, English and Italian.
DEANS AND DIRECTORS
ABOUT
Mary Boyington, PhD
Dean of Students
Mary Boyington, PhD
Dean of Students
Based at the Aix-en-Provence Campus
Dr. Mary Boyington serves as the Dean of Students at the Aix-en-Provence campus. Dr. Boyington first joined ACM in 2012 and then returned in 2023 as the Dean of Students. She teaches in the Center for French Studies and the School of Humanities & Social Sciences. Her research interests include nineteenth century literature, translations studies, and international education. She completed a M.A. in French and Francophone Literature at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and a PhD in American and Comparative Literature from Aix-Marseille Université in 2017. Her experience in U.S Higher Education includes directing a residential faculty-led program in Paris, managing programming at the Oldenborg Center for Modern Languages and International Relations at Pomona College, leading internationalization efforts for the five campuses of the Colleges of the Fenway in Boston, as well as working in the academic relations team for a major study abroad provider. Since moving to France, Dr. Boyington has taught literature and translation at Aix-Marseille Université and worked for at several study abroad programs, including Syracuse University Strasbourg from 2014-2023. In 2023, she was delighted to return to Aix-en-Provence and ACM-IAU to take on the inaugural role of Dean of Students in Student Affairs. Her experience directing study abroad programs in France has given her a unique perspective in academics and student affairs, as well as specializations in emergency management, student services and implementing collaborative cross-campus projects. In addition to her duties at ACM-IAU, she is a member of the governing board of the APUAF (Association for American University Programs in France) and the planning committee for the Forum on Education Abroad EAME 2024 Conference. Dr. Boyington speaks French, English, Spanish, and beginning German.
ABOUT
Jessica Calhoun, PhD
Dean of Admissions
Jessica Calhoun, PhD
Dean of Admissions
Based in the U.S. Office of Admissions and Advancement in San Diego, CA
Jessica Calhoun joined ACM in 2019 as the inaugural Assistant Dean of Admissions and Alumni Affairs. She was promoted to Dean of Admissions in 2023. In 2004 she received her BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies at the University of San Diego (USD). Shortly thereafter in 2006 her Master’s of Arts in Teaching followed from Chapman University, and in 2014 she received her Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Studies from USD. Jessica’s specialization is in higher education administration and organizational leadership, which perfectly poises her to lead ACM’s growing U.S. Office in San Diego, CA. As a seasoned international educator, she’s conducted research and shared her findings and expertise at numerous conferences including The Forum on Education Abroad, NAFSA, AIEA, and CIEE to name a few. She served as the Associate Director of International Studies Abroad at USD from 2007-2019, and prior to that served as a Program Manager and Assistant to the Associate Provost for Internationalization. Jessica speaks Spanish fluently and has a working knowledge of Italian.
ABOUT
Yolanda Charlan
Director, IAU Madrid Center
Yolanda Charlan
Director, IAU Madrid Center
Based at the Madrid Center
Yolanda Charlán is a distinguished leader in international education, with three decades of experience in higher education managing and coordinating study abroad programs, and student affairs across Europe and the United States. She holds a degree in English Language and Literature from Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She has served as Director of the ACM-IAU Madrid Center since April 2025, where she oversees all operational and student support functions, serving as the primary institutional representative for students.
For the past 20 years, Yolanda held senior roles at IES Abroad Madrid as the Regional Expert of Europe, where she specialized in crisis management, conflict mediation, and the coordination of mental and physical health support for international students. Her expertise includes developing and implementing emergency protocols, managing student conduct, and fostering inclusive, safe environments for students. Yolanda is recognized for her ability to lead multicultural teams, build institutional partnerships, and deliver transformative educational experiences that promote global citizenship and personal growth. Prior to her work with IES Abroad Madrid, she lived in the US where she taught literature and Spanish culture and civilization at Washington and Lee University in Virginia and worked for several study abroad programs, including CAPA.
In addition to her administrative leadership, Yolanda completed an M.A. in Life Coaching at Escuela de Organización Industrial de Madrid in 2017 and is a certified executive and team coach, with advanced training in conscious coaching, emotional intelligence, and neurolinguistic programming. She has mentored students and professionals as a cotutor in master’s programs and as a private coach.
