Advising
During the academic year, students can drop into our office in the Student Life Center for in-person advising from 1–4pm, Tuesday through Friday. GEO advisors also offer 1:1 advising appointments in person or via Zoom, including over the summer.
Prior to meeting with a GEO advisor, you are highly encouraged to attend an in-person Study Abroad OverVU session (offered every Tuesday at 4pm in GEO during the school year). Virtual Study Abroad OverVUs are offered monthly during the summer via Zoom. Alternatively, you can review resources on the Getting Started page before scheduling an advising appointment.
Scroll down to meet our advisors and book an appointment. If you can't find a time that works for you or you'd prefer to meet in person, please click the Email link below the advisor's name to request alternate arrangements.
Advising appointments are offered to Vanderbilt undergraduate students only. Others, including parents and family, are requested to email us at geo@vanderbilt.edu.
GEO Staff Advisors
GEO staff advisors provide support and guidance to students on all aspects of the study abroad experience. We advise students on topics including: program selection and application, coursework abroad, identity and travel, study-abroad-based Immersion Vanderbilt opportunities, intercultural development, pre-departure preparation, re-entry, and more.
In addition to being knowledgeable about opportunities for international engagement, GEO staff have participated in trainings such as P.R.I.D.E, Green Dot, Disrupting Everyday Bias among others to better support students' experiences.
GEO also offers multiple events throughout each semester for students to learn more about study abroad, including our Study Abroad OverVU introductory sessions. Check out upcoming events here!
Tyler Walker
Advising:
General study abroad questions, England, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain (Madrid, and Palma), Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, Vietnam, Incoming Exchange
Jillian Madden
Advising:
General study abroad questions, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Israel, Jordan, New Zealand, Samoa, Spain (Barcelona, Bilbao, Granada & Seville)
Caroline Nikolaus
Advising:
General study abroad questions, Africa (Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa), Europe (Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Switzerland), Mexico, Serbia, and CIEE Open Campus programs
Yuanqi (Suzy) Wang
Advising:
General study abroad questions, Mainland China, Denmark, IHP, Sweden, Taiwan
Health and Safety Guidance
Vanderbilt’s Office of Global Safety provides health and safety guidance to all VU travelers, including GEO study abroad students. They provide individualized health and safety advice to study abroad students, such as traveling with medication, setting up continued care, utilizing Vanderbilt-issued international insurance, addressing identity-based safety and health concerns, and more.
The Office of Global Safety is a resource for students at any point in the study abroad process. To make an appointment to discuss health, safety, and well-being abroad, please reach out to Isabelle Crist, Assistant Director of the Office of Global Safety. General inquiries can also be directed to globalsafety@vanderbilt.edu.
Isabelle S. Crist
Advising:
Health, safety, and well-being guidance for all VU faculty, staff and student travelers, including GEO study abroad students
Peer Advisers
Peer Advisers are the student representatives of study abroad on Vanderbilt’s campus within the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt. Peer Advisers lead study abroad outreach events around campus and hold office hours at ELIV to assist prospective students.
MacKenzie Higgins
Hello! My name is MacKenzie Higgins, and I am a senior studying Medicine, Health, and Society on the pre-nursing track. I am originally from Nashville and studied abroad in Florence, Italy where I learned all about Italian food and wine! Outside of school, I love teaching dance, playing pickleball, and trying new restaurants!
Devisi Ashar
Hi! I'm a senior from New Jersey studying Psychology and Gender and Sexuality Studies. I studied abroad in Copenhagen during the Fall 2022 semester through DIS. While abroad, I took several Psych classes and traveled throughout Northern and Central Europe on the weekends. I'm excited to help students through whatever stage of their study abroad journey they are on!
Study Abroad Alumni
Talking to peers who have studied abroad, particularly on programs you are interested in is a great way to gather information. The following study abroad alumni have offered to serve as a resource to prospective students interested in their program. Feel free to connect with them via email!
