University of South Florida
Staff
Amanda Maurer, Director of Education Abroad
Ms. Maurer came to USF from the Columbia University School of Law, where she held the position of Senior Director of International Programs for thirteen years. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Russian language and literature and has studied in former Yugoslavia and Russia. She also worked with a NGO in Russia for over four years. Ms. Maurer is the director of the Education Abroad office and works personally with the Russian and Slovakian exchange programs.
Contact: amaurer@usf.edu
Phone: (813)-974-4126
Jim Pulos, Assistant Director of Education Abroad
Mr. Pulos is the primary contact for education abroad student advising or issues with various university offices (Admissions, Registrar, Financial Aid, etc.). He coordinates student course registration, course approval, grades, and all payments of program fees. He also serves as the liaison between students and education abroad faculty directors and between non-USF students and their universities' respective offices. He is also responsible for the Italian and Greek semester programs, internships in Dublin, and selected summer education abroad programs.
Contact: jpulos@usf.edu
Phone: (813)-974-4043
Rene Sanchez, Program Coordinator
Mr. Sanchez serves as the advisor to students attending semester exchange programs, ISEP direct enrollment, and coordinates all programs in Canada, Mexico, Panama, and South America.
Contact: rene@usf.edu
Phone: (813)-974-3104
Heather Hartman, Student Programs Coordinator
Ms. Hartman holds a MBA with a concentration in International Business, and has studied abroad both during her undergraduate and graduate study in Costa Rica and Spain, respectively. In addition to managing the events and outside commitments for the office, she also advises for the Central American and Carribean programs.
Contact: hartmanh@usf.edu
Phone: (813)-974-1969
Carleen Ben, Education Abroad Advisor
Ms. Ben is thrilled to join USF’s Education Abroad team as the Advisor for Asia and Pacifica programs, as well as internships in Sydney and Singapore. A Brooklyn native, Carleen grew up speaking English and Cantonese in the culturally diverse city of New York. She holds her B.A. in Communication and Media Studies with a concentration in Chinese films from Fordham University and is currently a degree candidate for a M.S.Ed in Higher Education from CUNY Baruch College. As an undergraduate, Carleen spent an academic year abroad in China under a Freeman-ASIA scholarship, where she studied Mandarin and traveled along the Silk Road. She also spent two years in rural Japan teaching English to local high school students through the JET Program. Carleen brings to USF a professional background working in various roles within the international education field, as a Student Affairs Advisor at a Japanese-English bilingual high school, International Enrollment Advisor at CUNY, and as an Alternate Responsible Official at a non-profit organization.
Contact: cben@usf.edu
Phone: (813)-974-3207
Ben Wiley, Florida Consortium/Cambridge Summer School
Mr. Wiley directs the Florida Consortium for Cambridge Summer Schools, a statewide program enrolling students from throughout Florida colleges and universities who want to attend various international summer schools in Cambridge, England. He coordinates the Cambridge liaisons at the other colleges, plans the marketing and publicity for Cambridge, advises students on the Cambridge program (classes, academic credit, housing, excursions), processes the Cambridge applications and accompanies the group in July and August.
Contact: bwiley@usf.edu
Phone: (813)-974-5116
Frances A. Bryant, Business and Fiscal Analyst
Ms. Bryant completed her undergraduate degree at Thomas More College in Ft. Mitchell and her Masters from Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana. She currently holds the Fiscal & Business Analyst position with Education Abroad, which includes overseeing all the budgets for the programs that Education Abroad promotes. She also oversees the scholarship applications and assists with the processing of program costs and registration for students.
Contact: francesb@usf.edu
Phone: (813)-974-4104
Barbara Pickett, Financial Officer
Ms. Pickett is responsible for collecting all Education Abroad program fees and registering out-bound education abroad participants for course credit.
Contact: pickett@usf.edu
Phone: (813)-974-1088
Melissa Steiner, Education Abroad Registrar
Ms. Steiner holds an M.M. in Performance from the University of South Florida, as well as a B.M. in Performance with a double-minor in Journalism and Communication from the University of Tampa. She previously worked in USF’s Office of the Registrar and is thrilled to take on this new role as EA Registrar.
Ms. Steiner maintains USF's School of Record (SoR) relationships, including acting as a liaison with PALAZZI in Florence. She works with departments to provide course equivalencies for the SoR relationships and for study abroad coursework offered by program providers and foreign institutions. She supervises all registration and records maintenance for USF-sponsored EA programs. Ms. Steiner is also responsible for the administration of all EA Scholarships – Supervising the application process, coordinating the scholarship committee, communicating with award recipients, and liaising with USF's Financial Aid and Foundation offices. She also advises our Incoming Exchange Students during walk-in appointments.
Contact: mcsteiner@usf.edu
Phone: (813)-974-1205
Caroline Heywood, Education Abroad Receptionist
Ms. Heywood is a University of South Florida alumna and holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Sociology, with a minor in International Studies. As an undergraduate Caroline spent a semester studying French at Alliance Française in Nice, France, and then spent the consecutive summer volunteering through Help Exchange in Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, and Ireland. Caroline started in our office as a student assistant and is now our receptionist for the Education Abroad office in the Patel Center. She also handles insurance processing for all students and faculty traveling abroad through the university.
Contact: cheywood@usf.edu
Phone: (813)-974-4314
Ryan White, Web and Database Coordinator
Mr. White serves as the Web and Database Coordinator for USF Education Abroad. He is responsible for maintaining data on the web site and facilitating access.
Contact: ryanwhite@usf.edu
Phone: (813)-974-3933