Yolanda’s international background spans the UK, USA, Holland, Italy, and Belgium and she is fluent in Spanish, English, Italian, German, and some French. Her commitment to social responsibility is reflected in her volunteer work with the Red Cross in Madrid, supporting women affected by gender-based violence. Yolanda Charlán’s career is defined by her passion for education, her dedication to student wellbeing, and her vision for creating inclusive, globally minded academic communities.
ABOUT
Mattia Delle-Piane
Director, IAU Florence Center
Mattia Delle-Piane
Director, IAU Florence Center
Based at the Florence Center
Mattia Delle Piane serves as the Director of IAU’s Florence Center, where he provides strategic leadership for the center’s academic, operational, and student support initiatives. With over a decade of experience in international education, he has dedicated his career to advancing meaningful global learning experiences and fostering successful partnerships between U.S. institutions and study abroad providers.
Prior to joining IAU, Mattia held several leadership positions at Florence University of the Arts – The American University of Florence (FUA-AUF), including Dean of Students, Public Relations Coordinator, Alumni Association and Career Center Director, and member of the University Relations team. Throughout his tenure, he developed extensive expertise in student affairs, health and safety management, crisis response, student conduct, Title IX-related processes, and institutional partnership development. He has worked closely with students, faculty, administrators, and university partners to support student success and ensure high-quality study abroad experiences.
A strong advocate for international education, Mattia brings both professional and personal global experience to his role. As a student, he participated in study abroad programs at Södertörn University in Stockholm, Sweden, and at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, experiences that strengthened his commitment to intercultural learning and global engagement. He also gained international professional experience working in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and worked with the U.S. Consulate General in Florence, further expanding his expertise in international relations and cross-cultural communication.
Mattia holds a master’s degree in International Relations and European Studies and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Florence. Fluent in Italian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese, he is passionate about helping students navigate transformative international experiences while building bridges between cultures, institutions, and communities.
ABOUT
Guillaume Durand, PhD
Assistant Dean and Professor, The School of Humanities and Sciences
Guillaume Durand, PhD
Assistant Dean and Professor, The School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Based at the Aix-en-Provence, Campus
Dr. Guillaume Durand has been a professor of archaeology and art history since 2002, an Assistant Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences since 2014 and leads a January Term Traveling Seminar on Mediterranean Civilizations. Prof. Durand completed a Master’s of Art History and Archaeology on Byzantine Studies and a Ph.D. in Romanian History at the Université de Provence. He completed in 2014 a three-year post-doctorate program funded by the European Union and under the aegis of the Romanian Academy (Bucharest) and the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris). He has published two books and several articles in French academic reviews (Cahier des Etudes Romanes, Turcica) and in Romania (Historical Yearbook, Annals of the Spiru Haret University). Professor Durand participates regularly in international conferences in France and throughout Europe and maintains active involvement and oversight of local, regional, and national archaeological excavations. He speaks French, English, Romanian, and Greek.
ABOUT
Kira Espiritu, PhD
Dean of Academic and Strategic Initiatives
Kira Espiritu, PhD
Dean of Academic and Strategic Initiatives
Based in the U.S. Office of Admissions and Advancement in San Diego, CA
Kira Espiritu began working for IAU in 2024 as the inaugural Dean of Academic and Strategic Initiatives, where she strengthens IAU’s support of its study abroad partner institutions and their students. She also serves as the Director for the MA program in International Education Administration (MAIE), which is offered through IAU’s degree-granting institution, The American College of the Mediterranean (ACM). She received her BA in Psychology at Creighton University, along with an MA in Counseling and a PhD in Leadership Studies, both from the University of San Diego (USD). Kira had an impactful 24-year career at USD following her graduation, most of which was spent as Director of the Office of International Studies Abroad. Most recently, she served as the Assistant Provost of International Affairs. She has been very active in the international education field presenting regularly at conferences and serving in a variety of roles at NAFSA as Academy Chair and Coach as well as a trainer for NAFSA’s Trainer Corps and Management Development Program. She is also a member of the Forum Council and various conference planning committees, and has led numerous conference sessions at NAFSA, FORUM, and AIEA.
