In March, Celina Jaffe joined us as Associate Director (AD), returning to Bloomington after working abroad and managing the teaching assistant exchange programs of the French Embassy in Washington, DC. Her background includes bi-lingual teaching, pedagogical support, and program management in the field of international education. She also worked in the arts management industry in Ireland, as an English professor and tutor in France, and performing artist in Europe. Celina received her MA in Contemporary Dance Performance from the University of Limerick in 2017 and her BA in French and International Studies at IUB in 2010. 

Celina’s role as AD involves overseeing the Center’s Title VI grant programming, managing the Global Center’s FLAS and Albright Scholarships, supporting the Indiana Language Roadmap Project, organizing the Institute for Campus and Curriculum Internationalization, and assisting with the implementation of global learning outreach initiatives throughout the year. 

In September, we hired an undergraduate assistant who joined us as part of the Cox Scholarship Program. Josiah Bell is a first-year student at Indiana University, majoring in Biology with a focus on the pre-med track.  As a Cox Legacy Scholar, he is dedicated to academic excellence and community engagement. Originally from Brazil, Indiana, Josiah is looking forward to supporting ongoing Global Center programs while enhancing his organizational and collaborative skills. 

Finally, In December 2024 both Barry Swigart and Andrea Nikolova joined the Global Center.  

Barry Swigart is the Global Center’s new Administrative Assistant. He comes to us after over a decade of experience in administration and finance, previously having worked at IU’s HLS as a Senior Financial Advisor in charge of purchasing approval, payroll completion, and travel reimbursements. We are grateful for Barry’s existing knowledge of IU systems and his enthusiasm for his new role with us. 

Andrea Nikolova, our new Global Learning Specialist, focuses on internationalization-at-home initiatives, including Client Based International Learning (CLIP), Diplomacy Lab and Global Classroom. With extensive experience in international education and program management, Andrea most recently worked at the Kelley School of Business, where she served in the undergraduate International Programs office. There, she advised study abroad students, managed exchange programs, supported faculty-led courses, and taught communication and professional skills courses. From 2013 to 2017, she managed Indiana University's Turkish Flagship Program, fostering critical language and cultural learning. Andrea is excited to continue expanding accessible global learning opportunities that empower students and faculty to collaborate and engage meaningfully with the world.

Learn more about our new staff and summer programming in this IU Global blog.