International ACAC Pre-Conference Institute 2018 Counseling Faculty Bios

Name: David Shubair

Organization: International School of Zug and Luzern, Switzerland

Title: Head of High School Counselling

David is very proud to serve as Co-Chair of the International ACAC Pre-Conference Institute. He has been

working in international schools for the past 13 years as a College Counselor, School Counselor, and IB History

teacher in China, South Korea, Dubai, and Switzerland. Before working in international schools, he worked

with the US Department of State in the Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs on academic exchange

programming that brought international students each year to study in US universities. He has been a regular

attendee and presenter at conferences for International ACAC and the Council of International Schools (CIS).

This is David’s second year as a member of the International ACAC Professional Development Committee, as

well as Co-Chair for the Pre-Conference Institute.

Name: Robert Kostrzeski

Organization: Awty International School - Houston, TX USA

Title: Director of University Guidance

Robert currently serves as Co-Chair of the International ACAC Pre-Conference Institute, having served on

faculty in the past. He has been working in international education for 23 years. He has lead admissions and

directed international exchange/study abroad programs and served as a US independent and international

school university counselor. In the US, he has worked for the School of International Training, the University

of Arizona, The Gregory School, Drew School and Wildwood School. Robert regularly presents at professional

conferences including International ACAC, Council of International Schools (CIS) and EARCOS (East Asia

Regional Council of Schools). He has worked in Turkey (Uskudar American Academy), Malaysia (ISKL), Thailand

(NIST) and Vietnam (SSIS). He loves working with students and spending time with his family honing his 007

skills as a proud father of a 3.5 year old.

Name: Aleka Bilan

Organization: Jakarta Intercultural School

Title: Head of Department, High School Counseling

Aleka has worked in high schools for the past 25 years, as a college counselor in the US and a comprehensive

school counselor at international schools in Serbia, China and Indonesia. Her professional interests include

leveraging student’s strengths through the college process and guiding highly mobile communities through

transitions. Aleka enjoys co-presenting at conferences throughout the year, including International ACAC, the

CIS-EARCOS Institute in Bangkok, and Global University Counselor Connect in Singapore. She has served on the

Service Committee for International ACAC, and will be a new member of the Professional Development

Committee. This is her first time as a faculty member at the Pre-Conference Institute and she is honored to be

part of this professional learning opportunity.

Name: Anna Boyd

Organization: Frankfurt International School, Germany

Title: Guidance Counselor

Anna has worked in international education for the past 10 years. She has started work in international

admissions at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany for five years. After a short interlude as Event Manager and

School Relations Director at The Student World UK running study abroad exhibitions and tours in the UK,

Ireland and South Africa, she joined UWC Atlantic College in 2014. This summer she is moving to Frankfurt

International School to join the team there. She loves working with international students on finding the next

step for them from “both sides of the desk”. For Jacobs she recruited in Europe, North and South America and

the Middle East and was fortunate to start her journey of international HE under the guidance of a former

OACAC president Marie Vivas. So from early on she has been infused by the spirit of this wonderful

international community. Anna has presented at CIS and International ACAC conferences in the past, and will

again this year. She was a 2016 International ACAC Scholars Mentor and is the Chair of the Mentor Committee

in charge of this year’s First Timer Session. Anna loves sharing her knowledge and getting to know new people,

so the Pre-Conference is an opportunity she does not want to miss. Hence, she is back again this year!

Name: Julie Chapman

Organization: Vanderbilt University

Title: Senior Assistant Director of Admissions

Julie is currently in her eighth year at Vanderbilt University. During her time at Vanderbilt she has worked

with students from around the globe as well as across the United States. At Vanderbilt, Julie is the co-chair of

the international team and coordinates all domestic travel done by the Office of Undergraduate

Admissions. Prior to Vanderbilt University, Julie spent three years in the admissions office at Bryn Mawr

College.

Name: Patrick Desbarats

Organization: UWC Southeast Asia, East Campus

Title: University Advisor

Patrick Desbarats is currently a university advisor at UWCSEA East in Singapore. From 2010 to 2017 he was the

Head of Counselling and College Placement at the American School of Doha in Qatar. In this position, he

created and implemented a high school counselling curriculum that focused on student wellness, career

exploration, and the college admissions process. He also led workshops for local counselors focusing on many

aspects of the college and university admission process. Before moving overseas, Patrick was a College

Counsellor for eight years at a public school north of Toronto, Canada.

Name: Marco Dinovelli

Organization: Rutgers University

Title: Associate Director of International Recruitment

Dr. Marco Dinovelli is the Associate Director of International Recruitment for Rutgers University. Marco has

worked at Rutgers since 2012, having previously worked in admissions at Bloomfield College, and international

student services, and student affairs at Baruch College. Marco received his Doctorate in Higher Education

Administration at Northeastern University and holds a Master's in Public Administration from Baruch College

and a Bachelor's in Administration of Justice from Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Name: Joachim Ekstrom

Organization: Seoul Foreign School

Title: Director of College Counseling

Joachim (Kim) Ekstrom has spent the last 17 years within educational institutions, exploring ways to best

support students in their educational and personal development. His undergraduate training in Education and

Psychology and postgraduate training in Counseling Psychology prepared him well for the work he has done in

schools, both as a teacher and counselor. He believes that students reach their fullest potential when they are

guided through a process of introspection and research by a caring professional to discover their own answers

and solutions. Having an entrepreneurial spirit, he is very passionate about establishing new, innovative

counseling procedures that benefit students as they explore their post-secondary adventures. He is currently

employed as Director of College Counseling at Seoul Foreign School.

Name: Ryan Haynes

Organization: Taipei American School

Title: Director of Upper School Academic and Personal Counseling

Ryan has been a high school counselor for the past 19 years in a variety of educational settings, from working

in U.S. public schools to international schools in Thailand, Taiwan, and Oman. Ryan has given presentations at

various international conferences and is an active member of International ACAC and Families in Global

Transitions. Ryan is looking forward to presenting at his second Pre-Conference Institute!

Name: Jenny Howenstine

Organization: St. Olaf College

Title: Associate Dean of Admissions, Director of International Recruitment

Jenny has represented her alma mater in the U.S. and around the world since graduation. Originally planning

to work in the admissions office for two years or "if for a really long time, maybe five!", almost 20 years later

she has found college recruitment and admissions to be an unexpected dream job. For the first ten years she

recruited around the U.S., putting a lot of miles on rental cars and eating solo at small town diners. After

taking a short break in 2007 to assist on the St. Olaf "Term in the Middle East" semester program, she

returned to campus and with the help of many thoughtful colleagues and mentors shifted into international

recruitment. In 2011 she earned her M.A. in Higher Education Administration completing the Comparative,

International, Development Education program at the University of Minnesota. Currently serving on the

Council of International Schools Committee for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, she has led multiple CIS tours

over the last few years. While she loves the travel that comes with the job, her favorite part continues to be

getting to know the students once they enroll.

Name: Caitlin Kelley

Organization: University of Alabama

Title: Associate Director for International Recruitment and Admissions

Caitlin is responsible for overseeing international admissions processing, credential evaluation and

international recruitment for University of Alabama undergraduate admissions. After living overseas in both

Austria and China, Caitlin earned her Masters in International Education at SIT Graduate Institute. Since then,

Caitlin has worked in International Student Services and International Admissions and Recruiting at multiple

large public research institutions. She has traveled to over 50 countries and loves meeting students around the

world as they are making the life-changing decision to study in the USA.

Name: Anne Kuijs

Organization: Tilburg University, the Netherlands

Title: Senior Recruitment Officer

Anne has been working for Tilburg University in the field of recruitment & admissions since 2012. Her training

has been in primary school teaching and communication sciences, both of which come together in this current

position. Her experience in the field of international education encompasses many years of traveling to

international schools, speaking to secondary school students and advising them about university choices and

their options in the Netherlands. She has actively collaborated with prominent institutions for higher

education in within the Netherlands and in Europe, in various consortia.

Name: Loutfi Jirari

Organization: DePauw University

Title: Associate Dean of Academic Life and Director of International Admission

Loutfi was born and raised in Rabat, Morocco. He worked in higher education for over 14 years. Loutfi

currently serves as an Associate Dean of Academic Life and Director of International Recruiting for DePauw

University. Loutfi is passionate about helping institutions of higher education define and implement their

vision for diversity, inclusion and international programs. Through his positions in Academic Affairs, Student

Affairs and Admission, Loutfi has developed expertise in leading recruitment and retention initiatives that

maximize student and institutional outcomes. He is dedicated to student-centered advising, creative problem

solving and leading in best practices.

