U.S. Office of Admissions and Alumni Affairs

IAU is committed to delivering the highest quality experience to students from the first point of contact. If you're preparing to study abroad or plan to enroll in one of IAU's degree-granting programs, you'll most likely speak with one of our U.S. team members. We invite you to meet the team below!

ADMINISTRATION

Kurt Schick
Vice President, U.S. Operations

Emile Lamah
Chief Financial Officer

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. 

Dr. Jessica Calhoun
Dean of Admissions

Derek Brendel
Admissions Counselor / Study Abroad Advisor
Advises for Madrid

Derek Brendel joined IAU in 2021. As an Admissions Counselor and Study Abroad Advisor in the San Diego office, Derek manages admissions and enrollment of ACM’s degree programs as well as assists with the management of IAU’s growing offerings in Madrid, Spain. Derek has 10+ years of working in international education including on-site program management, co-curricular planning and execution, and international student support. As a student, Derek studied abroad twice as an undergraduate and completed a graduate program in the United Kingdom. In his free time, Derek enjoys leisure sports, purposeful travel, and specialty coffee. He speaks conversational Spanish.

Christina Tran
Admissions Counselor / Study Abroad Advisor
Advises for Aix-en-Provence and Florence

Christina Tran joined IAU in 2022 as the Coordinator of Degree Programs and transitioned into the Admissions Counselor/Study Abroad Advisor role in early January 2022 where she helps advise for IAU's programs in France and beyond. She studied in Lyon, France on the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship and later returned to France to teach English with TAPIF. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a B.A. in French and received her M.A. in International Education Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. From working at her alma mater's Office of Education Abroad to building an alumni ambassador program at Campus France USA, she has always been passionate about international education. She speaks English and conversational Vietnamese and French.

Carmen Ortiz
Admissions Counselor / Study Abroad Advisor
Advises for Aix-en-Provence and Florence

Carmen Ortiz (she/her) started working as an Admissions Counselor and Study Abroad Advisor at ACM-IAU in 2022 and manages the application and advising processes for ACM-IAU’s France-based programs. She holds her Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Global and International Studies from the University of Kansas and has worked in international education throughout her career. She has previously worked at her alma mater in the study abroad office and Office of Multicultural Affairs. She also worked for a study abroad provider creating marketing campaigns and leading programs in Sydney and Cairns when she lived in Australia. Carmen studied in France and Czechia while in college and is a huge fan of traveling, cooking, crocheting, reading, and spending time with friends and family. Carmen speaks English and French and is currently learning Spanish and Hindi.

Lindsey Ruth
Admissions Counselor / Study Abroad Advisor
Advises for Barcelona

Lindsey Ruth (she/her) began working as an Admissions Counselor and Study Abroad Advisor at IAU in 2022 and manages the application and advising processes for IAU’s Barcelona programs. Lindsey is from Southern California and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business: Leadership & Management and Business: Human Resource Management from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. Her enthusiasm for international education was solidified while studying abroad in London, England. Before starting at IAU, she was an intern with the Fund for Education Abroad and the Foundation for International Education, where she gained an understanding of the industry and realized her passion for making cross-cultural experiences accessible to all students. She has also worked in various positions within higher education, including experience as a Resident Assistant and Housing Ambassador at her alma mater. In her free time, Lindsey loves to read, play the guitar, and go to the beach.

Annie Navran
Admissions Counselor / Study Abroad Advisor
Advises for Barcelona and Madrid

Annie (she/her) joined IAU in 2024 as an Admissions Counselor and Study Abroad Advisor, where she helps advise for IAU’s Barcelona and Madrid programs. Annie received a B.A. in French Literature and Languages and a B.A. in Communications from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She went abroad for the first time in college and studied in Lyon, France, which inspired a personal and professional passion for study abroad and international travel. After college, she returned to France twice as an English language assistant with the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF), where she worked in Bordeaux and Toulouse. Annie received a Dual Master of Arts in International Education Management and a Master of Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and was again able to work in France by completing a practicum in international education at the Syracuse University Strasbourg Center. Annie speaks French and is relearning Spanish. Outside of traveling, Annie loves to be outside in any capacity, try new recipes out for friends, and get lost in a good book. 

CUSTOM & FACULTY-LED PROGRAMS

Rebecca Coyle
Senior Director of Custom Programs 

Rebecca Coyle, a 2005 Alumna of IAU, has managed custom programs at IAU since August 2012. As Senior Director, she oversees IAU's large portfolio of customized programs, including but not limited to, organizational strategy and program development. Prior to coming to IAU, she served as a Study Abroad Program Coordinator at the University of San Diego for five years, advising for programs in Latin America, Spain, and France. Rebecca has a B.A. in Spanish and International Relations (Minor in French), and an MBA in International Business and Management from the University of San Diego. She speaks fluent Spanish and French. 

