ASA: Academic Study Associates 2009 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.
• Anne Fenton, Assistant Director
  
  Anne graduated from Wesleyan University with high honors from the interdisciplinary program College of Letters, and earned her MA in Classics from St. Johns College. She has taught English and French, and worked as a literacy coach in the Santa Fe public schools. Anne directs the ASA program in Nice and currently coordinates the language and cultural immersion programs from the ASA office in New York.
• Sarah Gudis, Assistant Director
  
  Sarah graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in history, having also studied at University College London. She holds an MS in Education from Pace University and is a Teach For America Alumna. Sarah has worked on ASA programs at UC Berkeley and Oxford and oversees the UK programs from the NY office.
• Cheryl Hill, Recruitment Director
  
  Cheryl received her degree in English specializing in Professional Writing from Lehman College, CUNY and is currently pursuing a BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Management at Mercy College. Over the past five years, Cheryl has worked in various capacities within the Human Resources field at Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions and Lehman Brothers. She now returns to the education sector as the Recruitment Director for ASA.
• Leore Jacobson, Assistant Director
  
  Leore graduated Summa Cum Laude from Emory University with a BA in psychology and then earned her MA in Social-Organizational Psychology at Columbia University. While in graduate school, Leore worked in the Educational Center at United Jewish Appeal-Federation and afterwards participated in a yearlong community service/internship program in Israel. Leore now coordinates the national pre-college programs in ASA’s New York office.
• Amy Nichols, Administrative Director
  
  Amy graduated Magna Cum Laude from Carleton College in Northfield, MN with a BA in Psychology. She has several years experience working with children in schools and in residential care. Amy works in ASA’s New York office as the Administrative Director.
• Cristina Cotumaccio, Assistant Director, ASA in Florence
  
  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 teaches year round at Saint David’s school in New York City and returns to ASA Florence for her fifth summer.
• 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 worked as a college counselor at United Nations International School and Little Red School House/Elizabeth Irwin School in NYC. She is currently Director of College Guidance at The Frisch School in Paramus, NJ. Jane recently published her third book, American Women in Gilded Age Britain. She also writes the "Ask the College Counselor" column at www.insideschools.org.
• George Kinzel, Director, 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 at Bloomsburg University as the Assistant Director of Residence Life for Human Resources, Programming and Campus Leadership. The summer of 2010 marks his 14th summer with ASA.
• 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 2010 will be Brad’s ninth summer with ASA, and he has worked with student programs for the last fifteen years including leading trips in Rome and Tuscany. He is currently a dean at the Scuola Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence.
• 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 currently works at Concord Public Schools, Concord MA as Chair of the Social Studies Department. Kerry has worked at ASA’s programs in Berkeley, Oxford and Cambridge. 2009 is her ninth summer with ASA.
• 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 has worked with ASA as Program Director in Oxford since 1992. Paul was 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 ten years of independent 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 as well as Program Director at ASA Princeton.
• 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.