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Our Faculty

We are proud of the truly outstanding faculty members who join students each summer in Oxford, Paris, and at Yale. They are Rhodes, Marshall, Gates, and British Academy scholars, with teaching posts at Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, The American University of Paris, Columbia, and other top institutions. They have earned awards for excellence in the arts and sciences, in scholarship and in teaching, and they bring unparalleled energy and passion for their subjects to the classroom. Meet our featured faculty members below.

“The faculty on the program were incredible. I got so much out of my classes, as they led discussions and courses that pushed my knowledge. They helped me outside of my comfort zone, and were always there for questions or support.”
—Biagia G., Avenues: The World School, New York, NY
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Paris
Yale
Adin Chan
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, DPhil, MPhil, International Relations
McGill University, B.A. Political Science & Economics

During his time at McGill University, Adin served as the President of the Arts Undergraduate Society, the student union representing over 8,000 Arts students at the university, and was a Staff Writer for the McGill International Review, covering Canadian politics, globalization, and Chinese foreign policy. He began his MPhil in International Relations at Oxford in 2022, researching post-conflict governance in Bosnia, Kosovo, and East Timor. Last summer, Adin interned in Delhi, India, for a social enterprise dedicated to economic development challenges in rural contexts. Besides his deep personal and academic interest in international politics and economic history, Adin is an enthusiast of guitar, urban planning, and travel, having been to 50 countries across five continents. Adin speaks English, French, and Cantonese. This fall he will be returning to Oxford to pursue his DPhil in International Relations as a Clarendon Scholar.

Alexander Yen
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, D.Phil, International Relations (candidate)
University of Oxford, M.Phil, International Relations
University of Oxford, B.A., (Hons.) History and Politics

While at Oxford, Alexander focussed severally on the history and politics of early modern England, the 20th century, and diplomacy and international institutions. He was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts as an undergraduate in testament to his contributions to the promotion of arts, culture, and charitable endeavors, including his volunteering with Project Access Hong Kong, where he worked to expand opportunities for underprivileged international students at Oxford. A native of cosmopolitan Hong Kong, he has also spent time in Australia, Thailand, Germany, Japan, and the United States, where he took the opportunity to acquaint himself with the rich history of these states. His interests are broad and include the study of academic costume, for which he was elected to his second fellowship of the Burgon Society in the UK. He has experience teaching upper primary students around ten years old to masters degree students at Oxford. He is fluent in English, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, and is learning German.

Alyssa Mohammed
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, M.Sc., Comparative Social Policy (Candidate)
University of the West Indies, University of Oxford, B.Sc. Sociology, PGDip Gender and Development

While at the University of the West Indies, Alyssa focused on sociology with a concentration on gender and intersectional analysis. She further explored these themes in her Diploma in Gender and Development, where her preliminary research focused on the politics of sexual and reproductive health and rights for women in the Caribbean. She was also closely involved with women’s/vulnerable youth activism in Trinidad and Tobago, where her academic concentrations provided a useful theoretical framework for her practical work. At this time she also guest lectured a number of undergraduate social science classes at the University of the West Indies. At Oxford, Alyssa continues to nurture her passion for women’s sexual health and rights, with her research concentrating on differing sex education policies in the Anglophone Caribbean. She now works as a marker for the University of the West Indies and continues to contribute meaningfully to causes she is passionate about, especially ones which foreground women and minoritised groups, in the Caribbean, the UK, and beyond. Alyssa is fluent in English and proficient in Spanish and Arabic, with passable French. This fall, she will further her research in Caribbean sex education through a DPhil (PhD) at the University of Oxford.

Ana Lucia Diaz
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, MJur; MPhil; DPhil in Law (candidate)

Ana is fascinated by the ways in which government institutions can—and perhaps must—deal with challenges raised by developments in technology, climate change, and meeting the basic needs of vulnerable people. While at Oxford, Ana has studied the ethical questions that underpin medical law, the theory of political institutions, and the role of the law in regulating intimate relationships. Ana has served as Co-Deputy Director of the Oxford Pro Bono Publico Committee, an organization that conducts high quality pro bono research on issues that have an impact on the public interest. She also organizes weekly seminars on feminism and current problems in public law. Before Oxford, Ana worked at the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice, where she provided assistance in drafting judgements and dissenting opinions on the most relevant cases to be solved by the judiciary. She then spent some time working for a civil society organization that works to improve the capacity of public institutions to prevent and sanction gender-based violence. During this time Ana designed and delivered a training program to build judicial capacity across five states in Mexico in order to strengthen the states’ capacity to respond to gender violence during COVID-19. She also worked with judges to help them identify gender stereotypes, so they are in a better position to redress the effects of discrimination during judicial proceedings. Ana is now a second year DPhil candidate in law. Her project studies the extent to which judges, legislators and executive officials must use the law to regulate the arbitrary use of private power.

