OUR TEAM

Rick is the Director of Learning Abroad where he oversees overall program operations and provides strategic vision and leadership. Rick graduated with a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross in 2005 and an M.A. from the University of Oregon in 2014. With over 10+ years in international education, Rick is most passionate about developing innovative global programs that lead to transformative experiences for all students at the U.

Pronouns: He/Him

Eric is originally from Salt Lake City, and is a graduate of the University of Utah and the University of Denver - Josef Korbel School of International Studies. He has been working in international education since 2014 and joined Learning Abroad in 2016. Eric currently serves as the Faculty-Led Program Manager.

In this role I support, train and advise the faculty-led team on program and budget development, recruitment, and coordination of logistics with internal and external stakeholders. In addition, assess overall program quality and to initiate new program opportunities. I work with the Learning Abroad and the Office for Global Engagement Finance Team to steward complex fiscal arrangements with faculty directors, third party providers, travel providers, and internal campus offices.

During my free time I love road cycling, skiing, seeing independent films at the Salt Lake Film Society, listening to comedy/pop culture podcasts, LGBTQ+ advocacy work, coffee shops and hanging out with my golden retriever Ignacio  aka “Nacho”.

Pronouns: He/Him/His

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Anna graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor’s degree in Chinese and a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Global Enterprise (MIAGE). Anna is passionate about international education and has worked and studied in Ukraine, Poland, and China. Anna loves learning about different cultures and foreign languages and uses every opportunity to travel abroad. Anna advises students and coordinates exchange programs.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers.

Jordan is a proud University of Utah graduate, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental and Sustainability studies. Jordan participated in the Community Engaged Learning in Costa Rica, leaving her motivated and eager to make an impact in her own community. Jordan enjoys encouraging students to participate in the many programs offered by the learning abroad office. When Jordan is not in the office you can catch her tending to her garden or planning her next adventure.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers.

Max was born and raised in the hot Sonoran Desert in Scottsdale, Arizona. He graduated from Arizona State University in 2020 with a BA in Geography, minors in Spanish and Urban Planning, and certificates in Brazilian Studies and Geographic Information Science. Max is a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Alumni and studied abroad in Lisbon, Portugal in 2019. Max also participated in the Critical Language Scholarship Portuguese Virtual Institute in 2020 and 2021 in Florianópolis, Brazil. Sparked by his interdisciplinary interests in language, culture and geography, Max is pursuing a MA in Latin American Studies at the University of Utah as a FLAS Fellow for Portuguese. When Max is not improving his language skills, he loves to cook international cuisine (his favorite meal to cook is shakshuka) and attend live music festivals (he has gone to Coachella for the past five years)!

Pronouns: He/Him/His.

Anh Nguyen is originally from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and a big fan of High School Musical. She spent the past 10 years living between Philadelphia and Ho Chi Minh City, while traveling across the US and crisscrossing the globe in search of the most-everything everything bagel. After graduating from Temple University, she worked for the Los Angeles Times, then a documentary studio in Vietnam, before returning to her true calling in higher education as the international affairs manager for a university in her hometown. At her current role, Nguyen is passionate about advising students not just on the nuts and bolts of learning abroad, but also on the rite of passage for those who leave their place to learn about themselves. To summarize all her experiences so far, no one says it better than T.S. Eliot:

"And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."

In her free time, she loves to watch the Masked Singers - Vietnam edition, learn to bake and plan her next girls trip. 

Kassandra is originally from rural Utah. Growing up in a rural area inspired her to explore and learn beyond her community. She received her B.S. in Strategic Communication from Southern Utah University, then moved to Salt Lake City in 2018 to work in the non-profit education sector, where she marketed four state-wide programs that focused on literacy, technology, mentoring, and exposure to scholarships, internships, and careers.

Now, Kassandra is the Events, Marketing, and Recruitment Coordinator for Learning Abroad, where she leads and organize Learning Abroad marketing and outreach strategy.

Outside of work, you'll find her traveling and attending concerts.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers/Ella

My name is Evie and I am a junior majoring in International Studies with a concentration in Global Health. I am also pursuing a minor in Spanish and a TESOL Certificate (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). I grew up in Vermont, but my family and I moved to Utah after I graduated high school. I spent a month in the Dominican Republic in high school, and recently studied abroad for ten weeks in Costa Rica. I love exploring new places, trying new foods, and learning new languages. Besides Spanish, I have also taken classes for French and Swahili. I really enjoyed my time studying abroad, and I am passionate about encouraging others to study abroad as well!

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Marlo was born and raised in Reno, Nevada, but moved to Salt Lake City to pursue a bachelor's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a minor in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Utah. She has been on two Learning Abroad programs; an affiliate program through USAC in Madrid, Spain and an exchange program at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia and she loved every minute of both! She loves to travel the world and found that Learning Abroad was the best way to do it. When she's not in school, she loves spending time outdoors going hiking, running, and skiing. Marlo loves to encourage others to pursue Learning Abroad and wants to help students find the best program for them.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers