ASA: Academic Study Associates 2008 Programs

Behind every ASA program is a team of experienced and dedicated staff members working hard to ensure a memorable and rewarding summer experience. From resident advisors (RA’s) to heads of house and program directors, ASA staff are committed to providing you with the resources and opportunities to make your summer unforgettable.

ASA is particularly proud of the longevity of its program directors and senior staff. These program leaders provide continuity and consistency on each program. They are consummate professionals who have committed themselves to work with students. ASA’s program directors average 8 years of ASA experience.

• Marcia Evans, President, ASA
  
  Educated at Mt. Holyoke College, Columbia University and the London School of Economics, Marcia has taught at the secondary and college levels in both Europe and the U.S. As the founder and Director of ASA, Marcia oversees the conceptualization and implementation of all of ASA's programs.
• David Evans, Vice President
  
  David completed his BA in History at Colgate University and worked in advertising in London and New York before joining ASA in 1996. David directed the Oxford Experience for 4 years and returns to direct the Barcelona program for the 7th year as well as working year round in the ASA's New York office where he oversees marketing and sales.
• Mary Lynn Alton, Vice President
  
  Mary Lynn has BA's in both Architecture and Political Science from Rice University and currently works in the NY office directing all of ASA's Campus programs. She has served as the Director of the Oxford Experience (six years) and ASA at UMass-Amherst (three years). Prior to joining ASA, Mary Lynn spent several years as Assistant Director of Admissions at Rice University.
• Marta Ramos, Vice President
  
  Marta received an honors degree in Linguistics and Translation from the University of Granada, Spain. Marta is a native of Spain and has directed the Spanish homestay program for the last eight years. Marta oversees language and study abroad programs in France, Spain and Italy, from ASA's New York office.
• Lora-Lynn Byfield, Recruiting Director
  
  Lora-Lynn holds BA's in Clinical Psychology and English and an MA in Education from Tufts University. Prior to joining ASA, she worked for several years as a teacher, coach and admissions officer at an New England prep school. Lora-Lynn spent last summer on site at the UMASS program and returns to the NY office for her 4th year as Recruiting Director.
• Christie Chow, Assistant Director
  
  Christie graduated Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University with a BS in Deaf Education and Human and Organizational development and has varied experience in teaching and special education programs.
• Cristina Cotumaccio, Assistant Director
  
  Cristina graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Economics from the College of William & Mary and completed her MA in Spanish at Middlebury College. Cristina has extensive experience studying and living abroad in both Spain and Italy. Cristina works as one of the senior staff members of the ASA in Florence program, and coordinates the language and cultural immersion programs from the ASA office in New York.
• Evan Klavon, Assistant Director
  
  Evan graduated from Amherst College with a BA in English, having also studied at Oxford University. He worked as an RA at The Oxford Experience before pursuing an MA in English (Irish Writing) at Queen's University, Belfast, in Northern Ireland. He returned from across the pond to join the New York office, where he works in support of all ASA's precollege programs as well as in Oxford during the summer.
• Sarah Navicky, Administrative Director
  
  Sarah graduated Magna Cum Laude from Muskingum College, New Concord, OH with a BA in Fine Arts and minors in both English and History. She lived abroad in New Zealand for two years before returning to New York City. Sarah works in ASA's New York office as the Director of Admissions.
• Liz Boardman, Director, ASA at Cambridge University
  
• Anne Fenton, Director, ASA in Nice
  
• Jen Ferrara, Assistant Director, ASA in Florence
  
  Jen completed a BA at the University of Utah and her MA in Educational Counseling at Virginia Tech. She has worked in various capacities in Academia for the past twelve years. During the last six years her professional time has been spent as a high school counselor in Fairfax County, Virginia. Jen has broad experience living and traveling throughout Europe. Jen brings five years of experience working with ASA with both the French immersion program and now Florence for the past two summers.
• Jane Gabin, CAP College Counselor
  
  Jane Gabin received her Ph.D. in English from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her B.A. in English from Queens College in New York . After working as an instructor at Chapel Hill Senior High School and Duke University, Jane transitioned into college admissions at UNC, where she served as the Senior Assistant Director and director of international admissions for 10 years. She subsequently served as the Director of College Guidance at The Chapin School in New York City , and currently works as a college consultant at the United Nations International School in New York in addition to working with families in New York City . Jane recently published her first book, American Women in Gilded Age Britain.
• George Kinzel, ASA at UMass
  
  George has a BS in Human Resource Management with a Minor in Theater Arts from Binghamton University and also earned an MA in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is currently working in Residence Life as an Area Coordinator at Bloomsburg University. The summer of 2008 marks his 12th summer with ASA.
• A.J. Migonis, ASA at UC-Berkeley
  
  A.J. received his BA from Colgate in 2000 and a MEd from William and Mary 2001. He currently teaches middle and high school social studies north of Boston. A.J. has been part of the ASA team for five years, three with ASA at UMass and two with ASA at Berkeley.
• Brad Miller, Director, ASA in Florence
  
  Brad completed his AB in Classics at Harvard University, his ML at the University of Florida and his MEd at Stanford University. Summer 2006 will be Brad's fourth summer with ASA, and he has worked with student programs for the last eleven years including directing courses in Rome and Tuscany. He is currently a dean at a private school in Los Angeles.
• Kerry Newhall, Assistant Director, ASA at Oxford University
  
  Kerry has a BA in history from Connecticut College and an ME from the University of Massachusetts. Kerry teaches Latin American Studies at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School. This will be her sixth summer with ASA at the Oxford program having also worked on the UC-Berkeley program.
• Lucy Paltoo, Assistant Director, ASA at UC Berkeley
  
  Lucy brings a wealth of Residential Life experience to ASA. She spent several years as and RA and RD at the University of Florida and is currently completing her Masters in Higher Education. She's worked with ASA UC Berkeley for the past several years, most recently as Residence Life Director.
• Michel Remy, Director, ASA in Nice
  
  Michel is Professor of English Literature and History of Art at the University of Nice and a leading authority on British Surrealism. Michel has extensive experience organizing academic programs, including oversight of the Smithsonian's summer art institutes in southern France and his position as Director of the International Summer University (UIE) at the University of Nice. This will be Michel's tenth summer with ASA in Nice.
• Paul Saville, Director, ASA at Oxford University
  
  Educated at Glasgow and Oxford (MLitt), Paul will return to direct the Oxford Experience for the fifteenth year in 2007. Paul has been a faculty member of St. Clare's College (Oxford) since 1972 and headed St. Clare's Liberal Arts Programme for international students for nearly 20 years.
• Dan Sheff, Assistant Director, ASA at Barcelona
  
  Dan teaches Spanish and coaches boys soccer and basketball at Middlesex school and has varied experience organizing school trips abroad and serving as a dorm parent and coach. Dan earned a B.A. in Spanish at St. Lawrence University and received his M.A. from Middlebury College. He returns to direct the ASA in Barcelona program for the second year.
• Catherine Simpson, Assistant Director, Spanish in España
  
  Catherine received her BA from the University of Georgia Honors Program and completed her Ph.D. at SUNY-Stony Brook. She is currently an assistant professor of Spanish at the University of Richmond. She first joined ASA in 2002 as Assistant Director for the Barcelona program, and she has been Assistant Director and Academic Coordinator for Spanish in España for the past five years. Catherine has spent a great deal of time in Spain traveling, studying, and conducting research and as a college student participated in two study abroad programs.
• Tiffany Trotter, Assistant Director, ASA at UC Berkeley
  
  Tiffany has over eight years of indepen.dent school experience and is currently a history teacher at Philips Exeter Academy. She has degrees from Stanford and University of Chicago and is currently working on her dissertation. Tiffany has served as Residence Life and Academic Director at ASA UC Berkeley.
• Cigus Vanni, Director, College Admissions Prep
  
  Cigus received his degree in English Lit/Psychology at Swarthmore. He is currently the lead College Counselor at Cherry Hill High School in NJ. Prior to this, he served as the Assistant Dean and Admissions Counselor at Swarthmore College. Cigus shared his extensive counseling experience with ASA as Director of the College Admissions Program at Columbia and UC-Berkeley.
• Willem Vroegh, Director, ASA at UC-Berkeley
  
  Willem graduated from Miami University of Ohio and then completed his MEd at Smith College. He has ten years teaching experience and twelve years of ASA experience at Stanford, UMass and Oxford. He returns to direct the Berkeley program for the seventh summer.