Name: Emma McLeavey-Weeder

Organization: Dartmouth College

Title: Associate Director of Admissions

Emma oversees Dartmouth’s international recruitment program, as well as travelling to Western Europe and

the Middle East/North Africa. She graduated from Colby College in 2009 and worked at the Admissions Office

at the University of Puget Sound from 2009-2012, before heading back east to complete her M.Ed in Higher

Education Administration at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This is her fourth year working for the

Dartmouth Admissions Office.

Name: Erick Núñez

Organization: United Nations International School - NYC

Title: Associate Director of College Counseling

Erick has worked in international admissions at four universities in the US before crossing sides of the desk

(and the world!) to China where he navigated the intricacies of the counseling life. He worked at an A-Levels

and AP school before making a move to Germany a few years later, briefly working at an IB school. In 2017, he

made a return to his hometown - the Big Apple. He’s thrilled to be working in a global community in one of the

best cities in the world and lending his time to serving as co-Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Diversity as

well as the Governance and Nominating Committee of International ACAC. He also gets to shift gears some

days and be a student part time at Teachers College - Columbia University where he’s working on his masters.

Name: Elisabeth (Liz) O’Connell

Organization: University of Pennsylvania

Title: Senior Associate Dean of Undergraduate Admissions

Liz leads the International Admissions team at Penn where she has worked for over thirty years. She is active

in many professional associations and is a frequent presenter at domestic and international conferences. Liz

has held leadership roles in CIS, ECIS, IBNA and she has served on the TOEFL Board. At present she is part of

the State Department’s Overseas Schools Project and the faculty at the College Board Summer Institute.

Originally from Sweden, Liz has also lived in Germany, Nigeria, Spain, Sudan and the UK. Her work has also

taken her all over the world to meet prospective students, counselors and alumni.

Name: Jennifer Peterman

Organization: McGill University, Montréal, Canada

Title: Senior Manager, Global Undergraduate Recruitment & Communications

Jennifer is the Senior Manager of Global Undergraduate Recruitment and Communications at McGill

University and Director of McGill’s Summer Academy and Welcome Centre. She is a McGill “lifer”, having

received two degrees from the institution, followed up by 17 years in Enrolment Services. She is also a mom to

three amazing kids. Jennifer has travelled to over 30 countries for higher education and strategic enrolment

purposes. She has presented at professional conferences such as International ACAC, Council of International

Schools (CIS) Forum, and CIS-EARCOS. In addition to International ACAC, she is an active member of College

Board, NACAC, serves on the CIS - Asia Committee and has been part of the CIS-CHEC Middle East Tour

leadership since 2015. She is also a member of College Board’s India Global Alliance. She is thrilled to be part

of this year’s Pre-Conference Institute and looks forward to working with counsellors and colleagues around

the world!

Name: Dane Rowley

Organization: California Lutheran University

Title: Director of International Admission

Dane has been working with students from the United States and around the world in outreach, counseling,

admission, advising, and teaching for 15 years. He currently serves as Director of International Admission at

California Lutheran University where he is responsible for all international undergraduate and graduate

student enrollment. He previously served as Dean of Admissions at Augustana College, Illinois. Dane’s

undergraduate degrees are in History and Political Science and his graduate degree is an MS in Counseling and

Guidance. Dane has lived, worked, and studied abroad in three countries, has traveled to dozens of others,

and is passionate about educating leaders for a global society.

Name: Karen Sagall

Organization: International School of Manila

Title: High School Counselor

Originally from New York and Northern Virginia, Karen currently works as a G11/12 Counselor at the

International School Manila. An Applied Mathematics major at Columbia, she has always had an avid love of

statistics, and would estimate she has reviewed over 10,000 university applications, counseled over 500

seniors, supported students applying to a range of 15+ countries, and visited universities in at least 8

countries. Having worked in admissions at both Dartmouth and Columbia, she made the transition to “the

other side of the desk” and began university counseling at the Potomac School, outside Washington, DC.

Discovering a love of travel and adventure, she found she was spending every summer exploring new

countries and cultures, which influenced her decision to move to Belgium to join the International School of

Brussels counseling team. After three years of enjoying the European lifestyle, she chased the sun to

Southeast Asia, where she can be enjoys working with the ISM team of counselors, promoting the many

educational opportunities worldwide.