 

Andrea Land
  • Oxford Academia at Paris
San Francisco Art Institute, M.F.A. Photography (Graduate Fellowship)
Missouri State University, B.F.A., Photography B.A., French, minor in Art History

During her undergraduate studies at Missouri State University, Andrea studied art history (including Egyptian art) in the South of France at Université Paul Valéry III and following graduation, she taught English to native French students in Paris. While working on her MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI Master of Fine Arts Graduate Fellowship), Andrea completed an intern/externship with Aperture/Aperture West. She was also awarded the Exploratory Travel Grant to conduct art research in Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan, for MSU faculty. For the past seven years, she developed and has led MSU short-term art and culture programs in France and Japan. Last summer, Andrea completed an artist residency program in Iceland, exploring gender and equality in Reykjavik.

Ashley M. Francis
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
Tulane University, M.B.A.
Loyola University New Orleans, B.A., Mass Communication

Since earning her M.B.A. from Tulane, Ashley has devoted her career to higher education as a professor and administrator both locally and abroad. As a business student, she studied in Paris and Santiago, Chile. She later oversaw the development of an M.B.A. program in Puerto Rico and co-led the Jamaica M.B.A. While teaching marketing and management courses, she served as director of Graduate Programs.  She went on to create and manage online graduate programs at Loyola University New Orleans and Tulane University, helping expand access to graduate business education. Ashley previously spent seven years as marketing director for the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. She and her husband Tim have two daughters who are proud Putney alums. Ashley and Tim share a passion for art, live music, sporting events and food, which is why they love living in New Orleans, where she serves on the board of Isidore Newman School and the Audubon Institute.

Audrey Calandra's headshot
Audrey Calandra
  • Oxford Academia at Paris
CU Boulder, M.A, French Literature
UCLA, B.A, French and Francophone Studies

While at UCLA Audrey earned a degree in French and Francophone literature. She then taught in Nantes, France, for a year before receiving a master’s degree in French literature at CU Boulder with a focus on 19th century French literature and Caribbean literature. As a master’s student, she taught university-level classes and organized pilot classes for incoming master’s students. With her degree in hand, she moved to Lyon, France, the capital of gastronomy, where she taught English at the University de Lyon Lumiere for two years. She currently teaches French and Latin at Saint David’s school, a middle school in New York. Audrey has also been tutoring French to a diverse group of learners. This unique combination of experiences has granted her a deep understanding of different teaching styles and a keen insight into the diverse learning needs of her students. Believing wholeheartedly in the power of mistakes, she strives to create a classroom environment where students feel empowered to take risks and learn from their experiences. Her ability to quickly build rapport with her students allows her to tailor her teaching to their individual interests and needs, ensuring an engaging and fulfilling experience.

Charlotte Oertel
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, M.Sc., Digital Scholarship
University of Heidelberg, M.A., Art History

As a trained art historian with a Magister’s degree from the University of Heidelberg, Charlotte has enjoyed a versatile career in research with stations at the Vatican Library and the National Gallery in Washington. Following her experience as primary researcher for a digital art libraries initiative and multiple fellowships—including at the Wikimedia Foundation and in Wolfenbüttel—she joined the inaugural cohort of the new M.Sc. in Digital Scholarship at Oxford University. Her research and passion for travel inform her teaching beyond literature. She has backpacked throughout Africa, Japan, the U.S.A., and Cyprus and enjoys sharing her experiences from within the museum and beyond.

Craig A. Masback
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
Yale Law School, J.D. Princeton
University, B.A., Public & International Affairs

Craig has spent over 40 years working in and around sports as a professional track and field athlete, TV sports commentator who covered five Olympic Games for NBC, founder of an innovative sports marketing/sports media venture, lawyer, CEO of USA Track & Field, and senior executive at Nike. He has taught classes at Yale Law School and Stanford on sports law and sport and society. Craig has a special connection to Oxford, where he studied at Trinity College for two years as a Keasbey Scholar and ran his first sub-four-minute mile on the Iffley Road track, where Sir Roger Bannister ran history’s first sub-four.

David Rytz
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, Ph.D.,
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, B.Sc., M.Sc.

While at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, David focused on mechanical engineering during his undergraduate, where he got involved in construction power tool design. He then continued with a Master in Robotics, Systems and Control. Here he went to Brisbane, Australia for his master thesis to develop software that would allow an ultra lightweight six legged robot – that could reach up to 2m/7 feet in height – to walk. After working as a Research Assistant at the University of Edinburgh for remote controlling robots he started his Ph.D. at the Oxford Robotics Institute. His research work includes controlling a robotic arm mounted on top of a four legged robot and making use of machine learning methods to make these four legged robots walk. David is fluent in German and French.

David Walthall
  • Oxford Academia at Paris
Middlebury College/University of Florence, M.A., Italian Studies
Dartmouth College, B.A., Italian Studies

While at Dartmouth, David was active in the Outing Club, founded an a cappella singing group, and played ultimate frisbee. His love of arts and humanities, sparked through study abroad in Siena, has proven to be a life-changing experience: B.A. and M.A. degrees in Italian studies, professorship at the University of Siena, and regular collaboration with international education programs focusing on Italian art history and culture. He continues to blend his professional life in Italy with hometown visits to Mobile, Alabama. David is particularly interested in understanding the socio-cultural contexts that produce and promote artistic expression, and enjoys exploring creativity in many forms, such as visual arts, music and dance. These align with a deep curiosity in rural and traditional cultures, pilgrimage, and cross-cultural exchange across the Mediterranean. An avid hiker, singer in local Renaissance choirs, swing dancer, foodie, and polyglot, David loves to share his passion for meaningful travel, sustainability, and history with others. He has taught on Putney Pre-College programs since 2018 in both Florence and Siena.

Demetrios Tseas
  • Oxford Academia at Yale
University of Nicosia, M.Sc., Blockchain and Digital Currencies

Demetrios Tseas is a senior cryptocurrency risk analyst working for Ciphertrace, a Mastercard company. Publishes monthly global crypto-related regulatory newsletters and educational blogs. Authors Virtual Asset Risk Assessments (VERAs) which are in-depth assessments, that quantify the financial crime, cybersecurity, regulatory and reputational risks associated with exposure to a particular VASP. VERAs help financial institutions, issuers, acquirers, VASPs and other third parties to make informed risk appetite decisions, as well as document sound risk management decisioning in governance for regulators. VASPs can also leverage this analysis to understand how they are risk rated by the market as well as identify opportunities to strengthen compliance controls. Holds an MSc in digital currencies, has 35+ years of experience: 5 years in crypto, 18 years complementary experience in banking and 13 years in teaching.

Dr. Luka Katic
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
Oxford University, DPhil, Experimental Psychology
University of Vienna, M.Sc., Cognitive Science
University of Novi Sad, M.Sc., Economics

After earning master’s degrees in Economics (in Serbia) and Cognitive Science (in Vienna), Luka came to Oxford where he earned a doctorate in Experimental Psychology. His research focuses on the interplay between passions and reason, and he has taught innovative courses at both the university and secondary school levels—including summer programs in Oxford—since 2014.

Dr. Predrag Bjelogrlic
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Belgrade, M.D.
University of London, M.Sc.

For more than 20 years a member of the senior faculty of the Medical School at St. Andrews University, the oldest Scottish University, Predrag is a distinguished clinician and researcher educated at the University of Belgrade, with advanced medical training at the University of London, the James Paget Hospital in Norfolk, and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. He specializes in the clinical training of medical students at the University of St. Andrews and has taught in summer programs for high school students since 2012. His main interests are in Medical Education and OSCE assessment. He is fluent in Serbian, Croatian and English.

