Faculty and Staff

Dr. Udi Butler has been active in the field of ethnographic and participatory action research for the last 17 years. Keep reading.

Bruce W. Dayton (PhD, Syracuse University, 1999) has been active in peacebuilding and conflict transformation work for over twenty years as a practitioner, a researcher, and an educator. His work focuses on the intersection of social identity and intractable conflicts and the role that intermediaries can play in transforming them.

Dr. Sora Friedman has worked in international education (IE) for 35 years, focusing on the preparation of new professionals in the field, IE management training, exchange program management, public diplomacy, and international policy advocacy.

Dr. Alla Korzh is an educator, researcher, and practitioner in the field of international education with a regional focus on Eastern Europe. She holds a doctorate in international educational development from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Nicolas Stahelin is an educator and political ecologist who has worked in the field of experiential learning, international and cross-cultural exchange, school-community partnerships, and higher education for nearly 15 years.

Elka holds a doctorate in English applied linguistics and a master’s degree in British and American literature, English linguistics, and simultaneous interpretation. At SIT Graduate Institute since 1993, she teaches and does research in the areas of second language acquisition, English applied linguistics, critical pedagogy, language analysis, multilingualism, teacher cognition, and ecological approaches to teaching.

After teacher-training in refugee camps in Thailand, Leslie began teaching in SIT’s MA in teaching programs in 1989. Her interests include refugee adjustment, cultural identity and memory, cultural and linguistic revitalization, reflective practice, classroom inquiry, teaching practice, literacy non-formal education, and teaching supervision.

Marti Anderson has taught, trained, and supported teachers in both formal and nonformal contexts for 25 years.  She has worked with teachers of English and French as well as those who teach non-language subjects and trainers who work in the trades and other technical environments.

Dr Tatsushi Arai is a professor of Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation at the School for International Training (SIT) and a faculty member of Conflict Transformation Across Cultures (CONTACT), SIT’s summer peacebuilding institute.

Professor Emerita Susan Barduhn joined the faculty at SIT in 2003. She directed the summer MA in TESOL program for 12 years and helped design and launch the low-residency MA in TESOL program. She was also director of SIT’s Professional Development and Teacher Training Institute.

Suzanne Belleci has been teaching conflict transformation, social justice, cross-cultural communication, and management courses at SIT for 17 years. She served as SIT’s first ombudsperson, bringing groups together, facilitating dialog circles for conflict resolution, and mediating one-on-one disputes. 

Mokhtar received a doctorate in education and leadership studies from Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire. He also holds an MEd in education for social justice from Keene State College in New Hampshire and an MA in service, leadership, and management from SIT Graduate Institute. Keep reading.

A member of SIT Graduate Institute's faculty since 1988, Karen Blanchard developed and taught the Institute’s first course in conflict transformation. She also has directed a training program for Southeast Asian development professionals in the US and in Southeast Asia, and has been an academic director in Nepal. 

Wil Burns is the co-director of the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy at American University’s School of International Service and senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

Ray Clark has been involved in the world of language teaching and learning since 1963 when he was immersed in TEFL training at the University of California, Los Angeles as a Peace Corps Volunteer for Nigeria. 

Lynée Connelly holds a BA in linguistics and Italian and an MA in international education. She is currently a PhD student at the California Institute for Integral Studies. Her dissertation focuses on the influence and impact of international education during the five-year post-reentry period.

Dr. Davina P. Durgana is an assistant professor at SIT Graduate Institute in Washington, D.C. where she served as the faculty lead for the Inclusive Security Certificate Program. She was named the 2016 Statistical Advocate of the Year by the American Statistical Association and as a Forbes Top 30 Under 30 in Science for 2017 for her work on statistical modeling, human security theory, and modern slavery.

Carlos studied at the National School of Anthropology and History in Mexico and has a PhD in social anthropology from the University of Manchester, UK, where he specialized in visual anthropology at the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology. Keep reading.

Dr. Fochesatto is associate professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and an expert in the physics of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). His research focuses on the ABL related to meteorology and various processes.

Christopher T. Foley has worked for the National Democratic Institute (NDI)’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) team as the deputy regional director since 2004 and has managed field operations and program implementation throughout the region. He has developed expertise in local governance and administrative processes as well as election-day related policies and processes.

A former dean of SIT Graduate Institute and member of the faculty since 1984, Linda Drake Gobbo teaches courses and advises students in international education and management in both the online and face-to-face programs. She has travelled as faculty with SIT Graduate Institute programs, and has also provided administrative support from the home campus to various SIT Study Abroad programs in such areas as crisis management, health, student development, and professional staff support.

John is a senior instructor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Florida Atlantic University, where he teaches master’s- and doctoral-level courses in the school leadership and adult and community education programs. Keep reading.