Name: Holly Smith

Organisation: University of Sussex, UK

Title: Regional Manager

Holly has worked in UK Higher Education recruitment and regional development roles since 2009 and has

progressed through her career at institutions such as the University of Surrey, University of Southampton, and

currently, the University of Sussex. Originally a graduate in Psychology and Criminology from her local

University of Brighton, Holly thoroughly enjoys meeting students, counsellors and other education

professionals across the world. Over recent years, her professional regional focus has included Europe, North

America and South East Asia. In addition to a busy travel schedule, Holly also runs the global scholarships

programme at the University of Sussex and leads her team’s efforts on relationship building with international

schools across the world. Holly has presented on UK HE and global HE topics at conferences such as

International ACAC, IB Global Americas, CIS Forum, UCAS International and TACAC (Texas), and is looking

forward to sharing knowledge, guidance and good British humour at the Pre-Conference Institute!

Name: Leanne Stillman

Organization: University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

Title: Manager, International Recruitment & Admissions (MIRA)

Leanne is the Manager, International Recruitment & Admissions (MIRA) at University of Guelph where she has

served since 2007, having begun her international recruitment and admission journey in 1997. She holds a BA

in Spanish & Latin American Studies from Mount Allison University in Canada and an MA in International

Education Management from University of Leeds in the UK. She often presents at professional conferences

such as International ACAC and CIS Forum and on International ACAC webinar panels. Her other full-time job is

coaching young children and creating opportunities for them to learn and play rugby as a Rookie Rugby

Educator in Toronto within her club and through the Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation (TIRF).

Name: Jenny Thacker

Organisation: The University of Edinburgh, UK

Title: Regional Manager – SE Asia & Australasia

Jenny has been at the University of Edinburgh for 12 years – the first five as an Undergraduate Admissions

Officer in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences, and the last seven as Regional Manager for SE Asia and

Australasia, with a focus on Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. After graduating with a degree in

Geography & Economics from Loughborough University, Jenny worked at Harper Adams, a small land-based

university college in England, covering admissions and on course support for taught postgraduate students,

and at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, where she was initially responsible for taught postgraduate

admissions, before adding undergraduate admissions to her remit.

Name: Pamela Kelly Wetzell

Organization: UWC South East Asia, East campus

Title: Head of University Advising

Pamela heads the University Advising Centre at UWCSEA East campus in Singapore, one of the 17 campuses in

the United World Colleges Movement. Originally from New York, she practiced law in San Francisco before

moving to Asia 24 years ago. Having raised two daughters in a multicultural environment, Pamela feels

strongly aligned with UWC’s mission of global understanding, peace and sustainability. This is her eighth year

working at UWCSEA.

Name: Alex Whitcomb

Organization: Erasmus University College

Title: Head of Marketing, Recruitment, Admissions & Integration

Alex is currently head of Marketing, Recruitment, Admissions & Integration of Erasmus University College, a

small-scale Liberal Arts & Sciences programme in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Alex has been with the

university for 5 years, of which three have been in his current position. Alex obtained his MSc in Strategic

Management from Erasmus University in 2013. In addition to conducting multiple sessions at various

international conferences, Alex has served for two consecutive years on the session selection committee for

the International ACAC. He is excited to be a part of the pre-IACAC institute this year for the second time.

Name: Kim Zwitserloot

Organisation: University College Utrecht, part of Utrecht University, the Netherlands

Title: International recruitment office/Lecturer in economics/Tutor

Kim Zwitserloot combines a few jobs at University College Utrecht. She is a lecturer in economics, a tutor to 33

students (academic advisor with some coaching responsibilities), is involved in admissions and is responsible for

their international recruitment. (Yes, it gets busy but it combines the best of all worlds!). She obtained her MSc

degree in Economics from Maastricht University. After her graduation she spent some time in Venezuela

teaching English. When she returned to the Netherlands she worked at Maastricht University as a lecturer in

the Problem Based Learning system and at the Utrecht University School of Economics as a lecturer before

joining UCU in 2007.

Name: Nan Zhang (Frances)

Organization: Shanghai High School International Division, China

Title: College Counselor/ Head of High School English Department

Nan (Frances) currently serves on the Membership Committee of International ACAC, having done some

education sessions at the conference over the past years. She has been working in SHSID for eight years as

counselor, subject teacher, faculty advisor for school Model UN team and SHSID|Times, the school official

magazine. Together with her colleague, she led a team of 50 guidance counselors on campus to assist

international students to apply to colleges worldwide. She also served on one American Accreditation

Engagement Review team to inspect other schools in China. Before her work at SHSID, she worked for

Department for Business, Innovation & Skills – GOV.UK in London. Sticking to the principle -- choose what you

like, and like what you choose, she pursues guiding her students to find the best FIT institutions for their

future study. She’s a foodie and enjoys traveling around to explore nice food :) with her friends worldwide.