Dr. Princy Sebastian
  • Oxford Academia at Yale
University of North Texas, Ph.D., Educational Psychology
University of North Texas, M.S., Biological Sciences
University of Texas at Arlington, B.S., Microbiology

For the last decade, while also pursuing and earning advanced degrees, Princy has worked in various roles. She has taught composite sciences at the high school level, in both public schools and a college preparatory day and boarding school in Dallas; she has worked on clinical research studies for pharmaceutical companies, pairing physicians with research teams; and while teaching, she also sponsored the tennis and crochet clubs. Additionally, she has taken graduate public health courses in the UNT Health Science Center and graduate business courses at Portland State University. Princy has had the opportunity to travel around the U.S., as well as to the Maldives, Germany, India, and Kuwait. A mother of two, she is a biologist and nature lover at heart. She recently completed her PhD in educational psychology, and has previously taught on academic programs with Putney Student Travel.

Ean Tierney
  • Oxford Academia at Paris
Fordham University, M.A., International Political Economy & Development
EM Strasbourg, D.U., European Management
Canisius College, B.S. International Business, B.A. International Relations & French

After finishing his undergrad in Buffalo, New York, Ean spent two years as a volunteer teacher at Xavier High School in Chuuk, Micronesia. While there, he taught world history, English writing, and health, along with politics-oriented electives for juniors and seniors. After deliberating staying for a third year abroad, Ean ultimately chose to pursue a master’s degree at Fordham University in New York. There, he continued to study development economics and remained interested in society, world cultures, and travel. He was offered a full-time position there as an International Student Advisor and continues to work and reside happily in the Bronx. Ean has led student programs in Oxford, Florence, Madrid, and Morocco.

Emile Bertherat
  • Oxford Academia at Paris
École Normale Supérieure, M.A., Art Theory and History,
La Sorbonne, B.A., Film Studies

After finishing his undergraduate studies in film at La Sorbonne in Paris, Emile worked as an instructor in various high schools in Paris to lead political science workshops for teenagers. While getting his M.A. from the École Normale Supérieure, he also got the chance to study at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Looking for new adventures, he moved to the West Coast to join the Department of Literatures, Cultures and Languages at Stanford University as a lecturer of French and French Cinema. He has since lectured at several institutions to share his passion for French culture, including the New York DOE and cultural venues. Presently, he is an educational advisor for an educational company based in New York. Additionally, he works as an interpreter for French TV shows and film festivals. Emile speaks French (and German to some extent as well).

Emily Roper
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, DPhil, Criminology (candidate)
University of Oxford, M.Sc., Refugee and Forced Migration Studies; B.A., Arabic and Islamic Studies

While an undergraduate at the University of Oxford, Emily spent a year abroad living in Amman, Jordan. She undertook an internship with an international organization supporting Syrian people in Jordanian refugee camps. After graduating, she worked with young refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, coordinating a mentoring program in the East of England. Having completed her master’s degree in Oxford, Emily is now a DPhil candidate in Criminology, working in the field of border criminology. Her research takes her to Turkey, where she looks at issues of border regulation, detention, and deportation. During her first year of the DPhil, Emily also volunteered as a legal assistant with a local law firm working with foreign national women in detention.

Erica Ferraro
  • Oxford Academia at Yale
Temple University, B.B.A., Marketing, M.S., Sport Business

While at Temple University, Erica focused on the areas in which lessons in sport can be applied to our daily lives. She spent the better half of her time in the program researching holistic ways to create intention in one’s life using sport as the driving tool. As part of a sales project for her master’s degree, Erica also earned the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at a Phillies game. She now works as an Office Manager at Playfly Sports, helping to execute multi-figure projects across the company’s real estate nationwide. When she is not working, Erica loves to play softball recreationally. Her team is currently undefeated in their last two seasons.

Fitzroy “Pablo” Wickham
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, Ph.D., Clinical Neuroscience (in progress)
Wesleyan University, B.A., Neuroscience and Theater

While at Wesleyan, Pablo focused on completing a neuroscience and theater double major with a chemistry minor. He was actively involved in student theater and starred in a faculty production of The Laramie Project. During his undergraduate studies, he competed in mock trial for Wesleyan’s A team and became an All-American competitor in 2020. In 2021, Pablo was selected as the student speaker for TEDx Wesleyan where he spoke on the topic “Seeking Solace and Success in Solitude.” Pablo was awarded the Jamaican Rhodes Scholarship in 2021 to continue his studies at the University of Oxford. He is currently completing a PhD in clinical neuroscience, studying the role of the white matter in human decision-making. Pablo continues to be involved in theater and he recently made his triumphant return to the stage playing George Wilson in the Great Gatsby at the Oxford Playhouse, for which he received rave reviews.

