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Meet Our Staff

Questions about Immersion Vanderbilt? We are here to help!

The Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt (EL&IV) staff can help you draft an Immersion Vanderbilt plan and connect you to cross-college opportunities.

Schedule an advising appointment on the Immersion portal or email experiential.learning@vanderbilt.edu.

Charles Acheson

Program Coordinator

Charles Acheson is Program Coordinator for Innovation, Design, and Creativity in the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt (EL&IV). His role is to advise and prepare students for their creative Immersion Vanderbilt journeys. 

Learn more about Charles.

charles.acheson@Vanderbilt.Edu

Lindsay Ahlmeyer

Program Coordinator

Lindsay Ahlmeyer serves as a Program Coordinator in the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt (EL&IV). Her main function is to holistically advise students as they navigate their Immersion Vanderbilt projects, particularly when they aren’t sure where to start.

Learn more about Lindsay.

lindsay.ahlmeyer@Vanderbilt.Edu

Brittaney Baker

Assistant Director of Equity and Immersion Vanderbilt

Brittaney Baker is Assistant Director for Equity & Immersion Vanderbilt in the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt. She brings with her experience in Career Services, Post-Secondary Counseling, and Strengths-Based Youth Development.

Learn more about Brittaney.

Brittaney.Baker@Vanderbilt.edu

Tisha Christie

Administrative Assistant

Tisha is an Administrative Assistant for the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt. Originally from Florida, she has been at Vanderbilt since 2016. A first-generation college student, Tisha received her B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Florida and her M.Ed. from Cumberland University.

Tisha.L.Christie@Vanderbilt.Edu

Kimberly DeFreece

Program Coordinator

Kimberly DeFreece is the Program Coordinator for Civic and Community Engagement in the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt. She brings with her a background in Education, having served as a High School Educator, with Metro Nashville Public Schools for 6 years.

Learn more about Kim.

kimberly.defreece@Vanderbilt.Edu

Carolyn Floyd

Senior Director

Carolyn Floyd is the Senior Director of the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt.  Carolyn has been at Vanderbilt since 2011, first as the Registrar and then as a Research Services Librarian and Lecturer in Law, both at Vanderbilt Law School.

Learn more about Carolyn.

Carolyn.Floyd@Vanderbilt.edu

Jillian Madden

Study Abroad Adviser

Jillian serves as a Study Abroad Adviser in the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt. She received her dual B.A. from the University of Kentucky in International Studies and Japan Studies, and received her M.A. in Global Development from the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce. 

Learn more about Jillian.

jillian.madden@vanderbilt.edu

Sharon Manlove

Administrative Assistant

Sharon is a Nashville native. She has been with Vanderbilt since 2001. With over twenty years of administrative assistance experience, she is now using that skill in the Global Education Office. Sharon enjoys vicariously traveling the world through the experiences of our students, and hopes to be abroad herself one day.

sharon.manlove@vanderbilt.edu

Caroline Nikolaus

Study Abroad Adviser

Caroline is a Third Culture Kid (TCK) who grew up in Japan, the USA, and Germany. She has visited around fifty countries over five continents. Caroline has a BS in Psychology with a music minor from Abilene Christian University.

Learn more about Caroline.

caroline.nikolaus@vanderbilt.edu

Tyler Walker

Senior Study Abroad Adviser

Tyler hails from the sunshine state of Florida, and earned her B.A. in East Asian Languages and Cultures with a minor in Global Communication at the University of Southern California.

Learn more about Tyler.

tyler.m.walker@vanderbilt.edu

Yuanqi (Suzy) Wang

Assistant Director for Experiential Learning

As Assistant Director for Experiential Learning, Suzy leads the study abroad team to facilitate global learning through immersive experiences. Since joining the office in 2014, Suzy has held a number roles supporting students and faculty with their global endeavors, and has most recently focused on experiential learning.

Learn more about Suzy.

yuanqi.wang@vanderbilt.edu

Alissa McKinnon West

Assistant Director of Programming, Funding and Assessment

Alissa McKinnon West is Assistant Director for Programming, Funding, and Assessment in the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt (EL&IV). She has previously advised students as the creative expression pathway program coordinator for Immersion Vanderbilt.

Learn more about Alissa.

Alissa.M.West@Vanderbilt.edu

Student Workers

Khattab Ahmed
Grace Kim
Nathan Miao
Lavonte Saunders

Khattab Ahmed

Khattab is a Mechanical Engineering student starting his senior year this semester. This summer he had the opportunity to participate in an internship at Collins Aerospace. Throughout the internship, he learned a lot about applying the engineering principles he learned in class in real-world problems. It was an experience Khattab thoroughly enjoyed in an industry he is passionate about.

Grace Kim

Grace Kim is a senior majoring in flute performance and on the track for the 5-year Blair to Peabody music education program. She studied abroad Fall 2021 at DIS Copenhagen in the Child Development and Diversity core course, where she taught at a local Danish elementary/middle school. Grace is involved in Sigma Phi Lambda, AACF, Harmonies for the Elderly and was a GEO Peer Advisor.

Nathan Miao

Nathan is a senior from Cleveland, OH double majoring in Public Policy Studies and Cinema and Media Arts. He studied abroad in the Fall 2021 Semester and will be working on a senior capstone project for CMA this year.

Lavonte Saunders

Lavonte Saunders is a junior majoring in Biochemistry and Mathematics. Over the summer in 2022, Lavonte engaged in nanoscale research at the Vanderbilt Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE) tech crew program. Lavonte looks forward to aiding his peers in gaining a deeper understanding of the Immersion process at Vanderbilt.

 

 

 

Location & Hours

Email: experiential.learning@vanderbilt.edu
Address: Student Life Center
Suite 109
310 25th Ave South
Nashville, TN 37240

Office Hours:
EL&IV staff work work both remotely and on campus. Office Business Hours: 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday.

EL&IV Advising Hours:
During the academic year, staff are available for advising appointments 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday. Extended advising hours are also offered to accommodate students' schedules.

Students can view and book advising appointments on the Immersion portal.