My interests are in culture, conflict, and organizational change processes in education and development. I am coming to CIE after ten years with Peace Corps, and five years with a community-based, conflict resolution organization in the San Francisco Bay area.

I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Jordan, where I taught English for two years at a girls’ school in the beautiful village of Orjan.  Subsequently I became a Director of Programming and Training (DPT) for the Peace Corps programs in Turkmenistan, Romania, and Indonesia.  My primary responsibilities as DPT were to work closely with the staff to prepare volunteers for their service and to likewise prepare host country communities to receive a volunteer. Most recently I served as Chief of Programming and Training for the Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia Region of Peace Corps, based in Washington, DC.

Prior to Peace Corps I was Associate Director at Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center, which has about 150 trained volunteers who partner with staff to mediate community disputes, facilitate public meetings, and train people in local government, schools, and non-profits in conflict management skills. As Associate Director, I was responsible for a civic engagement program and for managing and mediating complex, multi-party disputes.

I have a bachelor’s degree in English and a master's in communication.  My graduate studies focused on interpersonal and organizational conflict.  I also have a TEFL certificate and have done on-line study in intercultural communication.  In addition to teaching in Jordan, I taught English in Prague and a suburb of Milan, and taught undergraduate courses in communication and conflict in Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay area.