Staff

John D. Stephens, Gerhard E. Lenski, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Sociology; Director, Center for European Studies, European Union Center of Excellence, and Trans-Atlantic Masters program; received his B.A. (1970) from Harvard University and his Ph.D. (1976) from Yale University. His main interests are comparative politics and political economy, with area foci on Europe, the Antipodes, Latin America, and the Caribbean. He teaches European politics and the political economy of advanced industrial societies. He is the author of The Transition from Capitalism to Socialism (1979) and coauthor of Democratic Socialism in Jamaica (with Evelyne Huber, 1986), Capitalist Development and Democracy (with Evelyne Huber and Dietrich Rueschemeyer, 1992; Outstanding Book Award, Political Sociology Section, ASA), Development and Crisis of the Welfare State (with Evelyne Huber, 2001; Best Book Award, Political Economy Section, APSA), and Democracy and the Left: Social Policy and Inequality in Latin America (with Evelyne Huber, 2012, Outstanding Book Award, Sociology of Development Section, ASA; Best Book Award, Political Economy of the World System Section, ASA). He has also contributed articles to, among others, The American Political Science Review, American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, The British Journal of Sociology, Comparative Politics, Comparative Political Studies, Journal of European Social Policy, and World Politics. He is currently working on a study of social investment policy in Europe and Latin America.

Katie Lindner joined us in 2015 from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin where she spent many years managing and organizing programs including TAM, Euromasters, German-Turkish Masters as well as the international doctoral program at the Berlin Graduate School of Social Sciences. She focused on such aspects as program development, student and career services, international recruitment, and collaboration with international partners. Katie has a BA in International Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MA in Trans-Atlantic Studies (TAM Program) from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Before moving to Berlin, she worked at the International Visitors Council in RTP, which is where she discovered her love of organizing programs and international education. In 2015, she moved back to Chapel Hill with her husband and three children after sixteen years in Berlin, and has been enjoying the North Carolina sunshine immensely.

Inspiration: The creativity, drive, and the accomplishments of the TAM students and grads. I know it sounds cheesy-fake, but it’s true.

In free time: I love to hike with my husband, daughter, and our three dogs.

Committed to: the inter-institutional partnerships and experiential learning involved in TAM. The opportunities TAM provides to young people are life-changing, and it is fascinating to be involved in such an innovative international educational project. I love working with the TAM applicants, students and alumni!

Favorite European Food: Pierogi- pan-fried filled dumpling wrapped in unleavened dough.

In free time: I play board games, hike, dance, and watch movies.

Favorite thing about CES: The focus on creating shared experiences that lead to a better, more just future for all.

Prior Work: I received my B.A. (2015) in Public Policy from the University of North Carolina: Chapel Hill. Previously, I served two terms in the AmeriCorps program and worked as an operations coordinator for a nonprofit specializing in homelessness prevention.

Global experience:

I studied abroad in the Spring of 2019 at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. My favorite class while studying there was Sociology of Education. I loved the weekly small group discussion where I listened and learned about the varying education experiences from students all across Europe. During my time abroad, I was fortunate enough to travel to 15 countries, but my favorite trip was in Scotland hiking Isle of Skye.

Prior work: I joined CES after graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill in May of 2021 with a BA in Education majoring in Human Development & Family Studies. While at UNC, I worked at Morehead Planetarium & Science Center teaching STEM-based curriculum to local elementary and middle school students.

Favorite European food: Borscht – an Ukrainian beet soup with beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots. It is also popular in Russian and Polish cuisine.

Prior work: I taught high school (and served in administrative roles) for over a decade before returning to the university, teaching in UNC’s Geography Department.  I have also helped to start various educational programs, from the neuroscience camp at Duke University to a leadership development and social justice initiative called The City School in Boston, Massachusetts.

Favorite European food: Rugelach – the name is Yiddish and I believe Poland is the location of origin of these pastries, which can have different fillings rolled into them, but I prefer ones with fruit preserves, like apricot.

In Free Time: I play soccer, read, hike, and lose to my older son in chess.

Professor of Italian Studies & Environmental Humanities in the UNC Department of Romance Studies, Professor Iovino’s research focuses on ecocriticism and environmental humanities. She has contributed essays and volumes on such topics as ecocritical theory, cultural landscapes, bioregionalism and place ethics, posthumanism, feminist ecocriticism, Mediterranean studies, new materialisms, environmental justice, land art, and a number of studies bringing Italy and Italian literature and culture into the foreground. She also investigated the relationships among philosophy, literature, and the natural sciences in XVIII-XIX-century Germany in essays and two book-length publications on the Age of Goethe.

In Italian Studies, her main areas of specialization are 20th-21st century Italian literature, culture, and environmental issues (from cultural landscapes to issues of political ecology and justice).

Prof Iovino’s teaching focuses on Italy’s UNESCO world heritage sites, Italian cities and cultures, environmental issues in Italian literature and film, and the Italian Renaissance.

Favorite European food: Döner kebab (yum!). My favorite is with pickles and French fries.

Favorite thing about CES: The students! They’re so bright and willing to take on anything⁠—it’s refreshing.