Faculty & Staff

Dr. Tamika Baldwin-Clark is currently an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Prairie View A&M University. She has studied and worked in the field of social work, both internationally and domestically, for over a decade, and previously taught graduate courses online through the University of Nevada-Reno. Some of her other positions include being a foster care worker in Detroit, a therapist at Baylor College of Medicine, a service coordinator at Texas Children’s Hospital, a U.S. Census Bureau Enumerator, and a care manager in London, UK. Dr. Clark is a licensed clinical social worker supervisor as well as a licensed chemical dependency counselor. While her specialization is gerontology, she also has practiced in the areas of child welfare, substance use, and mental health.

Dr. Berk is a Clinical Professor of Management in the Knauss School of Business at the University of San Diego. After a corporate career, Abby joined academia to study how business can have a positive impact on society with a focus on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. She currently teaches undergraduate and graduate business students about finding and creating socially responsible businesses. At USD, Abby has been recognized with awards for exceptional teaching and service to the university and community. Abby was fortunate to teach on two prior SAS voyages, Summer 2014 and Fall 2017, with her family and looks forward to joining the Fall 2024 SAS community.

Born in Mexico City. Raised in Chicago. Mother of a young man. Earned her Bachelorette’s Degree of International Studies and Spanish, minor in French, Certificate in Latin American Studies, her Master’s Degree of Library and Information Science, and is earning a Ph.D. in Education and Human Resource Studies, Specialization in Organizational Learning, Performance, and Change. Interim Head of Student Success, Librarian, Associate Professor at CSU Libraries. Critical, Transnational, and Intersectional Feminist Thought has been a life-long learning pursuit that has steadily influenced and shaped the way she engages in the workplace, approaches cultural change and leadership, and makes sense of her experiences as an aspiring Latine scholar in international librarianship.

Mark Brill is a Semester at Sea alum, having taught on the Spring 2016 Voyage. He is from Mexico City where he grew up, and still considers home. He earned his BA from Oberlin College, his Masters Degree from Tulane University, and his PhD from the University of California-Davis. He is currently Associate Professor of Musicology at the University of Texas-San Antonio. He specializes in the Music of Latin America and Film Music, and has published several books and articles in these fields, including the textbook Music of Latin America and the Caribbean. He is also an avid stamp collector.

Lori Catalano is an Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture at Colorado State University. As a teacher and licensed landscape architect, she fosters an environment that inspires students to think critically and creatively about the world around them by making complex concepts relevant to the student’s individual experiences. Prior to teaching, she worked for nationally recognized landscape architecture firms designing parks, urban plazas, and college campuses. Her career has been guided by the desire to create a more sustainable and ethical world that is beautiful. She is an avid traveler, runner and artist, and is incredibly grateful to participate in this amazing adventure.

Dr. Victor Evans is an author, journalist and documentarian. He has been teaching in higher education for over 24 years. Before teaching, Dr. Evans was an entertainment journalist, working with many organizations in both New York and Los Angeles, including Entertainment Weekly, People, MTV, Guest Informant, BET and CNN. Dr. Evans is a documentary filmmaker and the author of the LGBTQ middle-grade Evan Sinclair Mysteries series, and he co-wrote the sci-fi space opera trilogy Luminous Void. To learn more about him and his work, visit https://victordevans.com.

Dr. Zheya Gai is a professor of Political Science and International Studies at Washington & Jefferson College. She teaches courses in international relations and comparative politics with area emphases on China, East Asia, international political economy, and US-China relations. Dr. Gai’s research interests include China’s role in the global economy and governance, China and emerging Asia, and the politics of China trade in the United States. Her publications include a co-authored book China’s Peaceful Rise: Perceptions, Policy, and Misperceptions published by Manchester University Press in 2016. Dr. Gai served as chair of the ASIANetwork Board of Directors in 2013-14 and is Director of the ASIANetwork-Freeman Student-Faculty Fellows program since 2014.