Steve is an assistant professor in the MA TESOL program, where he teaches linguistics and curriculum design courses on campus and online. He chairs SIT’s Academic Affairs Committee and serves as faculty coordinator of the Sandanona Conference for Language Teaching and Learning. 

Manish is deeply committed to regenerating our diverse local knowledge systems and cultural imaginations and is one of the strong planetary voices for de-schooling our lives. Keep reading.

Amy Jersild has over 15 years of professional experience in the field of international development as a manager, technical advisor, and evaluator specializing in migration issues, capacity building, and institutional capacity development, advocacy, and M&E

Dr. Narriman Jiddawi holds a PhD in marine sciences and teaches at the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) in Zanzibar. She served as a Pew fellow in marine conservation and has extensive experience conducting interdisciplinary projects that wed natural and social sciences in coastal East Africa.

Dr. Kū Kahakalau is a native Hawaiian educator, researcher, cultural practitioner, grassroots activist, songwriter, and expert in Hawaiian language, history, and culture. Keep reading.

Paul LeVasseur has been a member of SIT Graduate Institute faculty since 1990. He teaches Intercultural Communication, Social Change, Organizational Behavior, Literacy in the ESL Classroom, Teaching the Four Skills, Curriculum Design and Assessment, Way of Council, and Leadership, Community, and Coalition Building.

Maria Maack lives in Reykholar/Westfjords, Iceland. She is engaged in research and the implementation of renewable energy solutions and natural resource management as a professional since 1992. She holds a BS in biology and geology, an MS in environmental management and policy and is pursuing PhD studies in ecological economics on the topic of shifting from using oil fuel to renewable electricity and hydrogen for land transport in Iceland.

Bonnie Mennell’s work as an educator for the last 39 years has centered on creating inviting, vital, collaborative “containers” for self-directed experiential learning in community—whether that community is a language classroom, a department meeting, a language teacher training session, or a weekend training in The Way of Council.

Venkatesh (Venky) Raghavendra is a social entrepreneur with nearly three decades of philanthropy and development experience. He has successfully built global partnerships and mobilized significant resources for a number of international and national organizations.

Dr. Robinson is a senior program manager with more than 20 years’ experience working with organizations in numerous countries. She has lived, worked, and traveled in 70 countries to date and has been involved in a variety of issues, including human rights, environmental justice, racism, sustainable development, emergency management, and violence against women. Keep reading.

Sarah Roma is an independent consultant with 20 years of experience working globally and domestically on programs and policy change for women and girls. Sarah has expertise in policy advocacy, leadership development, gender analysis and integration, capacity building, curriculum development, training and facilitation, program and policy design and implementation, strategic planning, and organizational change.

Karla Giuliano Sarr is an international education practitioner and scholar. Karla's interests include basic education, multilingual education, cultural relevancy, community-school relationships, literacy, girls' education, training, and curriculum development.

David Shallenberger joined SIT Graduate Institute’s international education program in 2006, after four years serving as director of European and Middle Eastern studies for SIT Study Abroad. He also served for one year as dean of SIT Graduate Institute.

Alex Silverman holds master’s degrees in Slavic and French linguistics. A faculty member of SIT Graduate Institute since 1974, he serves as a supervisor and teaches in the areas of general linguistics, methodology, culture, sociolinguistics, and English language and linguistics. 

Dr. Peter Simpson currently serves as an advisory board member of Ball State University’s Center for International Development and as an independent consultant in the fields of international exchange, education, and development. 

Mari is an ecological designer, educator, and urban homesteader living in Asheville, North Carolina. She holds a doctorate from Harvard University and has taught Asian religions and environmental ethics at Reed College and the University of South Carolina. Keep reading.

Kelly has been active in the fields of international/sustainable development and education for the past 20 years. Keep reading.

Dr. Aqeel Tirmizi’s professional portfolio includes more than 20 years of international experience in teaching, research, management, and capacity building. The major focus of his work deals extensively with managing and leading in global and multicultural environments as well as working with themes of social justice and social innovation. Keep reading.

John has been teaching about conflict transformation at SIT for 25 years — a timespan he finds hard to grasp. John started the Youth Peacebuilding and Leadership Programs at SIT, which over the years have brought together future leaders from communities — in locations such as Cyprus, Northern Ireland, the Middle East, Iraq, Rwanda, Pakistan, India, Liberia, and Burma — facing conflict to dialogue about issues and conflicts they have inherited.

Since its founding in 2005, Dr. Peter Weiss has been director of the University Centre of the Westfjords and its graduate and other programs. Previously, he taught linguistics and literature at the University of Iceland’s Department of Nordic Languages and German.

