Staff Bios

Michelle serves as the Senior Manager for the Southern Regional Center and for the Gilman International Scholarship Program. Michelle provides general oversight and support for all of IIE Houston's programs including IIE's local K-12 programs, local events, new initiatives and development efforts. Michelle also serves as IIE Houston's liaison to the Southern Regional Advisory Board. If you are interested in supporting IIE's mission of "Opening Minds to the World" by making a donation to IIE Houston, please contact Michelle

Paul has coordinated professional and cultural programs for over 1700 visitors traveling through the Greater Houston Area as participants on the U.S. State Department's International Visitors Program

Rachel joined the office as the Senior Program Associate for the Gilman International Scholarship and Community Outreach Programs in January, but she's a familiar face at IIE/Houston. As a student at the University of St. Thomas, Rachel helped to develop the World Discovery Trunks and related resources for the Cultural Navigators Project

Paetra is the Manager of the Gilman International Scholarship Program. In this role she is the primary contact for program alumni and study abroad and financial aid advisors at campuses across the U.S. In addition Paetra coordinates the Friends of International Students and Scholars Program (FISS) with the Rice University Office of International Students and Scholars. The is a friendship program allowing international students/scholars at Rice University a chance to learn about American lifestyles and to become better acquainted with the city of Houston, while providing the student/scholar and the U.S. Friend an opportunity to gain new perspectives on the world through an exchange of ideas.

Heather joined the IIE Houston team in November 2005 as the Assistant Manager for Outreach and Special Projects. In addition to coordinating outreach for all IIE administered scholarship programs, Heather serves as the regional representative for the Japanese Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) , U.S.Fulbright and the National Security Education (NSEP) Programs

Stacie Vincent is the Assistant Manager for the Gilman International Scholarship Program. She is the primary contact for applicants and students inquiring about the program. Stacie also coordinates the Gilman Alumni Representative Program , which expands the outreach of the Gilman program throughout the U.S.

The Institute Of International Education Southern Regional Center has experienced many captivating changes over the past year. In 2006, IIE Houston has various plans to expand its programs and maintain its presence in the community and educational settings.

As the Spring quarter commences, IIE would like to present our diverse constituencies with our latest program news, as well as an introduction to the new Southern Regional Staff Team.

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Upcoming Spring news and events

The Friends of International Students and Scholars Program picnic is scheduled for Saturday, April 22nd. For more information, please contact Paetra Hauck

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IIE Offers Cultural Relocation Services

IIE provides comprehensive custom designed cultural relocation sessions, including an inclusive Houston resource guide to practical city living and a personalized, well-researched booklet specific to each individuals concerns, interests and those of accompanying family members. In addition to the personalized consultation, clients receive an interactive CD-Rom with complete, customized guides to aid in cultural acclimation in Houston. For more information, please contact Heather Theisen-Gandara, Paul Cummings or Michelle Pickard

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In 2006 the Gilman International Scholarship Program received an increase of $1,112,000 in funding, the largest increase the program has seen to date, enabling the Gilman Program to award almost 800 scholarships this year. The program recently launched its new and improved online application in preparation for the April 4 deadline. The online application can be found at http://gilmanapplication.iie.org

The Gilman team will be participating in a series of conferences and campus visits this spring to promote the Gilman Scholarship Program. Upcoming outreach includes:

• Conference of Christian Colleges and Universities in Dallas, TX
• National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages in Madison, WI
• NAFSA National Conference in Montreal, Canada
• Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities in San Antonio, TX

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International Visitor Leadership Program

Spring promises to be exciting for IVLP, as we will welcome a broad range of visitors to Houston, including all of the following:

• A Deputy Prosecutor from Milan interested in the American prison system
• A Pan-African delegation studying transparency in government
• A Hong Kong Police Superintendent investigating port protection
• An Arab delegation exploring foreign policy and border issues
• A multi-regional delegation discussing factors in international diplomacy

We are excited to provide professional programming to these visitors, but we'd like more of our volunteers to be involved in these programs, on the front line of public diplomacy: Dinner Hosting! For many visitors, an informal dinner with local volunteers is the most lasting impression made upon them in Houston. We are fortunate to have a number of great volunteers who've made our visitors feel welcome, but we are hoping to expand this list and include new dinner hosts. If you would like to volunteer in this capacity, or if you know a friend or relative who might be interested, please contact Paul Cummings by phone (713-621-6300, x19) or e-mail. Thanks again for your support!

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Cultural Navigators

The Cultural Navigators Project fulfills the IIE mission by giving teachers materials and knowledge to encourage cultural understanding among Houston's most important resources--our children. In 2006, the project will continue to loan the World Discovery Trunks to teachers across the Houston area. This innovative, hands-on program includes detailed cards describing each country's history, geography, and culture, and all materials are aligned with the Texas Education Agency's curriculum standards, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The World Discovery Trunks will make an appearance at the Klein ISD teacher development day at the end of March. For more information about the Cultural Navigators Project, please contact Rachel Finch by email or at 713-621-6300, ext. 21.

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Thank You!

Thank you to our Southern Regional Advisory Board members for their continued support of IIE and its mission of cultural exchange.

IIE Houston would like to extend sincere gratitude to our 2005 financial donors, whose generosity expands the capacity of IIE to reach its goal of global understanding.

• Mr. Charles Foster, Tindall & Foster , P.C.
• Mr. Harry Gee
• Mr. Joseph Hafner
• Mr. Herbert Lesser
• Mrs. Betty McDavid
• Mr. Ewell Murphey
• Mrs. Carolyn Querbes Nelson
• Ms. Beth Wolff, Beth Wolff Realtors
• Mr. John Webb, The Ayco Charitable Foundation
• Dr. Lyn Bracewell

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