The action research process initiated in 2015 to make a thorough reform of the CASA-Sevilla study-abroad programme not only produced significant pedagogical developments but also brought about a profound change in the way of working and relating within the programme work organisation itself and with Cornell University colleagues. This section focuses on organisational changes in each of the units involved, and reflects a path full of transitions, diplomacy, exchange of perspectives and inter-institutional as well as intercultural learning. To make these pedagogical reforms work in practice required significant organisational change and support efforts on the part of both CASA-Sevilla and the supporting organisations at Cornell University.
Stephen L. Capobianco, Assistant Director of the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention at Binghamton University, works to establish and expand international partnerships in government and non-governmental organizations to strengthen research and students’ field placements. He has worked on international high-impact educational practices in large, selective, very high research universities. In addition, he is a PhD candidate in Community and Public Affairs. His current research focuses on cross-level analysis of universities’ internationalisation efforts in promoting equity and inclusion for marginalised communities. He holds a BA in Spanish Language and Literature and an MA in Public Administration. Email: scapobia@binghamton.edu
Amy Cheatle, Instructional Designer at the Cornell Center for Teaching Innovation, is a PhD student in Science and Technology Studies at Cornell University. Her interests surround collaborative technologies used in teaching/learning and traditional craft environments. Her recent ethnographic work has focused on human/robot interaction and robotic teams at work. These studies have brought her to fine art furniture studios and robotic operating rooms. From a pedagogical perspective, her interests point towards online technologies that foster collaboration, creativity and active learning. Email: ac2288@cornell.edu
Richard Feldman is Director Emeritus of the Cornell Language Resource Center. After graduating from Cornell University, he worked in the Peace Corps in Benin (Dahomey), earned a master's degree in TESOL and taught in Nicaragua for two years. In 1978, he began a forty-year career at Cornell, teaching in the Intensive English Programme and directing the Language Resource Center. He originated video-conference course sharing and created original platforms for foreign language study. With Davydd Greenwood, he participated in the reform of the Cornell programme in Seville, introducing language teaching and evaluation concepts and working with the current study. He retired from Cornell in 2018. Email: dick.feldman@gmail.com
Eva Infante Mora, Director of the CASA-Sevilla study abroad programme, is responsible for overall administration of the centre, including day-to-day management of the programme, student advising, liaison with the University of Seville and supervision of programme faculty and staff. A native of Seville (Spain), she holds a PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Seville, and an MA in Modern Middle Eastern and North African Studies from the University of Michigan. She has been with CASA-Sevilla since 1997. Email: eva@sevilla.casa.education
Melina Ivanchikova, Associate Director of the Cornell Inclusive Teaching, Center for Teaching Innovation, supports the teaching mission of Cornell University (teaching.cornell.edu) and offers consultations and faculty development programming to integrate inclusive teaching practices. She has partnered with the CASA-Sevilla study abroad programme since 2015. She is a bicultural poet, the co-author (with Elena Lafter) of Lugar de Origen / Place of Origin (2008) and the author Later the House Stood Empty (2014). Email: md734@cornell.edu
Richard Kiely, Senior Fellow in the Office of Engagement Initiatives at Cornell University, served as inaugural director of the Center for Community-Engaged Learning and Research (2011–2015) in support of Engaged Cornell. In 2002, he received his PhD from Cornell University and, in 2005, was recognised nationally as a John Glenn Scholar in Service-Learning for research that developed a transformative service-learning model. He is a co-author of Community-Based Global Learning: The Theory and Practice of Ethical Engagement at Home and Abroad (2018) and co-founder of globalsl.org, a multi-institutional hub supporting ethical global learning and community-campus partnerships. Email: rck6@cornell.edu
Marina S. Markot, Director of the Global Experience Office, leads Northeastern University's ambitious efforts in expanding experiential education abroad. She has worked in international education since 1998 at a variety of institutions, including Cornell University during the time of the CASA-Sevilla study abroad programme. As a former academic, she has a particular interest in student learning outcomes and curricular integration of education abroad. She has presented at numerous international education conferences and co-authored the IIENetworker article ‘Internationalization Efforts at Cornell: The Experience of a Major Research University’ (2018). Email: m.markot@northeastern.edu