Gena Oppenheim
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
Gettysburg College, M.A., American History;NYU Tisch School of the Arts, M.F.A., Musical Theater Writing;
Barnard College, B.A., American Studies

Gena is an educator at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn, where she has taught Theater, Film, and Interdisciplinary Studies for over 10 years. In addition to teaching, she has written and directed more than 10 mainstage productions at Saint Ann’s. Gena is also a senior education fellow for the Hamilton Education Program at the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and hosts their weekly Book Breaks program. She holds a bachelor’s in American Studies from Barnard College, an M.F.A. in Musical Theater Writing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and an MA in American History from Gettysburg College.

Gonzalo García-Campo
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
Oxford University, Ph.D., Criminology (candidate),
London School of Economics and Political Science, Master of Laws,
University of Chile, B.A., Law

During his undergraduate, Gonzalo specialized in Human Rights through his academic activity and volunteering in a shantytown, accompanying victims of police harassment, abuse, and violence. As a lawyer, he worked for three years in the Chilean State in the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality, where he participated in the professional team responsible for decriminalizing pregnancy interruption. Then he did his LLM in LSE, where he got training in Social Sciences and Law and Society. In October 2020, Gonzalo began his Ph.D. at Oxford Centre for Criminology, researching policing, police forces, and democratic theory. He is on the Board of a Primary School. In his spare time, he participates in literary discussion groups, cycles, and plays football (soccer).

Haitong Du
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, D.Phil., International Relations (Candidate); M.Phil., International Relations
Tufts University, B.A., International Relations

Haitong spent half of his life in China and the other half in the United States. While at Tufts, he majored in International Relations, co-led a club organizing annual academic symposiums on U.S.-China relations, and studied in France and the United Kingdom. Haitong is now reading for an M.Phil. in International Relations at Oxford, conducting research on U.S.-China defense engagement during the Cold War and having picnics with his cohort at Port Meadow. Haitong greatly enjoys performing musical theatre, visiting history museums, and cooking. He is fluent in three languages and has traveled to every continent in the world. More than occasionally, Haitong rows with Pembroke College.

Hector Peralta
  • Oxford Academia at Yale
Yale University, Ph.D., American Studies (in progress)
Brown University, B.A. Ethnic Studies; B.A. Education Studies

Hector is a PhD candidate in the American Studies program within Yale’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Broadly, Hector’s research, writing, and teaching is focused on better understanding how ideas of race and ethnicity shape U.S. history; the history and culture of the U.S.-Mexico border region; and racial geographies in southern California. As an interdisciplinary scholar of race and ethnicity, Hector is committed to uplifting grassroots community-led education initiatives aimed at expanding access to, and enhancing the quality of, public schools, historical memory, and civic engagement. In his free time, Hector enjoys playing volleyball, taking dance classes, and taking care of Oiku, his German Shepherd dog. Hector is fluent in Spanish and English, and proficient in French. This fall, Hector will return to the county where he was born to begin a job as a visiting assistant professor at San Diego State University-Imperial Valley.

Isabelle Gadoin
  • Oxford Academia at Paris
University of Sorbonne Nouvelle, Ph.D., English Literature
Paris-Sorbonne University – Paris IV, M.A., Art History
University of Poitiers, Professor of British Art & Literature

Isabelle graduated from the Sorbonne in Paris and defended her Ph.D. on Victorian literature at the University of Sorbonne Nouvelle, before getting her “Habilitation à diriger des recherches” (allowing her to supervise doctoral candidates) from the University of Poitiers, France. While working on British literature, she also went on with further training in art history, and wrote a short thesis on a prominent 19th century English art collector, George Salting. Ever since, she has worked on the British circles of art amateurs and collectors and on the European fascination for the Orient at the end of the 19th century—a subject on which she organized several international conferences, published many articles, co-edited two books, and recently wrote a monograph, published by Routledge. Thus art history has always been at the center of her academic work (and of her life, since her husband is a painter). Born and bred in Paris, although she also lived in London and Madrid and traveled extensively in Europe, she knows and loves the French capital and will be delighted to rediscover it with students. Isabelle is currently Professor of British Art and Literature at the University of Poitiers. She is fluent in English and Spanish, studied the bases of the Persian language and, as her friends once put it in a song, “knows (almost) everything about museums, including those that are closed!” 