Australia
Alisha Saluja, '24 IFSA University of South Wales, Spring 2023
Avery Fortier, '24 IFSA University of New South Wales, Spring 2023
Chile
Eli Apple, '24 CASA Santiago, Fall 2022
Maia Czarnecki, '23 CASA Santiago, Spring 2022
Czech Republic
Rishabh Gharekhan, '24 CET Prague, Spring 2023
Mariah Grover, '24 CET Prague, Spring 2023
Kathir Venkat, '24 CET Prague, Spring 2023
Erica Yeagley, '23 CET Prague, Spring 2022
Denmark
Niya Burney, '23 DIS Copenhagen, Spring 2022
Joel Douglas, '24 DIS Copenhagen, Spring 2023
Maeghan Grady, '24 DIS Copenhagen, Spring 2023
Isabella Hirsch, '23 DIS Copenhagen, Spring 2023
Brynn Jones, '24 DIS Copenhagen, Fall 2022
Sarene Mun, '24 DIS Copenhagen, Spring 2023
Sophie Stachurski, '23 DIS Copenhagen, Spring 2023
Noah Srulovitz, '24 DIS Copenhagen, Spring 2023
Sydney Takemoto, '23 DIS Copenhagen, Spring 2022
England
Aadil Khan, '24 IFSA London School of Economics, Academic Year 22-23
Jamina Hsu, '24 CIEE University College London, Spring 2023
Rebekah Kim, '24 CIEE University College London, Spring 2023
Adam Messinger, '24 CIEE University College London, Spring 2023
Eden Roberson, '23 IFSA University of Leeds, Spring 2022
France
Sonia Kim, '24 Columbia in Paris, Spring 2023
Emma Reidy, '25 American University of Paris, Fall 2022
Fiona Thompson, '25 Georgia Tech Europe, Spring 2023
Ireland
Veronica Figueroa, '24 IFSA University College Dublin, Spring 2023
Kate Lanham, '24 CASA Dublin, Spring 2023
Italy
MacKenzie Higgins, '24 CET Florence, Spring 2023
Leydi Alatorre Medina, '23 CET Siena, Spring 2022
Japan
Tyler Popp, '24 Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS), Spring 2023
Multi-country
Daniel Ardity, '24 CIEE Open Campus (Paris, Singapore), Spring 2023
Sam Curtis, '24 CIEE Open Campus (Kyoto, Paris), Spring 2023
Justin Luckner, '24 CIEE Open Campus (Monteverde, Rome, Sydney), Spring 2023
Alexander Ward, '24 CIEE Open Campus (London, Madrid, Rome), Spring 2023
New Zealand
Rin Kong, '24 University of Canterbury: New Zealand Earth Systems (Frontiers Abroad), Spring 2023
Travis Ho, '24 IFSA University of Auckland, Spring 2023
South Africa
Spencer Harrison, '23 CIEE Open Campus: Cape Town, Spring 2022
Spain
Alison Vaughan, '24 CASA Sevilla, Spring 2023
Anika Mahajan, '24 CASA Sevilla, Spring 2023
Natali Lanfir, '23 CIEE Barcelona: Advanced Liberal Arts, Spring 2022
Julia Lorio, '23 CIEE Barcelona: Advanced Liberal Arts, Spring 2022
Stuart Waller, '23 CIEE Madrid: Engineering & Society, Spring 2022
Eva Hanson, '24 CIEE Madrid: Engineering and Society, Spring 2023
Elise Farley, '24 SLU Madrid, Spring 2023
Audrey Heffernan, '24 SLU Madrid, Spring 2023
Trevor Kasuku, '24 SLU Madrid, Spring 2023
Benjy Kurcz, '24 SLU Madrid, Spring 2023
Maya Levinson, '24 SLU Madrid, Spring 2023
Sophie Peterson, '24 SLU Madrid, Spring 2023
Zack Shatsky, '24 SLU Madrid, Spring 2023
Christina Valentine, '24 SLU Madrid, Spring 2023
Scotland
Anna Mullens, '24 IFSA University of Edinburgh, Spring 2023
Sweden
Christopher Chen, '23 DIS Stockholm, Spring 2022
Switzerland
Zoe Assasie, '24 SIT Switzerland: International Studies & Multilateral Diplomacy, Spring 2023