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Meet the GEO Team

Executive Director for Global Engagement

Label: Carina Yervasi

cyervas1@swarthmore.edu

Carina is the co-founder of the interdisciplinary program Global Studies, as well as the current Section Head (2023-2024) for French & Francophone Studies.  Link to Faculty Profile.  As Executive Director, Carina oversees office leadership, convenes campus-wide committees, and bridges academic and administrative priorities in the global space. Carina additionally serves as the GEO advisor for Swarthmore’s French language (France and Francophone Africa) and Arabic language (Middle East and North Africa) programs.

Director of Operations for Global Engagement

Label: Lauren Owens

lowens1@swarthmore.edu

Lauren is the newest member of the GEO team, but brings 20+ years of experience in the field of international education. As Director of Operations, some of her key areas of focus include: developing and maintaining relationships with overseas partners, outreach/communications, program management and assessment, and crisis management. Lauren additionally serves as the GEO advisor for Swarthmore’s programs in the UK/Ireland, the Americas, parts of Africa (anglophone), and parts of Asia (South/Southeast/Central).

Study Abroad Advisor

Label: Umi Keezing

ukeezin1@swarthmore.edu

As Umi delivers our Study Abroad 101 sessions, she is often the first GEO team member that applicants meet.  More broadly, Umi's responsibilities include advising students on the study abroad process and providing administrative support.  As a Swarthmore alum, Umi is uniquely situated to support Swatties as they navigate life abroad.  Umi serves as the GEO advisor for Swarthmore’s programs in Continental and Nordic Europe, East Asia, Australia, and our multi-region programs

Program Coordinator, Global Engagement Office

Label: Diana Malick

dmalick1@swarthmore.edu

Diana is the administrative core of the Global Engagement Office and is the initial point of contact for students' questions about study abroad.  Applicants may be in contact with Diana to troubleshoot technical questions on their portal, to schedule appointments, or to learn more about upcoming events.  A few of Diana's (many!) supports include payments and reimbursements, insurance registration, requirement tracking, and the GEO newsletter.  

Global Engagement Advisory Committee

The Global Engagement Committee is a standing committee of the Faculty, charged with advising the Global Engagement Office regarding changes in policy and practice; participating in regular reviews of Swarthmore College study abroad programs; reviewing approved and proposed study abroad programs; reviewing student petitions to attend non-approved programs; and in general overseeing the educational quality of all supported programs while contributing to the effort to remove unnecessary institutional barriers to participation.

Members of the Global Engagement Committee, Academic Year 2023-2024

  • Jason Box - Head Men's Tennis Coach
  • Nanci Buiza - Associate Professor of Spanish
  • L. Simone Collins - Director of Counseling and Psychological Services
  • Varo Duffins - Director of Financial Aid
  • Karen Henry - Dean of First-Year Students
  • Usha Nair Jenemann - Associate Registrar
  • Tiffany Lee - Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History
  • Lauren Owens - Global Engagement Office
  • Benjamin Smith - Assistant Professor of Arabic
  • Kristen Smith - Registrar
  • Carina Yervasi - (Chair) Modern Languages, Global Engagement Office
  • Benjamin Zinszer - Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology