Staff / Faculty

Professor Haroun Er Rashid, Bangladesh program director, is Director of the School of Environmental Science and Management at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). For several years he has had major responsibility for IUB's "Live-in-Field Experience", which sends urban-based students into the rural villages and urban settlements to impress upon them the socio-economic realities faced by the majority of Bangladeshis. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and author of the definitive geographical text on Bangladesh, Rashid has graduate degrees in geography and development economics and is the founder of a private voluntary national development organization,Bangladesh POUSH, whose primary objective is to enable small-holder and landless families to generate more income for themselves from environmentally sound projects and programs.

Jim Laine, co-director of the Bangladesh J-term program, "Development & Community in Bangladesh," came to Macalester College in 1985 and was recently named Arnold Lowe Professor of Religious Studies, following in the footsteps of his old friend Calvin Roetzel. At Macalester, he has chaired the Religious Studies Department, the Asian Studies Program, and served as dean on two occasions. Professor Laine grew up in Texas and studied at Texas Tech University and Harvard University. He has done most of his research in western India, often with several accompanying children or college students. His primary scholarly interests deal with heroic literature, questions of religious identity, and the encounter between persons of different religious traditions. He has written three books: Visions of God: Narratives of Theophany in the Mahabharata (Vienna, 1989); The Epic of Shivaji (Hyderabad, 2001); and Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India (Oxford University Press, 2003). He met his wife Joy, a philosopher and yoga instructor, in India, and they have shared a lifelong interest in India and religious language and experience.

Martha Moscoso Carvallo, program director for all Ecuador programs, is a sociologist and historian, with an advanced degree in Sociology of Development from the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, and her Master degree in Andean History from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO), Quito. Beyond leading the Ecuador program site for HECUA, she is a professor on the Human Sciences faculty at Quito's Catholic University and has extensive research in women's and gender and in indigenous communities' history. Martha has participated in numerous academic events and has published numerous articles in history in Ecuadorian and Latin American books and magazines. Recently she has done a research on education in Ecuador, sponsored by the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and the International Bureau of Education - UNESCO (IBE). This research was conducted within the framework of an international program for the construction of the political dialogue in the field of the education. Martha is member of the Institute of Ecuadorian Studies (IEE), a non profit organization that works in the area of local development and citizen formation. She participates actively in a citizen Assembly whose objective is the formation and the active participation of the local population looking for the change of the society. She is also member of the Atelier of Historical Studies (TEHIS).

Nigel Glenny, the program director for “Northern Ireland: Democracy and Social Change” program, is a graduate of Stranmillis University College (Queens University Belfast) with a First Class Honours degree in Education (Religious Studies, History). He began his career as a history teacher, then moved into local government as an education officer, where he designed and taught a wide range of experiential learning programs for schools, colleges, youth and community groups. Much of this work used elements of Irish cultural traditions to foster cross-community contact between Protestant and Catholic groups from divided communities within Northern Ireland. Nigel most recently worked several years at a leading non-governmental organization engaged in peace and capacity-building initiatives throughout the island of Ireland. At that organization, he developed an international Citizenship Action Project that reached across communities in Northern Ireland, across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and across the Atlantic to the United States. He created materials for learning about peace and reconciliation, led programs in how to facilitate student engagement, and trained teachers and youth workers throughout Ireland and the United States.

Timothy Szlachetko, program director, Scandinavian site of activity, holds advanced degrees in political science from the University of Melbourne in Australia where he specialised in European integration theory, European Union social policy and Scandinavian welfare state policy. His latest research has involved conducting a comparative analysis of Australian and Scandinavian education and training systems, with a focus on the transition from school to further education and working life. Timothy has taught undergraduate courses in European Union and Western European politics at the University of Melbourne and has been Guest Researcher at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, the Danish Institute of Social Research in Copenhagen and the University of Oslo. Timothy has also held a number of senior social policy positions with Government in Australia, most recently as senior adviser to the Victorian Premier (State of Victoria, Australia) on early childhood and education and training policy.

Phillip Sandro (tel: 651-287-3314 / ), Metro Urban Studies Term program director, has taught experiential urban studies programs for over 15 years. He also provides faculty development workshops through HECUA. Sandro has an impressive record of involvement in urban public policy including a policy making position for the City of Chicago under reform mayor Harold Washington. He has also served on numerous boards of community development corporations and has been active in educational reform issues. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the New School for Social Research with emphasis on urban and regional economics, political economy and economic history. Besides teaching, Sandro is currently doing research in conjunction with the Carnegie Foundation for Teaching and Learning’s “Political Engagement Program.”

Tiffany Enriquez (tel: 651-287-3318 / ), MUST teaching assistant, joined HECUA in July, 2006, and is an alum of HECUA's City Arts program. Tiffany graduated from the University of MN, Twin Cities, with a major in Art and Social Justice. For three years prior to working with HECUA Tiffany taught art and coordinated community-based arts education at a public Title 1 elementary school in Phoenix, AZ. At HECUA Tiffany assists with various aspects of the MUST program, including curriculum development, community connections, day-to-day class organization, and general student support.