Guanlin Gao is an Associate Professor of Economics at Chaminade University of Honolulu and the inaugural Director of the Economic Education Center for Excellence, whose mission is to advance prosperity and economic justice in Hawai‘i and the US-affiliated Pacific through integrated economic education, training, and community-based research. Dr. Gao’s research focuses on building resilience and vital equity in underserved populations and communities. Her current educational endeavor involves incorporating culturally appropriate content for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders in economics education, as well as providing accessible, sustainable professional development training for K-12 educators in Hawai’i. Dr. Gao has received multiple awards for teaching, research, and student mentoring.

Dr. Dulce María Gray comes from a long line of immigrants who have moved widely in the world—and that’s probably why she has such an urgent sense of wanderlust, and why a SAS voyage is thrilling to her: she gets to teach, to learn, and to experience traveling with people who share her passions. Dr. Gray has taught undergraduate and graduate level courses at universities in New York City, Indiana, Virginia, and currently in California’s Silicon Valley where she teaches in face-to-face and online modes. Being a global citizen, she believes, enriches her personal and professional life, focuses her on being empathic and socially conscious, and allows her to be enormously grateful for the privilege of being able to move about the world.

Sarah Gray loves her job as a Professor of Environmental and Ocean Sciences at the Univ. of San Diego where she teaches courses in geological oceanography, paleoclimatology, and coral reefs and climate change. She enjoys engaging students in hands-on field experiences, such as oceanographic research cruises and field trips to the coast and deserts. Her research examines human impacts in coastal environments, marine sedimentation, the geology of coral reefs, and past environmental change. She has conducted field research around the world including remote tropical islands of the Pacific, Caribbean, offshore San Diego, and Antarctica. Her interest in cultural exploration was shaped when she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Kenya, back in the days before cell phones.

Stephanie is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of Alberta, where her research and teaching focus on how ocean ecosystems are changing and what it means for people. Stephanie is interested in questions like: Can coral restoration save reefs? How are ocean fish and fisheries adapting to climate change? and When is eating an invasive species a good idea? Her research has taken her on thousands of scuba dives around the world and even led to close encounters with toothy critters. Previously Stephanie was a Banting Fellow at Stanford University and a David H. Smith Conservation Fellow at Oregon State University. This is Stephanie’s second SAS voyage and she is excited to sail again, this time with her husband (whom she met on SAS Spring ’16) and toddler son.

Dr. Soo Kang is a Professor and Program Coordinator in Hospitality and Event Management at Colorado State University. She earned her Ph.D. in hospitality and tourism management from Kansas State University. Dr. Kang has extensive experience teaching various courses, including hotel operations, hotel revenue management, hospitality leadership, and capstone seminars that focus on problem-solving and critical thinking. Her research primarily centers on consumer behavior, tourism impacts, and global tourism marketing. She has also conducted research on cannabis tourism and its effects in Colorado. Dr. Kang has been fortunate to teach at the Semester at Sea twice as a Global Teaching Scholar (GTS). Moreover, she leads a two-week summer study abroad program in Thailand every year.

Jonathan is a leadership educator and entrepreneur. He began his career in Student Affairs by focusing on student leadership training and development. Jonathan is the Executive Director of Leadership Trainer, a nonprofit specializing in trainer preparation. He has served as an Assistant Teaching Professor and Program Director of the Professional Leadership Studies program at the University of Rhode Island.

Jonathan has a PhD in Leadership from Fielding Graduate University. He has facilitated hundreds of leadership workshops, trainings, retreats, courses, and conference presentations to 1,000s of participants across 5 continents and is the award-winning author of Preparing Leadership Educators. He coaches, consults, teaches, trains, and writes about leadership and training/facilitation.

Dr. Stephen Lloyd-Moffett is Professor of Religious Studies at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. After college, he received a Watson Fellowship to travel around the world by living in monasteries, seeking to understand the happiness of monks. He then went to work for The Boston Consulting Group, a management consulting firm. For a year, he journeyed from Canada to Tierra del Feugo in an old Toyota Landcruiser. Later, he was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to Greece. After receiving his PhD in Comparative Religion, his research has been on the spirituality life of labor leader Cesar Chavez, religion in contemporary Greece, the rise of monasticism in the Christian East and India, the neuroscience behind spiritual experiences, and the spirituality of wine.