Julie Dugan
Director of Custom Programs 

Julie Dugan (she/her) joined IAU in 2023 as Assistant Director of Custom Programs and now serves as IAU's Director of Custom Programs, where she oversees the development, implementation, and execution of custom programs. Prior to IAU, Julie worked at Tufts University in their Global Education Office, and most recently San Diego State University as a Program Development Specialist in International Affairs. She has also worked abroad in both Spain and Colombia. She completed her Masters at Tufts University in Diversity and Inclusion Leadership, focusing on accessibility to international education and the personal abroad experiences of students from historically underrepresented and marginalized populations. Julie earned her bachelor's degree in History from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and completed a semester abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has worked in custom program development and operations for K-12 and university students participating in educational trips domestically and internationally, and was a tour leader on dozens of programs. Julie speaks Spanish, and is learning Italian.

Raymundo Gutierrez
Custom Program Manager

Raymundo Gutierrez (RR-eye-MOON-dough) is a dedicated professional with a diverse range of experience in the private and nonprofit sectors. Raymundo joined IAU in late 2023 as the Enrollment Specialist for Custom and Faculty-Led Programs, and is currently a Manager of Custom Programs. He communicates with stakeholders to develop study abroad programs and provides logistical on-site support. After completing his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from New York University Steinhardt, he worked with the NYC Department of Education as a Music Educator on the Lower East Side. Raymundo pursued his Master of Education in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he analyzed education financing patterns for indigenous groups in Mexico and general trends in international tertiary education. Raymundo holds both Bookkeeping and Business Management Certificates from North Orange Continuing Education and is fluent in Spanish. During his time at NYU, he had the privilege of studying abroad in Australia and in the Czech Republic. Raymundo was positively impacted by his experiences in diverse environments and strives to deliver transformative programming. 

DEGREE PROGRAMS

Jonathan Belk
Assistant Director of Admissions, Degree Programs

Jonathan Belk serves as the Assistant Director of Admissions for Degree Programs at ACM. Jonathan manages the enrollment and admissions of ACM’s undergraduate and graduate degree-seeking students along with facilitating visa requirements. He has a BA in International Studies and Business from the University of South Florida and received an MA in Linguistics/TESOL at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He comes from a background working in international education in and out of the classroom and extensive knowledge working with all visa types. He studied in Florence, Italy and has lived in Madrid, Spain as well as traveled throughout many European countries. His passion for international education began with his interest in language learning which ultimately led him to teaching and then working in higher education admissions. Jonathan can read, write, and speak French, Spanish, & Russian after having studied for many years. 

ALUMNI AFFAIRS & MARKETING

Greg Grassi
Recruitment and Marketing Specialist

Greg Grassi serves as the Recruitment and Marketing Specialist for ACM's degree-seeking programs. He has a BA in Psychology and Spanish from the University of San Diego (USD) and a Master of Social Work with an emphasis in educational counseling from San Diego State University (SDSU). Prior to joining ACM, Greg worked for over 11 years as the Associate Director for International Students and Scholars at USD where he supervised J-1 exchange programs, led pre-arrival and orientation programs, managed the international student health plan, and advised international student leaders. In this role, he worked closely with Admissions to help recruit and retain students from abroad and developed a reputation as a strong student advocate, mediator, and mentor. Greg’s passion for international education began as an undergraduate student when he interned at the USD Study Abroad Office and then studied and worked at USD’s Guadalajara, Mexico summer program. He later completed a post-graduate semester in Madrid, Spain through New York University. Greg speaks fluent Portuguese, advanced Spanish, and basic Italian. He is currently eating something delicious or planning his next meal.

FINANCE & FINANCIAL AID

Nina Bello
Associate Director of Admissions & Student Financial Services

Nina Bello began working as Associate Director of Admissions & Student Financial Services in 2022 and manages financial aid for both our study abroad and degree programs. Nina is from San Diego, California and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and a Master of Arts degree in Higher Education Leadership from the University of San Diego. Prior to joining ACM, Nina served as a Financial Aid officer at Point Loma Nazarene University for over 4 years. Nina’s passion for equity and diversity in international education has inspired the work she does at ACM. Her enthusiasm for international education comes from participating in 4 study abroad programs during her time at USD that took her to multiple countries including: Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, and the UAE. Nina’s enjoys traveling and exploring new cities and she is currently learning French. 

Debora Chlad
Assistant Director of Student Financial Services

Debora joined the IAU Finance Team in 2023 to enhance the team’s experience with accounts receivables and invoicing. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of Student Financial Services. She has 16 years of experience in the field of higher education covering numerous areas of student financials and international student payments, serving both graduate and undergraduate as well as V.A. students and families.  She has a Bachelor of Science in C.J.S.A, under the Department of Public Administration from San Diego State University (SDSU). Her experience with international travel is both local to Canada and Mexico numerous times and abroad to Egypt, France, The Netherlands, and Israel. Her travel experience enhances her understanding of the student’s point of view in international student finance.