Our Team

Anas Almassri
Editorial Assistant: Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad
(he/him/his)

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Anas is a PhD candidate and teaching assistant at the School of Education at Durham University, UK. His research and teaching activities are focused on international education and its potential to contribute to everyday peace, especially in global contexts of protracted conflict. Funded by the UK's Economic and Social Research Council, his ongoing doctoral project investigates links between international graduate scholarships and everyday peace in the Palestinian territories.

Prior to his doctoral work, Anas served in leadership, training, and consulting roles at youth development and education NGOs in the Gaza Strip. He particularly enjoys volunteering to support student associations and youth development initiatives there. Anas holds an MA in Arab studies (Georgetown) and an MSc in peace studies and a PGCert in research methods (Durham).

Cynthia Arochi-Zendejas
Consultant Technical Manager
(she/her/hers)
[email protected]

Read CYNTHIA's bio

Cynthia supports The Forum in a variety of digital matters, she defines herself as a versatile and curious person as she has worked in various fields from environmental conservation, experiential education, and rural development to language teaching and team building facilitation. Most recently, she turned her career towards social business innovation, virtual events management, and digital support. She is passionate about sustainable development, intercultural competencies, and the use of technology to serve human systems better. She has designed and led different service learning, voluntourism, COIL, and internship programs in Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, and Greece, and founded a social entrepreneurship that provides digital skills training to unemployed people while serving not-for-profit organizations.

Cynthia holds a Bachelor's degree in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, an MSc in International Environmental Sciences from Lund University, and an MBA with Project Management specialization from the European Open Business School and the Catholic University of Murcia. She is also a certified Scrum Master, and an eternal learner with various courses on human-centered design, systems thinking and agile methodologies.

Audrey Bistline
Administrative & Events Coordinator
(she/her/hers)
717-245-1031 | [email protected]

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As The Forum’s Administrative Assistant, Audrey is responsible for supporting office operations and serving as the first point of contact for inquiries and visitors. Audrey was born and raised in Brittany, France. She studied English, Spanish, and contemporary dance before earning a bachelor’s in psychology from the Université de Bretagne Occidentale.

Audrey lived the abroad experience by visiting and discovering Polynesia, the West Indies, and the United States all before the age of 25. She has spent the last twelve years living and working in both the United States and France. Prior to joining The Forum, she assisted clients in the travel and tourism industry in the Languedoc Roussillon region of France.

Kellie Clock
Project & Communications Manager
(she/her/hers)
717-254-8164 | [email protected]

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Kellie Clock serves as the Project & Communications Manager at The Forum on Education Abroad. In this role, she provides strategic project management for the Forum’s large portfolio of initiatives while managing marketing and communications efforts to ensure consistency across The Forum’s website and digital content.

Kellie has 10 years of professional experience in international education, most recently as a Program Coordinator for Michigan State University’s Office for Education Abroad where she managed short courses for inbound, non-degree seeking international students. Before joining The Forum on Education Abroad, Kellie worked as an Account Executive at a strategic communications and public relations firm in Chicago.

She holds a bachelor's degree in Comparative Cultures & Politics and a master's degree in Strategic Communications, both from MSU.

Kellie lives in Metro Detroit, Michigan, with her husband, son, and their two golden retrievers

Amelia Dietrich, Ph.D.
Senior Director for Research & Publications
Managing Editor, Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad
(she/her/hers)
717-254-8328 | [email protected]

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Dr. Amelia Dietrich is the Senior Director for Research and Publications at The Forum on Education Abroad and Managing Editor of Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad. She joined The Forum in 2015 as a Mellon/ACLS Public Fellow. Amelia’s work focuses on leading original research initiatives and supporting the publication of others’ scholarship on best practices in education abroad, maximizing the impact of education abroad for students, institutions and communities, and identifying promising practices on the leading edge. Amelia also facilitates professional development workshops on the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad in a variety of venues and lends her expertise to project-based consultancies and comprehensive reviews. She serves on the IIE Open Doors Study Abroad Working Group and the Advisory Board for the Center for Research on Abroad
and International Student Engagement.