Dr. Kelly McKenna is an associate professor in the Adult Education & Training Graduate Program in the School of Education at Colorado State University. She completed her Ph.D. in Educational Technology and earned a master’s degree in Education and Human Resource Studies. Dr. McKenna’s teaching experience includes face-to-face, hybrid, and online instruction. Her scholarship focuses on adult and higher distance education, with research objectives aimed to support learners in their educational and occupational endeavors by creating optimal learning environments and facilitating successful student experiences.
Dr. McKenna is excited to introduce her daughter Maren (3) to the transformational experience of Semester at Sea.

I currently work as a freelance Theatre Director and Voice//Dialect coach for theatre and film. Theatre includes productions with American Players Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Pioneer Theatre Company, Salt Lake Acting Company and Lyric Repertory Company ( Artistic Producer). Film and TV includes THE CORPS (Netflix) GALYNTINE (AMC pilot) and THE SAVING OF SARAH CAIN. I am also a voice over actor for commercials and audio books. For many years I taught in the Theatre Department of Utah State University where I was also the Department Head. Originally from New Zealand, I also lived in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and England before coming to the US. I am just thrilled to have the chance to sail with SAS again.

Dr. Marek Payerhin is professor emeritus of political science and international relations at University of Lynchburg, after his early retirement in 2023 to pursue full time research, writing, and educational adventures. His main interests in international relations and comparative politics are social movements, terrorism, European and global politics, environmentalism, democratization, and the role of music in social mobilization. He authored “Nordic, Central, and Southeastern Europe” (Rowman & Littlefield 2017) and directed an award-winning European Union Simulation program at UL. Traveling with students to Asia, South America, Europe, and Alaska, he crossed both the Arctic Circle and the Equator. Among other adventures, he circumnavigated the northernmost point of Europe in a kayak.

Viviana travelled to more than 50 countries and lived in Italy, Brazil, Canada, Portugal, The Netherlands, USA and Malta where she set up her international social enterprise, Global Mindset Development. GMD Training and Consultancy Services Ltd. provides online and in-person consulting, training and mentoring services to companies and organizations all over the world to help them to develop an open and curious mindset to work effectively across cultures and promote diverse and inclusive workplaces and societies.
PhD in Sociology of Migration, she has been a researcher and adjunct professor for universities, business schools and research institutes in Europe and North America. Her aim is to always bridge research with practice and fieldwork.

Dr. PaQuita R. Pullen a Nashville/Middle TN native. She has worked in several clinical mental health settings including residential treatment facilities, agencies, crisis centers and private practice. Additionally, she is a full-time Assistant professor of psychology at Belmont University where she teaches courses such as Psychology of Gender to future psychologists! In addition to her role as an assistant professor, she is the founder and CEO of a thriving group practice, Ubuntu Counseling & Wellness, that seeks to provide multiculturally competent and compassionate care to underserved populations She aims to create space for those that are often unseen, unheard, and underestimated.

Dr. Sumanth Reddy is an assistant professor of Geography at Bowie State University, the oldest Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in Bowie, Maryland. Located halfway between Charm City (Baltimore) and the nation’s capital and surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay, the location provides ample opportunities for Dr. Reddy to take his students outside to study and experience physical and cultural landscapes from a geographic perspective.
Sumanth enjoys bringing the outside world into his classrooms through his travels. He regularly takes students on study abroad trips (China, London, Ghana, Panama) and camping trips within the U.S. He could not participate in the SAS program as an undergraduate student, so he is thrilled to live his dream a quarter century later.

