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Your Guide to the European Institute Sessions & Speakers

​Explore the full schedule for the European Institute, featuring engaging sessions led by expert speakers, each with detailed descriptions, learning outcomes, and speaker bios. From discussions on conflict and well-being to the impact of AI on study abroad, this program is designed to spark meaningful dialogue and innovation in the field.

Schedule at a Glance

Sessions will be held in one room with all institute attendees at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS):
Via Beniamino Andreatta, 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy​

Wednesday, November 12, 2025 (Recommended arrival date)​

• 18:30 - Informal get together for early arrivals

Thursday, November 13, 2025

• 8:00 - Registration Desk Opens
• 9:00 - Opening Remarks 
• 9:30 - Session: Gen Z and Education Abroad: Strategies for Resilience, Communication, and Learning
• 12:30 - Lunch at local restaurants on your own 
• 14:30 - Session: Conflict and Wellbeing as Tools for Powerful Learning
• 17:30 - Close 
• 18:00 - Reception 

Friday, November 14, 2025

• 8:30 - Registration Desk Opens
• 9:00 - Session: Artificial Intelligence, Legal Framing, Human Rights and Opportunities: Reimagining Study Abroad in an Algorithmic Age
• 12:30 - Lunch at local restaurants on your own
• 14:30 - Open Forum Dialogue
• 17:30 - Closing Remarks
• 18:00 - Close

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Session Descriptions and Institute Speakers

Opening Remarks

In this opening session, leaders from The Forum on Education Abroad, the European Association of Study Abroad (EUASA), and the Association of American College and University Programs in Italy (AACUPI) will welcome attendees and set the stage for an engaging and collaborative European Institute experience.

Marissa Lombardi, Ed.D.
Vice President and Chief Learning Officer, The Forum on Education Abroad

Marissa's Bio

Dr. Marissa Lombardi serves as the Vice President and Chief Learning Officer at The Forum on Education Abroad, implementing an impressive array of programs, resources and materials related to the Standards of Good Practice, equity, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, and other topics that promote and facilitate the highest quality education abroad programs.

Prior to joining The Forum’s team, Marissa was with EF Education First, where she served as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Partnerships.Previously, Marissa was an Assistant Teaching Professor and Director of the Master of Science in Global Studies and International Relations program at Northeastern University, where she developed a concentration and certificate in Global Student Mobility. She also served as a faculty scholar and lead scholar at the university’s Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning through Research.

​She served as dean of students at Lorenzo de’Medici Italian International Institute in Florence, Italy, where she was part of a senior leadership team responsible for the oversight of campuses in Florence, Rome, Venice, and Tuscania. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bennington College, a Master’s of Arts in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University and a Doctorate of Education, with a specialization in International Education, from Northeastern University.

Stephen Robinson, Ph.D.
Chair, EUASA
Director and Professor, Champlain College Dublin

stephen's Bio

Stephen Robinson is Director and Professor with Champlain College Dublin, the Irish study abroad campus of Champlain College of Burlington, Vermont, USA. British born and Canadian raised and educated, he holds a PhD in Physical Geography from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, and previously held the Chapin Chair in Geology at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.  His research expertise is in permafrost, climate, peatlands, and glacial geology.  More recently he has undertaken several research projects relating to education abroad in Europe.  He is a co-founder and member of the board of the Association of Study Abroad Providers in Ireland (ASAPI), co-founder of EUASA, and former Board Chair for the Irish Council of International Students (ICOS).  Robinson is particularly interested in climate action and sustainability within education abroad.

​Fabrizio Ricciardelli
President, AACUPI
Director, Kent State University Florence

Fabrizio's Bio

Fabrizio Ricciardelli was appointed Director of the Kent State University Florence Center in 2012 after serving in leadership and teaching roles at Georgetown University at Villa Le Balze. Ricciardelli joined Georgetown University in 2004 and served for six years as Professor of History. Between 2010-2012 he was also selected as Academic Director and in 2010 he became the chairman of the scientific committee “Villa Le Balze Studies”. After serving as Co-Secretary Treasurer, in 2021 Ricciardelli was elected President of AACUPI, the Association of American College and University Programs in Italy. His main field of study in which he has many publications is the Italian city-states in the social, economic, political, and cultural landscape of Medieval Europe. A native of Florence, Fabrizio Ricciardelli earned his undergraduate degree in Medieval History at the University of Florence and his Ph.D. at the University of Warwick in England.

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Gen Z and Education Abroad: Strategies for Resilience, Communication, and Learning 

By examining Generation Z, we will explore the characteristics and expectations of today’s study abroad students. We will also examine how the study abroad experience is framed and how to prepare them for the realities ahead. From interpersonal relationships, housing, academics, to cultural differences, mental health and the influence of social media, we will discuss ways to equip students and staff to navigate differences with agency, open lines of effective, intercultural communication, and find strategies to maximize learning and development abroad. 