Previously, Amelia taught Spanish and linguistics at Penn State University, and led students on a research fellowship to Spain. Amelia holds a B.A. from Moravian University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish and Language Science from The Pennsylvania State University. She is a Certified Professional in Education Abroad.

Genesis Jardinico
Events & Conferences Manager
(she/her/hers)
717-245-1718 | [email protected]

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Genesis is responsible for planning The Forum’s conferences, events, and meetings, including working with a variety of vendors and event hosts and for all logistical aspects of the organization’s major conferences, multiple smaller events, and associated budgets.

Prior to joining the Forum team in June 2021, Genesis was with Association Headquarters, where she was a Meeting Coordinator for organizations like the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) and the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA). She’s also held roles at the American College of Radiology and iWorkwell, Inc. Genesis earned her B.S. degree in Business Administration with a dual concentration in International Business and Marketing from Drexel University.

Elizabeth Frohlich, Ph.D.
Senior Director for Learning & Event Engagement
(she/her/hers)
717-245-1507 | [email protected]

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Dr. Elizabeth Frohlich serves as Senior Director for Learning and Event Engagement. She leads the events team and oversees content development for the Annual, EMEA, and CIGL conferences. She manages Forum Consulting services, directs the CIBER Consortium for Education Abroad (CC/FEA) community college initiative, and leads The Forum’s sustainability efforts. She is also involved in a wide range of resource development initiatives in support of the mission of The Forum.

Elizabeth joined The Forum in 2012 through the Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows Program. Previously, she taught French language at Boston University, worked on-site for BU’s Grenoble Language & Liberal Arts Program and interned in the home office. As an undergraduate, she studied abroad in Montpellier, France. Elizabeth holds B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in French Language and Literature.

Stephanie King
Consultant Marketing Director
(she/her/hers)
[email protected]

Read stephanie'S Bio

Bringing more than 10 years of experience in education abroad marketing, Stephanie is a strategic and empathetic marketer who is dedicated to experiential learning and equity, diversity, and inclusion. She strongly believes in The Forum's mission of cultivating education abroad professionals, along with ensuring that all students have access to an education abroad experience.

Stephanie also has extensive marketing and storytelling experience in other areas of education (K-12 and higher education),and the technology and entertainment industries. A lifelong learner, Stephanie earned her B.S. degree in Journalism with a minor in Spanish from the University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign.

Marissa Lombardi, Ed.D.
Vice President and Chief Learning Officer
(she/her/hers)
717-254-8727 | [email protected]

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Dr. Marissa Lombardi serves as the Vice President and Chief Learning Officer, 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.

Annette Mares-Duran
Member Services Manager
(she/her/hers)
717-254-8252 | [email protected]

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Annette Mares-Duran serves as the Membership Services Manager. She develops and implements strategies for membership engagement and outreach related activities. She serves as the primary liaison to current and prospective members and systematizes opportunities for members to engage and provide feedback on services.

Prior to joining The Forum, Annette was the Faculty-Led International Program Coordinator at the University of New Mexico and an elected Forum Council member. As a program leader herself, she facilitated group programs to Ecuador and Peru. As a student, she studied abroad in Spain and Nicaragua. Annette received her B.S. in Education and M.A. in Language, Literacy, & Sociocultural Studies at the University of New Mexico.

Kate Moore, Ph.D.
Consultant Career Integrated Learning Advisor
(she/her/hers)
[email protected]

Patricia (Pato) Lin-Steadman, Ed.D.
Director of Programs and Training
(she/her/hers)
717-254-8968 | [email protected]

Read Kate's Bio

Dr. Kate Moore is an international educator energized by our changing world of work and how we connect campuses, communities, and companies across the globe. She built the Global Career Center (GCC) to partner with universities and colleges throughout the world, employers from a wide range of industries, and learners of all ages to connect employability and education through collaborative program development, comprehensive services delivery, and curated experiential education. Kate is committed to the fields of international education and workforce development, sharing knowledge and dialogue with the community through more than sixty presentations and publications.