Dr. Jill Welter received her PhD in aquatic ecology and biogeochemistry from Arizona State University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley, and is currently a faculty member at St. Catherine University.

Ryland White, professor, has been a member of SIT Graduate Institute faculty since 1993. She teaches courses in training design for experiential learning, training for social action, dismantling disability, and ethics and intercultural training design.

Dr. Pius Yanda is a professor at the Institute of Resource Assessment in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He led the process to establish the Climate Change Centre and PhD and MS degrees on climate change at the University of Dar es Salaam.

Ray Clark has been involved in the world of language teaching and learning since 1963 when he was immersed in TEFL training at the University of California, Los Angeles as a Peace Corps Volunteer for Nigeria. 

Alvino E. Fantini holds degrees in Latin American studies, anthropology, and applied linguistics. A senior faculty member since 1964, Alvino helped turn the Sandanona estate into the present SIT Graduate Institute.

Beatriz Fantini, director of the Language and Culture Department at SIT Graduate Institute, has worked at World Learning since 1966. She has served in various capacities, including as a Spanish teacher, a teacher trainer, and a supervisor for both the Graduate Institute and Study Abroad. She also ran the summer language programs in Mexico.

Claire Halverson holds a doctorate in education. A member of SIT Graduate Institute's faculty since 1986, she teaches the courses Organizational Behavior, Multicultural Organization Development, and Social Identity.

Diane Larsen-Freeman holds a PhD in linguistics from the University of Michigan, where she is professor emerita, having served on faculty from 2002–2012. She is also professor emerita at SIT Graduate Institute, where she was on faculty from 1978–2002. Currently, she is a visiting senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.

Patrick Moran holds a doctorate in educational studies. A member of SIT Graduate Institute's faculty since 1977, he has a special interest in courses related to French and to the interface of intercultural communication and second language education, a topic he explores in Teaching Culture: Perspectives in Practice (Heinle & Heinle).

Elizabeth Tannenbaum has been a practitioner in the field of ESOL teaching and teacher training for the past 40 years. As an English language teacher, teacher trainer, and curriculum developer, working both internationally and domestically, Elizabeth’s work has focused on adult literacy, refugee resettlement, teaching practice for a variety of contexts, and curriculum development.

Graduate Programs Outreach Manager
802 258-3421
meghan.mcmillan@sit.edu 

Meghan joined SIT as the graduate programs outreach manager in October 2018 and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to joining SIT, she worked as an enrollment associate at DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia, where she advised students during the registration process, managed course enrollment, and helped build relationships with partner institutions. 

Senior Admissions Officer
802 258-3103
marykay.sigda@sit.edu

Mary Kay is a senior admissions officer with eight years of experience working with students at SIT. Her goal is to help students determine their goals and to align them with their best experience options here at SIT. She is also a member of our adjunct faculty—so the students she helps admit are often in her classroom!

Executive Assistant to the Dean of Students
Laurie Granger is the executive assistant to the dean of students and has worked in various capacities for SIT since 1991. She holds a BA in psychology from the State University of New York at Albany.

Manager of Student Health Administration
Cheryl Pennie Williams is the manager of student health administration for SIT Study Abroad and SIT Graduate Institute. She holds a bachelor of science in social work, a master’s in information systems from Pace University, and a second master’s in social policy and planning (with a concentration on health, welfare, and urban/rural development) from the London School of Economics.

Disability Services Associate
Steffen Gillom has been working in the fields of education, civil rights, and policy advocacy for more than eight years. He holds a master’s degree in peacebuilding and conflict transformation from SIT Graduate Institute and a bachelor’s degree in political science (pre-law) from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Senior Advisor to the President of SIT for Student Affairs
Christopher Medalis is an international education expert based in New York City. He has 25 years of experience leading strategic initiatives, advancing university internationalization, conducting training, and managing scholarship programs and academic exchanges on behalf of governments, foundations, universities, and corporations. He has designed and conducted trainings for university staff, government officials, higher education professionals, academics, researchers, and students.

SIT Counselor
MaryBeth Caseiro, MS, is a licensed clinical mental health counselor specializing in anxiety/depression, friendship, grief/loss, creativity, and family relationships. Human and identity development theories, mindfulness practices, and the latest research in integrative neuroscience guide her collaborative counseling approach.

SIT Counselor
Abbie Shepard Fields is a psychologist based in Managua, Nicaragua, where she has lived for over 30 years. She teaches at the Universidad Centroamericana and is also completing her doctoral studies there. Her main area of specialization for the past 20 years has been trauma and sexual violence, and her current research focuses on the mind-body relationship in processes of post-trauma recovery.

Student Health Assistant
Kathy Sylvester holds a BS in occupational education in music studies from Wayland Baptist University. Kathy has almost 20 years’ experience working in higher education.