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Identify key characteristics of Generation Z and analyze how their expectations shape their experiences.
• Assess the impact of mental health challenges and discuss strategies to support well-being abroad.
• Assess how social media shapes student expectations and experiences, and explore its use as a tool for learning and managing expectations.
• Discuss practical strategies for engaging and supporting Generation Z in ways that promote agency and balance staff effort.

Kelly Bohan
Program Coordinator, Brown University in Paris

Kelly's Bio

​Kelly Bohan is the Program Coordinator for Brown University in Paris and Secretary of the Board for the European Association of Study Abroad (EUASA). She holds an M.A. in International Education Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Originally from the United States, she has lived in France since graduation, first as a language assistant in Le Mans, then spending several years with Middlebury School in France in Paris. At Brown, Kelly oversees cultural programming, community engagement, social media, and key aspects of student life, including health, safety, and housing. She recently served as a guest editor for a Special Issue of Frontiers: US Study Abroad – The View from Europe, where she conducted research and co-authored an article, Scrolling Across Borders: Student Insights on Study Abroad in Europe in the Digital Age. In 2023, she was part of the organizing committee for the inaugural European Institute, where she also co-moderated a panel discussion.

Joanne Maddux
Founder & Professional Counselor, Centered Counseling and Educational Services

Joanne's Bio

Joanne Maddux is a professional counselor trained in a person centered approach and accredited through AssoCounseling to practice in Italy in accordance with law n. 4/2013. 

With over 25 years of experience in university leadership and administration, Joanne recognizes the needs and priorities of institutions, students, families, and the faculty and staff that support students on their educational journey. In her previous position as Director of the Fairfield University program in Florence, Joanne oversaw the health, safety and well being of undergraduate students and she managed and mentored local staff. In addition to her dedication to student success, she is known for her commitment to community engagement. She developed relations and worked closely with the Misericordia di Firenze, Florence’s oldest charity organization; the Angeli del Bello, a not for profit environmental protection organization, and a network of Italian teachers and educators who helped mentor US teachers in training. She has served on the board and been an active member of the Association for American Colleges and University Programs in Italy. 

After recognizing an increasing need for mental health support for students abroad, Joanne recently transitioned from her director position to establish a private practice. She offers individual counseling for students and staff and organizes and teaches professional development workshops for on-site student services staff. Previous workshops have explored strategies for effective communication, conflict management, stress reduction and self-care. She currently collaborates with Kent State University, SAI Programs, Syracuse University, and Verto Education in Florence, Italy. 

A native of New York, she has lived in Italy for the past 34 years. She holds a BA in Sociology from New York University; a Master’s degree in Italian studies from Middlebury College and a Master’s in Counseling from the Professional Counseling School of Florence.

Megan Griffin
Assistant Director, Student Conduct & Engagement, Florida State University International Programs

Megan's Bio

​Megan Griffin is the Assistant Director of Student Conduct & Engagement and also a faculty member at the Florida State University study abroad program in London, UK since 2014. Megan holds a Masters in Late Modern History from the University of St Andrews. In her role, she creates the cultural programme for the centre, oversees student welfare (behavioural, academic, conduct, mental and physical well-being), co-ordinates curriculum-focused programmes, and supporting faculty in London. She teaches 19th and 20th Century European History courses.

Margaret Mary (Mags) Runge
Wellness Counselor, Kent State University Florence
​Instructor, CEA CAPA Education Abroad

Mags' Bio

​Mags Runge earned her Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology at the University of South Carolina in 2005 and became a licensed clinical psychologist in 2006. As a part of her doctorate, she completed a one-year internship at the Bay Pines Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bay Pines, Florida, where she gained specialized experience in treating trauma related to combat and sexual assault. She also was the Chief of Psychology for approximately from 2003-2005 at the Morris Village Alcohol and Addiction Treatment Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Since moving to Florence, Italy in 2005, Mags has enjoyed teaching study abroad students while also providing psychotherapy services to a wide range of clients through her private practice. She has versatile therapy skills, with expertise in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and Davanloo’s Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, which is a therapeutic system developed by Habib Davanloo, MD, at McGill University, and the American Psychological Association. Mags’ research interests and practice continues to focus on interpersonal relationships, including interpersonal trauma and intimate partner violence, cross cultural psychology, and social psychology. Some of her publications include: An interplay between dispositional and situational factors: Intrapersonal models of relationship violence (2006); Lay persons' versus psychologists' judgments of psychologically aggressive actions by a husband and wife. Journal of Interpersonal Violence (with Follingstad, D. R., Helff, C. M., Binford, R., Runge, M. M., and White, J. D. (2004); Justifiability, sympathy level, and internal/external locus of reasons battered women remain in abusive relationships. Violence and Victims  (with Follingstad, D. R., Runge, M. M., Ace, A., Buzan, R, and Helff, C. (2001). Dr. Runge joined the Kent State University Florence community in 2015 as a professor and became a counselor with Kent State University Florence in June 2021.