ABOUT
Aurore Guitry, PhD
Assistant Dean and Professor, Centre d’Etudes Françaises
Aurore Guitry, PhD
Assistant Dean, Centre d’Etudes Françaises
Based at the Aix-en-Provence, Campus
Dr. Aurore Guitry is the Coordinator of the Center for French Studies at ACM since 2022. She is a writer, translator, and Professor of literature, French and translation at ACM since 2016. She holds a Master in Literature (Women and imagination in Shakespeare’s plays: King Lear, Richard III and Macbeth), and a PhD in creative writing from Aix-Marseille University. She has written six novels, some of which are translated into Italian, German and Russian. Her work and research explores the problem of identity and the relation between text and image. As a ghostwriter, she wrote several biographies for politicians or business figures. She has also translated a dozen American novels, biographies, art books, etc. She is fluent in French and English and speaks Thai.
ABOUT
Aboubakr Jamaï
Dean and Professor, The Donna Dillon Manning School of Global Affairs
Aboubakr Jamaï
Dean and Professor, The Donna Dillon Manning School of Global Affairs
Based at the Madrid Center
Professor Jamaï’s professional career spans the business sectors of finance, economics, and journalism. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in finance
from Higher Institute of Commerce and Business Administration in Casablanca, Morocco. He got his MBA from Saïd Business School at Oxford University, and his MPA in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School. As a professor, He teaches Media & Conflict, Contemporary Politics of The Middle East and International Business. He was the Dean of the School of Business and International Relations from 2014 to 2023 and now serves as the Dean of the Donna Dillon Manning School of Global Affairs since 2024. Professor Jamaï began his career in finance, co-founding Morocco’s first independent investment bank in 1993. From 1997 to 2007, Jamaï was the publisher and editor the leading Moroccan newsweekly, Le Journal Hebdomadaire. In 2008, he was a visiting Scholar at the University of San Diego where he taught courses on International Journalism, Political Islam and Politics in The Middle East. He was the MENA regional editor for the Open Society Foundation’s project: Mapping Digital Media. He also worked in Iraq as a consultant with International Media Support (IMS) advising independent Iraqi media on their business strategies. From 2010 to 2013, he was the co-editor of the Moroccan news website lakome.com. He publishes regularly in The New York Times, Time Magazine, El Pais, Le Monde, and Le Monde Diplomatique. Among the many prizes and distinctions he has received, Professor Jamaï won the Committee to Protect Journalists’ International Press Freedom Award in 2003. He was named Harvard University’s Nieman Fellow in 2007 and Mason Fellow in 2008. In 2008, he also received the Tully Center Free Speech Prize, Newhouse School of Communication, Syracuse University. In December 2010, he won the Gebran Tueni Award, the annual prize of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). In 2014, he won the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) Leaders For Democracy Award. He was a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Bosch foundation in 2013. Professor Jamaï holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Higher Institute of Commerce and Management in Casablanca, Morocco, a Master of Business Administration from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School. He speaks Arabic, French, English and Spanish.
ABOUT
Stephanie Jensen-Moulton, PhD
Dean, The School of Humanities and Sciences
Stephanie Jensen-Moulton, PhD
Dean, The School of Humanities and Sciences
Based at the Aix-en-Provence Campus
Stephanie Jensen-Moulton joined ACM-IAU as the inaugural Dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences in 2026.
Prior to coming to ACM-IAU, Dr. Jensen-Moulton served as the associate dean of graduate studies and curriculum in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and a professor of music at Syracuse University. Before this, she held many positions at Brooklyn College, City University of New York (CUNY) including interim dean of the School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts, professor of musicology/American Studies and director of the Hitchcock Institute for Studies in American Music, lead mentor of the Tow College-Wide Mentoring Initiative and director of the Conservatory of Music.