Dr. David A. Shirk is a professor at the USD Department of Political Science and International Relations. He received his B.A. from Lock Haven University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from UCSD. His teaching and research focuses on comparative politics and international relations, with an emphasis on international security and U.S. foreign relations. Dr. Shirk directs “Justice in Mexico,” a research and policy initiative on criminal justice and the rule of law in Mexico. He’s been a consultant for international organizations such as the World Bank and USAID, and is a fellow with the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C.

Anne Simpkins Completed her master of Fine Arts degree at University of Iowa.
She went on to a fellowship at the Glassell School of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas. In her early career she taught for the Glassell School, Earlham College, and was a Tenured Associate Professor at Elon University, when she retired in 2022. While at Elon, she taught Drawing, Painting, and Design. And Anne led study abroad programs in both Florence and London for many years.
Over her career, Simpkins created artwork and exhibited in many solo and group exhibitions. Her paintings/drawings have been featured in books and publications. She continues to make art, when not walking her dogs or reading a good book.

Diane Stutey, Ph.D, RPT-S, LPC, NCC is an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She is a member of the American Counseling Association, American School Counseling Association, Association for Play Therapy, and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed School Counselor, and a Registered-Play Therapist-Supervisor. She was a school counselor and has worked as a play therapist in schools and clinical settings. Her research interests include examining non-cognitive life stressors that impact children and adolescents in the school setting such as grief and loss, sibling abuse, and teen dating violence, and suicide. She also studies the effectiveness of creative interventions such as play therapy and canine-assisted interventions.

Dr. Kate Transchel has taught courses in Russian, Soviet, and Eastern European History, as well as Modern Europe, World History, and the History of Gender and Sexuality at California State University, Chico. With an eye toward cultural history, her courses explore the interplay between sex, race, gender, and power as important categories of historical analysis. She has lived, worked, and taught in numerous countries including England, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and the Czech Republic, and has traveled extensively throughout the world. She has received several prestigious grants and awards, and her publications include a forthcoming book on human trafficking based on interviews with trafficking survivors. Her TEDx talk and anti-trafficking work has gained a wide following.

Dr Sven Tuzovic is Associate Professor in Marketing at QUT, Brisbane, Australia. He is a global marketing academic. Born in Germany, he moved 2005 to New Orleans as Visiting Professor, two weeks before Hurricane Katrina (bad timing). After another visiting position at Murray State University, he worked for eight years at Pacific Lutheran University, before joining QUT in 2015. Sven specializes in services research with focus on customer experience, technology, and wellbeing. His research has been published in a variety of journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. In 2020 he was Research Scholar at Fordham University. He is passionate about global education and organized 4 study abroad programs to Europe. To learn more about him and his work, visit Linkedin.com/in/drstuz

Fernando Valerio-Holguin is a Professor of Spanish in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Colorado State University, where he garnered the John N. Stern Distinguished Professor Award. He holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic Literature from Tulane University and has published several books and articles on Latin American Literature and cultures. He has received several teaching and research grants including British Academy for International Cultural Activities, U. S. Department of Education Undergraduate Enhancement Project, Culpeper Teaching with Technology, and Mellon Summer Seminar Teaching for Language Instruction for the 21st Century. He has taught in several international Study Abroad programs and traveled with students in Latin America and Spain.

Bert Vermeulen was born in Switzerland and grew up in the Netherlands and in Colorado. His mother’s family owned an international shipping company and his father’s family has engineering backgrounds. He has master’s degrees in both business and engineering. Bert has worked in the US, UK, Japan, Russia, Mexico, Antarctica, and Hungary in a engineering, management, and business ownership roles. Since 2009 he has taught a variety of engineering and entrepreneurship courses at CSU. He also works as a patent consultant. He currently has seven issued US Patents. To date, Bert has visited 97 countries.

Brittany Bing (she/her) is a native from Tampa, Florida. Brittany attended The University of Tampa and earned their B.A. Psychology and M.S. Instructional Design and Technology degree. Brittany’s expertise in learning design comes from various sectors. She worked for City University of Seattle, Amazon, and currently works for assignment at Microsoft. Brittany focuses her design approach for curriculum to be simple, digestible, easy to understand for global audiences with a blend of her expertises: gamification, accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In addition, Brittany has presented at conferences at ATD Florida Suncoast Chapter, TESOL, and the International Conference on e-Learning & Innovative Pedagogies.