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Conflict and Wellbeing as Tools for Powerful Learning

Conflict and wellbeing are essential for learning. How do we balance both? International educators working onsite are responsible for student wellbeing and navigate complex conflicts on a daily basis. Understanding how ‘feelings have taken over the world’ including in politics and across social media is essential in balancing wellbeing and conflict in the service of learning. We begin the session with self-assessments and activities to connect with our physical and emotional responses to conflict. By examining ways that our brains, bodies, and emotions react and relate to the excitement and stress of global learning experiences we gain insights into how we can adapt our work to optimize challenge and support. With these perspectives we examine where and how we can refine education abroad policies, programs, and practices to foster well being and to make generative conflict a tool for powerful learning.

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the roles of wellness, wellbeing, comfort, and conflict in learning spaces. 
• Recognize how our bodies and emotions respond to conflict. 
• Explain pervasiveness, intractability, and negativity of conflict in contemporary culture.
• Identify the aspects of education abroad that facilitate or inhibit wellness and wellbeing.
• Practice building policies, programs, and practices that facilitate wellbeing and make conflict more generative.

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Troy Gordon, Ph.D.
Director of Global Teaching & Learning, Syracuse University Abroad

Troy's Bio

​Based in London, Dr. Troy Gordon is the Director of Global Teaching & Learning for Syracuse University Abroad. He served as the onsite director of the Syracuse University London Center for 10 years, overseeing all operations, academics and student support. Troy has held full-time faculty appointments at UCLA and at Hult International Business School/London, where he also served as department chair and undergraduate associate dean.
Currently, his research, public speaking and workshops help staff, faculty and students make sense of the dramatic historical changes in US higher education, in the political relationships between the US and the rest of the world, and the ways international education can leverage its unique strengths to respond to these tumultuous times. Specialist topics include US identity politics and foreign relations, disinformation and mass persuasion, contexts for understanding student mental health, and innovative approaches to teaching and learning in study abroad.

Joanne Maddux
Founder & Professional Counselor, Centered Counseling and Educational Services

Joanne's Bio

Joanne Maddux is a professional counselor trained in a person centered approach and accredited through AssoCounseling to practice in Italy in accordance with law n. 4/2013. 

With over 25 years of experience in university leadership and administration, Joanne recognizes the needs and priorities of institutions, students, families, and the faculty and staff that support students on their educational journey. In her previous position as Director of the Fairfield University program in Florence, Joanne oversaw the health, safety and well being of undergraduate students and she managed and mentored local staff. In addition to her dedication to student success, she is known for her commitment to community engagement. She developed relations and worked closely with the Misericordia di Firenze, Florence’s oldest charity organization; the Angeli del Bello, a not for profit environmental protection organization, and a network of Italian teachers and educators who helped mentor US teachers in training. She has served on the board and been an active member of the Association for American Colleges and University Programs in Italy. 

After recognizing an increasing need for mental health support for students abroad, Joanne recently transitioned from her director position to establish a private practice. She offers individual counseling for students and staff and organizes and teaches professional development workshops for on-site student services staff. Previous workshops have explored strategies for effective communication, conflict management, stress reduction and self-care. She currently collaborates with Kent State University, SAI Programs, Syracuse University, and Verto Education in Florence, Italy. 

A native of New York, she has lived in Italy for the past 34 years. She holds a BA in Sociology from New York University; a Master’s degree in Italian studies from Middlebury College and a Master’s in Counseling from the Professional Counseling School of Florence.

David Wick, Ed.D.
Associate Professor; Program Chair, International Education Management
Middlebury Institute of International Studies​ at Monterey

David's Bio

Dr. David Wick has worked in international education since 1988. His experience includes leading study abroad at a youth exchange organization, Arkansas State University, San Francisco State University, and Santa Clara University. Additionally, Wick brings a decade of private sector experience as an advertising and design project manager and account executive.

Wick’s international experience includes study in Mexico, France, Germany, Austria, and the UK. He has taught in Hungary and France. Wick has led education abroad programs, given lectures or workshops in Azerbaijan, Canada, France, Georgia, Greece, Hong Kong, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey. He is also a Fulbright Scholar who participated in the 2011 International Education Administrators’ Program in India. 

