Skip to content Skip to main navigation Report an accessibility issue

Meet Our Team

We are a team of experienced professionals with expertise in fields across the international education spectrum and a passion for global engagement.

Our dedicated staff and student peer advisors are here to assist and guide UT students, their family members and supporters, faculty and advisors, and returnees and alumni, as well as our colleagues from across the globe in developing programs and services that maximize a student’s learning experience abroad.

If you are a student interested in going abroad, we encourage you to first explore your options through our Programs Search portal or by speaking with one of our student Peer Advisors in the Resource Room 11am-5pm Monday-Friday.

After narrowing down your options, find direction by meeting with a Programs Abroad Coordinator during virtual drop-in advising from 1:30-4:30pm Monday-Friday.

PAO staff and Contact info

Carolyn Becker

Director

Contact:

cbecker1@utk.edu

 

This Could Be You!

Assistant Director

 

Apply Now:

Link to application
Grigsby, Heather

Heather Grigsby

Senior Program Coordinator

 

Contact:

hgrigsby@utk.edu

Nashma Carrera Massari

Program Coordinator

 

Contact:

ncarrera@utk.edu

Tessa Takash

Program Coordinator

 

Contact:

ttakash@utk.edu

This Could Be You!

Program Coordinator

 

Apply Now:

Link to application

Albrianna Jenkins

Marketing and Outreach Coordinator

 

Contact:

ajenki58@utk.edu
Goeritz, Gisela

Gisela Goeritz

Administrative Coordinator

 

Contact:

ggoeritz@utk.edu

Meet the Team: Peer Advisors

Emily Allegra

  • Senior from Nashville, TN
  • Global Studies and Sustainability

 

About my experience abroad:

“I studied abroad in spring 2020 in Monteverde, Costa Rica and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the UT Open Campus Semester program (UT Affiliate).”

Kiara Finch

  • Senior from Memphis, TN
  • Business Analytics with a minor in Hispanic Studies

 

About my experience abroad:

“I studied abroad in spring 2021 in Madrid, Spain on the UT in Madrid program (UT Affiliate)”

Payton Krumholz

  • Senior from Marco Island, FL
  • Hospitality and Tourism Management

 

About my experience abroad:

“I studied abroad in spring 2020 in London, United Kingdom on the ISA: Liberal Arts, Business, and Media Studies program (UT Affiliate)”

Emma Lampson

  • Senior from Johnson City, TN
  • Finance

 

About my experience abroad:

“I studied abroad in spring 2020 in London, United Kingdom on the Greg and Lisa Smith Global Leadership Internship Semester program (UT faculty-directed)”

Brandt Schimmelpfennig

  • Senior from Suwanee, GA
  • Supply Chain Management

 

About my experience abroad:

“I studied abroad in summer 2021 in Costa Rica on the UTK International Business in Costa Rica program (UT faculty-directed)”

Gabriel Friel 

  • Junior from Philadelphia, PA
  • History major

 

About my experience abroad:

“I studied abroad in Rome, Italy through CIEE Open Campus (UT Affiliate) for a semester in fall 2021 and studied topics like history of the Vatican, Renaissance and Baroque art and the history and legend surrounding the foundation of Rome.”

Britton Buchanan

  • Junior from Atlanta, GA
  • Business Analytics with a concentration in International Business

 

About my experience abroad:

“I studied International Marketing with ISA (UT Affiliate) in Barcelona, Spain during the summer of 2021.”

Name & Position

Bio

Education Abroad
Emily Allegra
Diversity Peer Mentor
  • Junior
  • Global Studies and Sustainability major
 CIEE Open Campus Program (Monteverde, Costa Rica, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) , Spring 2020
Alyssa Grissom
Diversity Peer Mentor
  • Junior
  • Marketing and Supply Chain Management major
 Global Leadership Scholars program in London, Spring 2020
Kayleigh Johnson
Student Assistant for Diversity and Inclusion
  • Junior
  • Public Relations and Italian major
 UTK in Bologna, 2019
Payton Krumholz
Diversity Peer Mentor
  • Junior
  • Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management major
 ISA University of Westminster, London, Spring 2020
Joshua Mai
Diversity Peer Mentor
  • Senior
  • Industrial Engineering major
  UT Supply Chain Engineering in Hangzhou, China, Summer 2019 and FSU London, Spring 2020
Rebeca Nieves
Diversity Peer Mentor
  • Senior
  • Psychology major with Public Health minor
 Pop Culture in Japan, Summer 2019

The flagship campus of the University of Tennessee System and partner in the Tennessee Transfer Pathway.