Daisy Blake is a freelance social media strategist, specialising in travel, hospitality, and lifestyle content. But above all else, Daisy is a collector. Namely, she collects stamps on her passport, pics for her socials, and stories for her group-chats. Over the past six years, she has bounced from her hometown in Maine to London to being nomadic so many times that even *she* has whiplash. Her most recent side-quest includes graduating from King’s College London with an MA in Digital Culture and Society, and she is no stranger to study abroad! Daisy has completed five programs; including the Spring 2022 voyage of Semester at Sea. As a passionate storyteller, she is honored to capture the Fall 2024 voyage as the Social Media Coordinator.

Let’s connect! @daisyblake72

Victoria Callahan is a spirited advocate for higher education and DEI. Since 2017, she has served as Coordinator for Residential Education at Edmonds College in Washington State, near Seattle. There she has enjoyed the rich cultural diversity of a residence hall community of about 50% international students.

Victoria’s DEI activism throughout her time in higher education, both as a student and professional, was bolstered while pursuing her master’s degree in Social Work. During this time she interned and worked with Hooks Global, a DEI consulting firm. This experience taught her how she can use her DEI skills with a healing-centered approach.

Now, Victoria is beyond excited to take her appreciation for diverse cultures and DEI on a global adventure with the Fall 2024 voyage!

Dee Colombini, MA, LPC, LAC has provided clinical services in various community mental health centers, in private practice, and in academic settings ranging from pre-school through college age students.
Dee served as the Program Coordinator for both Juvenile and Adult Drug Courts for the 8th Judicial District in Fort Collins for many years, has served as faculty for National Drug Court Institute trainings, coordinated/written national grants and conducted program evaluations. She also served as the Connections Program Manager at the Health District of Northern Larimer County.
Dee has worked at the Colorado State University Counseling Center for 9 years. She is a Senior Staff member of the DAY, Drugs Alcohol and You, team.

Kevin Crane’s love for travel and cultural exchange was significantly influenced by his experiences with Semester at Sea on the Spring 2016 voyage, which helped lead him to teach English in South Korea and serve as a volunteer for Peace Corps Myanmar from 2017 to 2020. During his studies, he served as the Graduate Assistant for the Global Village Learning Community. Kevin most recently worked as a Community Coordinator at Capital University in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, where he focused on enhancing commuter student programming and initiatives. He also served as a Co-Faculty Advisor for the Global Student Association. He couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of the FA24 Voyage and Shipboard Community!

Emma DeCaro has over six years of experience in the communications and partnership marketing fields and recently worked with the Kurdistan Regional Government U.S. Representation and IREX.

Emma earned a certificate in environmental sustainability and is certified at both US state and national levels in American Sign Language-English interpretation (RID NIC and BEI Advanced). She has been learning sign language and engaged with the Deaf community since 2011, and interpreting since 2015. She is passionate about Deaf refugee resettlement, supporting diplomacy between the USA and the Middle East, and justice reform.

Hannah Dougherty earned her Occupational Therapy Doctorate from Virginia Commonwealth University. Occupational therapy involves helping people maximize their independence in meaningful daily activities despite physical, mental, or social barriers. Hannah is passionate about helping people live life to the fullest. She currently specializes in upper extremity rehab at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, but also has experience in acute care, skilled nursing, and pediatrics. As a lifelong learner, Hannah has many additional interests. She is pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Natural Resource Management from Virginia Polytechnical Institute, and prior to graduate school, she worked as a project manager for a land surveying company.

