Staff

John D. Stephens
Director
Gerhard E. Lenski, Distinguished Professor of Political Science & Sociology | UNC-Chapel Hill
PhD in Political Science | Yale University
BA in Social Relations | Harvard College
3211 FedEx Global Education Center
(919) 843-9852

Kathleen Shanahan Lindner
Executive Director
MA in TransAtlantic Studies | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
BA in International Studies, German | UNC-Chapel Hill
3210 FedEx Global Education Center
(919) 962-6765
(919) 962 0398 (f)

Sarah Hutchison
Associate Director, TransAtlantic Masters Program
PhD in Comparative Literature | UNC-Chapel Hill
BA in Comparative Literature | Columbia College, Columbia University
3208 FedEx Global Education Center
(919) 962-4507
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!

Victoria Vass
Business Manager
BA in Public Policy | UNC-Chapel Hill
3207 FedEx Global Education Center
(919) 962-2152
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.
Kayla Bassett
Student Services Manager
BA in Education | UNC-Chapel Hill
3216 FedEx Global Education Center
(919) 843-4285
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.
Jonathan Lepofsky
International Education Coordinator
PhD in Geography | UNC-Chapel Hill
BA in Metropolitan Studies | New York University
3209 FedEx Global Education Center
(919) 843-9852
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.
Serenella Iovino
Interim Chair of the EURO major
Ph.D. Philosophy and Humanities | Università degli Studi di Urbino “Carlo Bo,” Italy
Dey Hall 218
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.
Lily Herbert
Program Assistant
BA in Global Studies & Geography | UNC-Chapel Hill
3213 FedEx Global Education Center
Favorite thing about CES: The students! They’re so bright and willing to take on anything—it’s refreshing.