ABOUT GEO CENTER
Services
The GEO Center provides a myriad of services to the COF
schools and their students. GEO Center services include but
are not limited to:
-
Provide guidance to students and faculty seeking international
experience
-
Work with faculty/staff for travel course development
-
Event planning for internationally themed events
-
Outreach to underrepresented populations in study abroad
-
Development of forms, applications, etc. for study abroad
and travel courses
-
Work with administrators and faculty to advise students
about study abroad
-
Marketing and promotion of COF International events
(including Culture Shock, art exhibitions, lectures, film
screenings, etc.
Initiatives
-
Global Ambassadors – returned study abroad students
share their knowledge and experience with COF peers
-
Faculty/Staff Workshops – preparation for leading a
travel course or volunteer abroad program
-
Students of Color Lunch – information about study abroad
for students of color
- Re-entry Social – information for returned students on
how to incorporate their experiences into daily life
Programming
- COF study abroad fairs (one per semester)
- Pre-departure orientations
- Career Workshop
Meet the GEO Center Staff
Robin
Melavalin
Robin Melavalin, Director of the Global Education Opportunities
(GEO) Center, is an internal consultant to the six Colleges
of the Fenway schools. She is involved in all aspects of
internationalizing the campuses, which includes working
with faculty and administrators as they prepare to take
students abroad, streamlining procedures and policies, and
working with the campuses to develop their strategic vision
for internationalization. An anthropologist, photographer
and teacher, she has been in the field of international
education for over 20 years and has led student groups to
Cuba, Cape Verde, and other countries. She has also traveled
in Kenya, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Bali, Uzbekistan
and China. In her spare time she leads outdoor adventure
trips for the Appalachian Mountain Club.
Mary Boyington
Mary Boyington, Assistant Director of the GEO Center, works closely with staff and faculty at the Colleges of the Fenway to promote study abroad, welcome international students, and internationalization of the six campuses. Mary is a native of New Orleans and completed her studies in French Literature at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Mary's background includes directing a faculty-led program to Paris, teaching French and Humanities courses, as well as working with international students and scholars.
Claudeline Jean-Baptiste
Claudeline is the graduate intern for the GEO Center. She is a native of Boston. She is currently researching and writing for her Capstone Paper. Her Masters degree will be completed in International Education from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT.
Claudeline earned her BA in Sociology, Criminology and Law with a minor in Paralegal Studies from Suffolk University.
She is from a bi-cultural home with both parents the Island of Hispaniola, where she traveled to numerous times during her childhood. She has regressed in her fluency of Spanish, is fluent in Haitian-Creole, and at an intermediate level of French. Stop by the GEO Center so she may practice her languages with you.
Committees
The GEO Center works with four committees, the Study Abroad
Council, the Advisory Board, International Student Advisors
and International Recruiters, in order to fulfill its mission
of internationalizing the campuses and providing cross-cultural
opportunities for students. The committees foster collaboration
among individuals, departments and institutions with regard
to all aspects of internationalization.
Study Abroad Council
Thirteen COF members who are directly involved with helping
students travel on semester, year and short-term programs
meet to share best practices and collaborate on marketing,
orientations, fairs and other projects.
 Mary
Weber
Mary Weber is the International Student and Study Abroad Advisor
at Emmanuel College. Prior to her arrival at Emmanuel, Mary completed
her BS in Psychology at the University of Mary Washington and her MA in Intercultural Relations at Lesley University. She has traveled extensively throughout the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, France, and Ireland. She enjoys adventure sports and has been skydiving and bungee jumping.
 Tony
Laing
Tony Laing is Diversity and Programs Exchange advisor.
In this role, he works with students interested in semester
study abroad or domestic exchanges. Tony is also responsible
for helping to promote diversity programs. Prior to MassArt,
he worked at The New School in NY and has traveled throughout
Africa as an exchange student, teacher and researcher.
Tony was nominated twice for the Fulbright Teacher and
Administrator Exchange Program and received a Rotary Ambassadorial
scholarship. Tony holds a BA in political science and
an MPA in management and international development.
Natalie
Vinski
Natalie Vinski is the Director of International Education Programs at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She
provides a range of services and programming to students,
faculty and staff including oversight of the college’s
faculty-led international travel courses and advising/support
to the college’s international student population. As
an undergraduate student, Natalie spent a semester studying
art and social change in Prague, Czech Republic through
the School for International Training, followed by two
months of solo travel through Europe. Her most recent
travels have included Ireland, Ecuador, Mexico, Newfoundland,
and Egypt (as part of MassArt’s spring 2007 travel course,
Egypt of the Pharaohs, led by Professor John Russell).
 Lauren
Thorman
Lauren Thorman is Associate Director of the Center for
International Education, Leadership, and Innovation at
Wheelock College. She has been involved in international
education and child and family policy issues for nine
years. Her duties at Wheelock College include coordinating
the Wheelock College International Visiting Scholar Program
and the International Service Learning Program, which
provides faculty-led overseas learning experiences for
students; researching and developing new international
markets; and assisting in the launch and administration
of current overseas programs. Lauren’s areas of expertise
include international program development, international
student recruitment, and project management. Before coming
to Wheelock College in 2007, Lauren worked with a range
of programs and services for international students at
Suffolk University’s Center for International Education.
She has traveled extensively throughout Asia and is a
graduate of the NAFSA Academy, an intensive two-year training
program in international education offered by NAFSA: Association
of International Educators. Lauren holds a B.S. in Human
Service Studies from Cornell University and an M.P.A.
from The George Washington University.
GEO Center
Advisory Board
Eleven COF administrators and faculty guide the GEO Center
strategic planning process, major projects and budgets.
International
Student Admissions and Advisors Committee
Committee members provide support to international students
through tax and career workshops; they also share best practices
for international student support and retention.
International
Student Recruitment Task Force
In three meetings, this committee of academic and student
life deans, admissions administrators and international
advisors analyzed and recommended collective strategies
for recruiting international students to the COF.
Global Ambassadors
The global ambassadors program is an opportunity for students
who have returned from study abroad to share their experience
with students on the COF campuses. Global Ambassadors conduct
info sessions in residence halls, hold weekly travel talk
tables, volunteer at GEO Center events, and may be available
for one on one peer consultations regarding study abroad.
If you would like to be a Global Ambassador, please contact Mary Boyington at mboyington@colleges-fenway.org
|