Nora is originally from Southern California, but is a self-proclaimed global citizen of the world. She most recently has worked with international students learning English in the U.S., and has extensive background in the realm of International Education having worked in areas of confict resolution with youth from Northern Ireland, Israel and Palestine, Cyprus, Uganda, and Tajikistan. She has lived all over the world including Costa Rica, Ireland, Spain, and all over the U.S. She loves adventure and has rode her bicycle around the Ring Road of Iceland and walked the famous El Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain. She loves to golf, read, and wander aimlessly in new cities. She’s very excited to be on the Fall ’24 voyage of Semester at Sea and be a part of this life changing experience.

Carrie Fleider is the Director of Counseling Services (CS) at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. She is a licensed clinical social worker, having graduated from Tulane University with an MSW in 2001. She is honored to run trauma-related therapy groups for over 10 years and is passionate about working with survivors! She works from a feminist, social justice and systems perspective.

Eric is a documentary and narrative filmmaker with a passion for travel and connecting with new people. He has created multiple films on mental health topics, including echo chambers, ADHD, and climate anxiety, that are currently on the film festival circuit. Outside his passion for experimenting with narrative shorts, Eric has gained an extensive background in documentary work while pursuing a master’s degree in Journalism and Media Communication at Colorado State University (CSU). He has been involved in major projects with CSU’s Center for Science Communication, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

For twenty years John was a university professor educating management and information technology students. From 2014 to 2024 he held the Peyton Anderson Endowed Chair at Middle Georgia State University. He now spends his time birding and exploring the world with his travel buddy and wife JoAnn. Together they have travelled to over 100 countries, including all of the countries we are scheduled to visit on Fall 2024. John and JoAnn have sailed on three voyages with Semester at Sea, most recently Spring 2013 during which John taught business classes. Prior to transitioning to the academy, John served in the Canadian Army for 24 years, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. John is very excited to return to Semester at Sea and sail as the Lifelong Learner Voyage Coordinator.

Emma Goering has a diverse background in international education and construction sales. During her time at Elon University, she gained valuable experience working in the Maker Space, Global Studies Department, and Student Housing. After graduating, she pursued a career in construction sales in Seattle, WA. Emma is excited to embark on the Fall 2024 voyage, where she looks forward to new adventures and opportunities.

Eli Henriksen has tutored peers and children from diverse language and educational backgrounds for several years while pursuing his studies. He has also worked as an intervener for DeafBlind students in the U.S. Professionally proficient in American Sign Language and a native English speaker, he has worked with Deaf communities in the Middle East for over two years. Most recently, he has served as a consultant with IREX on disability accommodations for the Mandela Washington Fellowship program and education projects in Kurdistan.

Bethany is an avid traveler and passionate educator who has been looking for ways to combine her personal interests and professional career into an exciting experience. Semester At Sea is the perfect opportunity for just that. Before setting sail, Bethany was an Area Coordinator at Brown University where she worked on the Greek, Program, and Theme Communities team. She has also worked at and attended the University of South Florida. There, she was a graduate assistant for the Intercultural Programs team in the Office of International Services where she facilitated programming and events for International and Domestic students. Having the opportunity to work with and educate students is one of her greatest achievements and she loves helping them become more global citizens.

I’m Kylie (they/them), and I am excited to go on my first Semester at Sea voyage. I grew up in Wisconsin where I got my B.S. in Sociology from UW-Stevens Point. I moved down to Missouri to get my M.S. in College Student Personnel Administration from the University of Central Missouri. I have also worked at Purdue University and now currently work at UW-Stevens Point. I am a hall director currently and find that I enjoy helping my students connect to their community and feel at home. I am excited to continue doing that while working at Semester at Sea. Once I return to the United States, I will get to rejoin my current institution and bring back all the fun things I learned while abroad.

Susannah Kisvarday, MD (“Dr. K”) is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She has over 10 years experience caring for patients of all ages in the primary care clinic setting. During Covid, she also served as Medical Director of Bloomsburg University for 2 years. She is currently practicing urgent care and moonlighting in the hospital at Boston Children’s (one of the Harvard-teaching hospitals) while completing a fellowship in clinical informatics and a master’s degree in biomedical informatics at Harvard Medical School. Dr. K is looking forward to supporting the health and wellness of the Semester at Sea community. She will be traveling with her husband and children; she is thrilled to have this opportunity to show her children the world!