Volunteer service is central to Wick’s professional engagement. Wick has held appointed and elected leadership roles for NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Diversity Abroad and the Forum on Education Abroad. He has supported Diversity Abroad since the organization’s inception as a conference planner, workshop designer and facilitator, and content developer. His engagement with the Forum on Education Abroad includes co-authorship of the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad Sixth Edition and plenary panelist at the EMEA conference in Athens, Greece in 2024. His current leadership activities include designing and delivering workshops and residencies on conflict transformation, Associate Editor for Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, editorial board member for Diversity Abroad Global Impact Exchange, and as course designer and teacher for the Nobel Future Laureates Scholarship Program. 

​He has received awards from NASFA in recognition of his international education policy leadership. Diversity Abroad recognized him for inclusive Excellence in Teaching in 2023 with an Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion in International Education Award. In 2025 he was awarded the Peter A. Wollitzer Advocacy Award at the Forum on Education Abroad annual conference in Toronto, Canada.

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Artificial Intelligence, Legal Framing, Human Rights and Opportunities: Reimagining Education Abroad in an Algorithmic Age 

​As Artificial Intelligence rapidly reshapes the global landscape, how can international education remain not only relevant but vital? This workshop brings together experts in law, human rights, pedagogy, and cross-cultural competence to explore the transformative intersections between AI and study abroad. From the EU's pioneering legal frameworks and the ethical tensions between innovation and human rights, to practical applications in the classroom and the future-readiness of globally mobile graduates, this session invites participants to engage with AI not as a threat, but as a catalyst for a more reflective, equitable, and visionary international education paradigm.

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Identify key legal and regulatory developments in AI governance within the EU and their relevance to the field of international education.
• Evaluate the ethical implications of AI in relation to human rights, with a focus on privacy, discrimination, and access to education.
• Apply practical strategies for integrating AI tools in class and in study abroad curricula to enhance immersive learning and critical engagement.
• Articulate the role of study abroad in preparing students for an AI-influenced global job market.

Christine Bakker
Lecturer, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna Pisa, James Madison University Florence, and Syracuse University Florence

Christine's Bio

Christine Bakker is a researcher, lecturer and consultant specializing in international human rights law, children's rights, and the relationship between human rights and climate change. She has taught at several Italian universities, including LUISS (Rome), and the university of Roma Tre. She currently teaches at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Pisa), at James Madison University (Florence), and at Syracuse University (Florence). As a visiting research fellow at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL, London), Christine also leads a consultancy project on human rights, including the relationship between Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights. She has co-edited two books and published several articles and book chapters.

Laura Fenelli, Ph.D.
Immersive Learning Coordinator, Syracuse University Florence

Laura's bio

​Laura Fenelli (Ph.D., Università degli studi di Bologna, 2007), originally from Parma, has been living and working as an art historian in Florence since 2007. She works on the history of medieval and early modern images and saints’ iconography and hagiography. She has received several national and international fellowships (in Paris, EHESS; Berlin, UdK; London, the Warburg Institute, Bologna, Università degli Studi, Florence, KHI; Niki & Istituto Sangalli) and has published widely (including two books and several articles). Since 2009 she has taught Renaissance art history for U.S. college programs in Florence and since 2013 she has helped develop high school art history textbooks for Italian publishers like Giunti TPV and Loescher. At Syracuse University she works in the Academic Office as Immersive learning coordinator, focusing on fostering immersive learning experiences, specifically designed to enhance the learning of Italian language and culture. She is also the instructor on a history class (Walking Florence) and, with a team of colleagues, on the CAS 200 Mapping Italy course.

Gian Franco Borio
Attorney at Law in Florence, Italy
Legal Counsel to AACUPI and EUASA

Gian Franco's Bio

​Gian Franco Borio, attorney at law and former CPA, is Legal Counsel to the Association of American College and University Programs in Italy and to the EUropean Association of Study Abroad. Law degree cum laude from Florence University, specialization studies at SAIS of Johns Hopkins Univ. in D.C., London City Poly, in Germany and France. He served as Technical Counsel for Italy at the Federation of EU CPAs (FEE) to the European Commission on Corporate Law, Tax Law, SMEs. He is admitted to the Florence (Italy) Bar.

Sasha Peruhini, Ph.D.
​Director, Syracuse University Florence

Sasha's Bio

​Dr. Sasha Perugini has over three decades of experience in International Education across the U.S., Italy, and Australia. She holds a Laurea Magistrale in English and Russian and a Ph.D. in the History of Performing Arts from Tufts University. Since 2011, Dr. Perugini has directed the Syracuse University Florence program. In 2024, she was appointed Director of Global Innovation, expanding her role in developing programs that bridge education, professional development and lifelong learning. She also coordinates the Syracuse University abroad Learning Institute. Her areas of specialization are: Cross-Cultural Communication and Management and AI. Dr. Perugini has also authored five creative nonfiction books examining contemporary societal issues.