William Reichard (tel: 651-287-3304 / ), City Arts and Writing for Social Change program director, holds an MA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in Contemporary American Poetry from the University of Minnesota. A long time member of the Twin Cities arts community, Reichard has worked with artists from a wide variety of disciplines creating collaborative projects that push the boundaries of individual genres. He is the author of three collections of poetry: An Alchemy in the Bones (1999), To Be Quietly Spoken (2001), and How To (2004), and the editor of The Evening Crowd at Kirmser’s: A Gay Life in the 1940’s (2001).

Melinda Hobbs (tel: 651-287-3305 / ), teaching assistant for City Arts, joins the team as an alumna from two HECUA programs, Scandinavian Urban Studies Term, based in Oslo, Norway and also the City Arts program itself. From her program experiences Melinda found herself drawn into the HECUA way of life and has been providing general office support since December 2004. Melinda designed her own BA degree at the University of Minnesota to specialize in Art and Social Change. She continues to be active as a public artist and has also offered support to many small arts organizations in the Twin Cities, primarily The Stevens Square Center for the Arts.

Julia Frost Nerbonne (tel: 651-287-3308 / ), Environmental Sustainability program director, (B.A. Vassar College; M.S., and Ph.D. in Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities) Julia has taught numerous courses in both natural and social science focusing on aquatic ecology, conflict management of natural resources, and environmental ethics. She has extensive experience in community education, field research, and community organizing. When she is not at HECUA she is conducting research on the role of scientific knowledge on citizen empowerment, teaching in the department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota, and serving on the board of directors of the Dispute Resolution Center in St. Paul.

Eleonore Wesserle (tel: 651-287-3316 / ) Environmental Sustainability program teaching assistant and research coordinator, graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Conservation Biology in 2003.  After graduation she spent several years working in lab and field ecological studies. In late 2004, her career turned towards employing her people skills as an Admissions Counselor for the College of Natural Resources at the U of M. In 2006, after spending a summer with the Minnesota Conservation Corps, Eleonore joined the ES program, where she earned graduate credit through the Natural Resource and Environmental Education program at Hamline. In 2007 Eleonore will be taking a lead role in creating the field methods curriculum.

Jenny Keyser (tel: 651-287-3315 / ), executive director, brings 28 years of teaching, program development, and nonprofit leadership to HECUA. With a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.A. in English from Hanover College, she began her career by teaching literature at colleges in Louisiana and Minnesota, and subsequently left teaching to direct programs and provided leadership to educational and community-based nonprofit organizations, including the Minnesota Literacy Council, Minnesota Humanities Commission, and the Children, Youth & Family Consortium.

Patrick Mulvihill (tel: 651-287-3306 / ), director of operations, brings with him 10 years of experience in nonprofit management and international programming. Prior to HECUA, he worked with Global Volunteers, serving first as the organization’s director of European programs and subsequently as the chief operating officer. Earlier in his career, he taught English and American studies for the Central European Teaching Program in Nyìregyhàza, Hungary. He also co-founded a program for overseas graduate internships at the University of Minnesota. Pat holds a B.A. in history from St. Olaf College and an M.A. in international economic development from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute.

Sarah Pradt (tel: 651-287-3307 / ), director of programs, formerly on the faculties of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and Macalester College, has eleven years of experience in undergraduate teaching, academic administration, grant-writing, graduate advising, and cross-cultural and interdisciplinary program development. While a faculty member at Macalester College from 1998 to 2005, Sarah created and led an Asian Studies program, expanded the Japanese language program, worked with Macalester and the University of Minnesota to coordinate offerings in Chinese language, and helped to write and later administered a $1.77 million foundation grant to support the study of China. Sarah holds a Ph.D. in East Asian Literature, M.A. in East Asian Studies, and B.A. in English from Cornell University, and was a Fulbright researcher at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto in 2002-03.

Stephanie Clausen (tel: 651-287-3301 / ), office manager, joined HECUA in 2000 and brings over ten years of experience in database and office management. At HECUA, Stephanie coordinates the office systems, manages the database, and is the go-to person for equipment and other office trouble-shooting. Previously, Stephanie had worked for the Radisson Hotels in Saint Paul, as well as Global Language Institute, a non-profit that provides intensive English language training to non-native speakers. Stephanie holds a degree from St. Norbert College (De Pere, WI) in International Business and French Language Area Studies.

Kirsten Moffett (tel: 651-287-3303 / ), office assistant, joins HECUA after finishing a year of service with AmeriCorps VISTA as a Service-Learning Project Coordinator at Creighton University and Clarkson College in Omaha, NE. She graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead, where she majored in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Advertising & Public Relations and a minor in Studio Art. Kirsten also studied at Oxford University, toured other European countries, and taught English in Japan for a year. She is currently working towards her Masters of Public and Nonprofit Administration at Metropolitan State University. As HECUA�s office assistant Kirsten provides administrative and program support to staff.

Kelly Schaub (tel: 651-287-3309 / ), bookkeeper, divides her time between balancing the accounts at HECUA and touring the country with a live radio show. She has been passionately involved with many local arts organizations and serves in a volunteer capacity for the Ameriprise Financial Ivey Awards and the City of Saint Paul’s Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Economic Development Committee.

Emily Seru (tel: 651-287-3313 / ), manager of internships and community partnerships, joined the HECUA staff in December 2004. Her work experience includes four years at Headwaters Foundation for Justice as well as three years in the world of independent publishing where she managed an internship program at Milkweed Editions and worked in publisher acquisitions at Consortium Book Sales & Distribution. At HECUA, Emily brings skills in project management, communications, and progressive philanthropy to manage the social justice based internships for domestic programs, the Partners Internship Program and the Graduate Fellowship on Philanthropy & Human Rights. She also provides leadership for HECUA’s broader community partnership work. Emily holds a BA in English from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon and is active in her Frogtown neighborhood, and in anti-racist work in the twin cities.

Charissa Blue, (tel: 651-287-3305 / ), Graduate Fellowship coordinator, brings with her a broad base of skills and contacts in multicultural outreach and recruitment through her work with the MultiCultural Development Center and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Ethnic Studies as well as a Master of Science degree in Ethnic and Multicultural Studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her work experience includes two years with the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Division for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities as a Project Analyst where she focused on recruitment and retention of underrepresented students for the system. Charissa has volunteered for a few years with the MultiCultural Development Center and has been on the Board of Directors since January of 2006. Her volunteer work includes co-chairing the conference committee for the Annual Diversity Conference, assisting MCDC plan and carry out other events, and serving as a community resource. Charissa will be working year round, 20 hours a week on outreach and recruitment for the fellowship as well as in planning public presentations for past fellows and building on our connections with Universities and communities in greater Minnesota.

Trisha Hasbargen (tel: 651-287-3316 / ), the Partners Internship Program assistant, joined HECUA in July 2006 to coordinate the Partners Internship Program (PIP). She graduated from St. Olaf College in 2003 with a degree in Political Science. Throughout her professional career Trisha has held several internship positions including the American Lung Association, Northfield Area United Way, Minnesota Women's Campaign Fund, and also at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. A few years of work in a variety of nonprofit organizations lead her to a position at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits for two years. She brings several years of experience working to engage young people in the nonprofit sector as well. As a volunteer Trisha has been on the board of the Minnesota National Organization for Women and as a key organizer of a new Uptown Chapter of MN NOW. She also is one of the founders of the Twin Cities Chapter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network.

Mary Delorié (tel: 651-287-3310 / ), marketing and recruitment manager, joined the HECUA team in 2004 with a BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY. At HECUA she heads the marketing and communication efforts including the HECUA Web site and all print materials. Mary also works closely with Student Services to provide support to students and their families before, during and after the programs. Prior to HECUA, Mary spent four years promoting international volunteer programs at Cross-Cultural Solutions in New Rochelle, New York.

Amanda Drymiller (tel: 651-287-3310 / ), recruitment associate, joined HECUA in August of 2007. She received degrees in Political Science and International Studies, as well as a minor in Justice and Peace Studies from the University of St. Thomas. A former Metro Urban Studies Term (MUST) alumna, Amanda also studied abroad in Denmark in both high school and college and is fascinated by all things Scandinavia. Prior to her position with HECUA, Amanda gave a year of full-time volunteer service to the Catholic Charities' Office for Social Justice in St. Paul where she assisted with the coordination of the AFFIRM Coalition (Alliance for Fair Federal Immigration Reform of Minnesota). Convinced that experiential, community-based education can empower and transform both students and communities, Amanda is excited to engage with prospective students about her love for HECUA. Amanda works with prospective students in the area of recruitment on nine of HECUA's member schools.

Laurie Moberg (tel: 651-287-3311 / ), recruitment associate, comes to HECUA motivated by her own quality experiences with off-campus learning.  A 2005 graduate of St. Olaf College, Laurie interned with Hands On Minnesota helping coordinate volunteers for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.  The following year, Laurie spent a semester studying in Japan, China, Thailand, and Vietnam.  After graduating with a degree in English and Sociology/Anthropology, Laurie returned to Thailand to teach fundamental English at Chiang Mai University.  Laurie transitioned back to Minnesota by working with a locally owned coffeeshop in Northfield.  Joining HECUA in August 2007, Laurie focuses on communicating the incomparable value of HECUA’s experiential learning programs to prospective students, parents, and consortium members.

Phillip Romine (tel: 651-287-3312 / ), student services associate joined the administrative team in mid-August 2007. Inspired by his exchange experience as a high school student in northern Germany, Phil’s passion for international, hands-on education led him to participate in HECUA’s Northern Ireland program in Spring 2006. As his alma mater, St. Olaf College (class of 2007) was also Phil’s main employer during the summers. Undergraduate research in the German Department, data entry for St. Olaf TRiO/GEAR UP, and sundry physical labor jobs rounded out his collegiate experience. Phil looks forward to meeting and serving HECUA students, and his door is always open.