Ebonish is a Southern California native who has called many places her home. She has 15 years of Higher Education experience in residential learning communities. She also has worked as an adjunct faculty facilitating course sessions around college transition, first-generation college student success, and socially just residential communities. This will be Ebonish’s 2nd time sailing on the voyage as a Resident Director and she is excited to welcome the students and to connect everyone in the community.

Eve spent most of her career combining her management skills with her interest in the natural sciences. She started her career working as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) commissioned officer on a deep-sea oceanographic research vessel. She worked many years in managing technical support services for software and hardware companies. More recently, she co-created and managed observatory support services for the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), an NSF grant program studying ecology in the United States. Since retiring, she co-founded and co-facilitates a local non-profit to connect seniors in her area, is an active volunteer with her community, enjoys birding, and babysitting her one-year-old granddaughter.

I served for 21 years in the US Army in the field of Military Intelligence where I was a Russian and Serbo-Croatian linguist. I entered nursing school upon retirement from the Army. My wife Stephanie is a school counselor and we enjoy traveling around the country in our camper van. We live at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. I have two adult children and 4 granddaughters who all live in Colorado.

I am a retired School Counselor. I supervised in-school study hall sessions as well as facilitated a variety of afterschool programs throughout my career. Here is a list of some of those programs; basic homework help, organizational skills, career college readiness, test prep, social skills, memorization techniques and mindfulness.

Katie Moran has worked in nonprofit management as the Executive Director at The Art Garage in Denver, CO for over 10 years. Leading the organization to provide access to visual art programming. Katie has taught in the NYC public schools to children with special needs. She served in the Peace Corps in the Eastern Caribbean where she worked in community development focusing on special education teaching and teacher and administrative training. She also co-directed Grenada’s inaugural nationwide Camp G.L.O.W. (Girls Leading Our World) to empower secondary school girls to assess and take action on personal goals and community issues. Katie is also a practicing artist specializing in drawing and oil painting.

MJ Murphy is a life long learner and traveler. She has lived overseas twice-once as a student in Florence, Italy studying art history as an undergrad and once as a volunteer teacher where she lived in Belize, Central America for two years. As a nurse practitioner, MJ has participated in a number of medical relief trips overseas-in particular in the country of Haiti. Before participating in Semester at Sea-MJ was the Executive Director of Student Health and Wellness at Barnard College in New York City where she oversaw the student health center, the counseling center and the health promotion and education departments. MJ has traveled to over 50 countries and is always “planning the next adventure” in her head.

I’m Kathleen (she/her), and I’m thrilled to go on my first Semester at Sea voyage. I grew up in NYC and spent many years in Indiana for school. I’ve worked for 15 years in university counseling centers (at Ball State, Penn, Princeton, and Barnard). My clinical interests include disordered eating, grief and loss, identity, adjustment, trauma, crisis intervention, and chronic illness. My counseling style is warm, active, and collaborative, and I center social and cultural identities, relationship dynamics, emotions, and skill-building.

I owe so much of my personal growth to my study abroad trips in college and grad school (a semester in Juárez, Mexico and shorter programs in Kyoto, Japan; the Camino de Santiago in Spain; Saint Lucia; and Iceland). I’m grateful to journey with you all!

With a background in Residence Life, Crystal is committed to fostering inclusive communities and empowering individuals to reach their fullest potential. Rooted in the belief in the redemptive power of learned experiences, inside and outside the classroom, she sees each opportunity as a chance to catalyze positive change. As the daughter of immigrants and a first-generation college student, she understands the impact of education and the importance of creating supportive environments for all.

Crystal is also engaged in global service, having traveled and volunteered with various nonprofits. She recognizes that true leadership is rooted in empathy and compassion. Crystal strives to inspire those around them to reach for excellence and embrace the transformative power of education.