She authored the NAFSA book Internships, Service Learning and Research Abroad and was co-editor and contributor for the publication International Internships: Mission, Methods, and Models. Kate has decades of experience directly related to global internships and applied learning, including work within higher education, nonprofit management, workforce recruitment, government relations and civic engagement. She was honored as 2019 Mentor of the Year by Lead5050 and is a member of the GSD accelerator for female founders. Kate holds a BA in International Studies from American University, a MS in Nonprofit Management from Eastern University, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Management from University of Pennsylvania.

Melissa Torres
President & CEO
(she/her/hers)
717-254-8404 | [email protected]

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Melissa Torres is The Forum’s President and CEO and has two decades of experience in higher education and program development. She previously served as Vice President for Academic Programs at IES Abroad where she supervised 36 international study abroad centers in Asia, Europe and Latin America. Her campus-based experience includes leading a variety of international initiatives for three institutions, including Brown University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The Ohio State University. She worked as a change management consultant for Accenture, and most recently worked with a variety of colleges and universities to develop innovative, service-learning programs as Vice President of Institutional Relations at Global Vision International.

Melissa served as Chair of The Forum’s Outcomes Assessment and Research committee for three years, was a member of NAFSA’s Work, Internships, Volunteering and Research Abroad (WIVRA) subcommittee and a founding member of the Business International Studies Network (BISNet) Business Colloquium. She holds a BA in International Studies from Stonehill College and a Master’s degree in Global Education from The Ohio State University. She speaks Spanish fluently and has studied French, Irish Gaelic and Portuguese.

Read Patricia'S Bio

Dr. Patricia (Pato) Lin-Steadman serves as Director of Programs and Training, a role that allows her to combine her background and passion for education abroad with her other diverse professional experiences (teaching, professional development, trainings, and liaising with higher education professionals) to help promote and further develop The Forum’s mission.

Born and raised in Argentina to Taiwanese parents, and then immigrating to the U.S. for college, Pato’s entire life has been an experience in living, studying, and working in diverse cultures. Her college experiences instilled in her a passion for helping students thrive while studying in foreign countries. In addition to being an international student herself, she also participated in other study abroad opportunities, including studying briefly in England, Jamaica, and Taiwan.

Pato has worked in international education across three different institutions and taught university courses in cultural adjustment and ESL. She completed her Master’s in International Studies, and her doctoral dissertation focused on evaluating changes in several factors of intercultural attitudes and awareness among students who studied abroad, providing valuable insights into factors which promote optimal outcomes for student experiences before, during, and after their foreign study.

In her professional work, Pato’s portfolio has included developing focused trainings for higher education staff who work with foreign students, facilitating study abroad opportunities for students, boosting overall campus internationalization, and directing intercultural exchange programs.

Most recently, Pato worked at Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) as the Associate Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Through this role, she built valuable relationships with higher education leaders across the country, and she led a diverse portfolio of educational programs and initiatives.

Pato holds a B.S. in Elementary Education, an M.A. in International Studies, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. She speaks fluent English, Spanish, and Chinese.

She is also a Certified Professional in Education Abroad.

Andy Woods-Ballard
Consultant Chief Revenue Officer
(he/him/his)
[email protected]

Read ANDY'S Bio

With over 20 years of experience, Andy remains as passionate as ever about experiential education and the power of travel to create shared understanding and help tackle the SDGs on a Global level.

Having worked for provider organizations, advised a number of SME's, startups, and charities and with a strong background in finance, strategy, sales, and marketing, Andy brings a diverse skill set to the team.

Meet Our Team