A specialist in American music after 1900, Dr. Jensen-Moulton places particular importance in her work on music as it intersects with aspects of cultural expression such as ability, race, social class, gender and sexuality. Specific research interests include disability and trauma studies, feminist ways of engaging musical texts, popular music studies, and the body as a musical technology. She is co-editor with Lauron Kehrer of “‘Better Be Good to Me’: American Popular Songs as Domestic Violence Narratives” (University of Michigan, Music and Social Justice Series, forthcoming) and author of “American Opera and the Dis/Abling of Women” (Amherst College Press, forthcoming). She is a co-editor of the “Oxford Handbook of Music and Disability Studies” (Oxford University Press, 2015).
Dr. Jensen-Moulton received two Elebash Foundation Grants for Research and Performance in American Music from The Graduate Center, CUNY: one for “A Celebration of American Choral Music Featuring a World Premiere by Cecil Taylor,” co-written with Michelle Yom, and one for “Can You Imagine?: Celebrating the Art of Tania León,” co-written with Jeffrey Taylor. She also received a grant from the Presidential Mentoring and Research Program Initiative, Brooklyn College, for “Disability Oral Histories in Higher Education,” co-written with Saim Sarwar.
Dr. Jensen-Moulton has received a Whiting Fellowship for Excellence in Humanities Teaching (2011), a Tow Professorship (2019-21) and a Tow Award for Excellence in Mentoring (2023). She is a member of the Distinguished Mentors Council of Composers Now and is on the advisory board of Daniel’s Music Foundation, which serves the disabled community in the five boroughs of New York City.
Dr. Jensen-Moulton holds a Ph.D. in musicology from The Graduate Center at CUNY, an M.M. in voice performance from Boston University, and a B.A. in French literature and music from Hollins University.
ABOUT
Yumna Masarwa, PhD
Dean and Professor, The School of Art
Yumna Masarwa, PhD
Dean, The School of Art
Based at the Aix-en-Provence Campus
Dr. Masarwa joined IAU in September 2013 and has a B.A. in Archaeology and History from Ben-Gurion University (Israel), a Teaching Certificate, and M.A and Ph.D degrees in Art & Archaeology from Princeton University. She taught at several academic institutions in the U.S. and France such as Princeton University, INALCO Paris (Institut National des langues et Civilisations Orientales), Parsons Paris, CIEE Paris (Council on International Educational Exchange), and at Paris College of Art. She teaches various courses on Islam and Islamic art. Her research combines written sources (religious, historical, geographical etc.) with material culture. Since 2018, Dr. Masarwa has been conducting ethnographic research on the Algerian community in Marseille. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals and is currently working on her book manuscript.
ABOUT
Anthony Triolo
Director and Professor, The Center for Wine and Gastronomy
Anthony Triolo
Director, The Center for Wine and Gastronomy
Based at the Aix-en-Provence Campus
Anthony Triolo has been a professor since 2005 and the ACM Wine Studies Coordinator since 2022. He is now the Director of the Center for Wine and Gastronomy, and teaches International Relations, Environmental Politics and Eco-gastronomy. His scholarly interests center on the relationship between international security and the global environmental crisis with a particular focus on sustainable agriculture. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and has several years’ experience managing sustainable/organic vineyards and making wine in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA of California. He received a Bachelor’s degree (Summa Cum Laude) in International Affairs from the American University of Paris, a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the Université Paul Valery III, Montpellier in conjunction with the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Aix-en-Provence, France. He holds a WSET 3 Wines Certification and is currently working on a Ph.D. in Sustainable Development and Diplomacy at Euclid University. He speaks English and French.
FACULTY & STAFF DIRECTORY COMING SOON
Students of ACM Degree Programs and IAU Study Abroad Programs are supported by our faculty and staff through every step of their academic journey, from admissions at our U.S. Office in San Diego, CA to our centers abroad in Aix-en-Provence, Madrid, Barcelona, and Florence. Please check back soon for our full faculty and staff directory.
Students of ACM Degree Programs and IAU Study Abroad Programs are supported by our faculty and staff through every step of their academic journey, from admissions at our U.S. Office in San Diego, CA to our centers abroad in Aix-en-Provence, Madrid, Barcelona, and Florence. Please use the directory at the link below to learn more about the individuals on our team at our U.S. Office in San Diego, CA and across our centers in Aix-en-Provence, Barcelona, Madrid, and Florence.