Joel Pollatschek
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, D.Phil., Ancient History (candidate)
University of Oxford, M.Phil., Greek and Roman History
University of Heidelberg, B.A., in History and English Studies

In his doctoral research at Oxford, Joel focuses on the ideological underpinnings of ancient Greek slavery. This project is based on his M.Phil. thesis work on social dimensions of the conceptions of the value of slaves in ancient Greece and Rome and his bachelor’s thesis on the role of paternalism narratives in U.S. slavery. Joel was awarded the Archibald Jackson Prize for his M.Phil. and full joint funding by the Clarendon Fund and the Wolfson Foundation for his doctoral work. Alongside his D.Phil., Joel has worked as a close-up and stage magician for over a decade, including performances at the TEDx University of Glasgow 2019 Conference, the Edinburgh Balmoral, and German National Television.

Klarke Stricklen
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, PhD, History
University of Oxford, MSt., Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
University of the South, B.A., American Studies

While at the University of the South, Klarke focused on American Studies with a minor in African American Studies. She spent three years as a research assistant for her university’s project on slavery, race, and reconciliation, conducting archival research and oral history interviews and assisting in dialogue facilitation. Klarke is a current PhD student in the History Faculty at Oxford. She enjoys traveling, film, and learning about wine when she is not studying.

Ling Hang
  • Oxford Academia at Yale
Yale University, Ph.D., Computer Science (in progress)
Wuhan University, M.S., Computer Science and Technology
Wuhan University, B.E., Information Security

While at Wuhan University, Ling focused on the security of computer systems and machine learning. After completing his undergraduate studies, he spent three years exploring the real-world applications of machine learning and AI, traveling to various countries to study how AI technology could help people, while pursuing a master’s degree. Ling is now a Ph.D. student at Yale University, where his research interests include Machine Learning, Trustworthy AI, Biomedical Informatics, Quantitative Marketing, and Privacy. At Yale, he conducts interdisciplinary research in AI and Machine Learning in collaboration with several labs. Ling has published papers in top conferences and journals and holds patents aimed at leveraging computer science for global betterment.

Michal Krenz
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, M.St., D.Phil. (candidate)
TU Berlin, TU Gdansk, M.Sc., English

While at Oxford, Michał  focused on combining his architectural training with that of a writer and wrote his master’s and doctoral theses on the relationship between architecture, film, and literature. During that time, he lived on a river boat; writers need adventures to write about, after all. In his architectural master’s thesis, he focused on the conservation of Hu-Tong areas in Beijing, China, as well as on the relationship between urban structures and systems of government. After university, to develop as a writer, he underwent pilot training while working as ground crew and firefighter at an airfield. This experience provided the material for a collection of short stories, published in 2009 under the title “Entropie”. He then continued writing about space and society for journals and newspapers and worked as a broadcast journalist producing his own weekly cultural TV show.

Michał now works as screenplay consultant and assistant director on feature films and had his acting debut on the silver screen in 2021, playing a doomed intellectual. Some say he only did it to let himself be killed on-screen. Michał is fluent in English, Polish, and German, and gets by reading novels in French and Spanish, occasionally trying to revive his rusty Latin by reading some of the lighter classics. This fall, Michał will be returning to the film set to work on a WW2 spy film to be shot in the Polish mountains, and a family drama to be shot in Croatia.

Mihaela Mitrovic
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Cambridge, PhD in Architecture and Neuroscience (currently)
University of Oxford, M.St., Film Aesthetics
University of Vienna, M.Sc., Cognitive Science
King’s College London, M.Sc., Neuroscience
University of Novi Sad, M.Arch., B.Arch., Architecture

An engineer of architecture and a neuroscientist, Mihaela is an intellectual polymath with both architecture design and project management experience, as well as research experience in brain sciences. With studies spanning multiple disciplines, including cognitive science, neurosciences, aesthetics, AI, and architectural engineering, her current work aims to combine architecture with cognitive and behavioral sciences: all to uncover the complex and fascinating relationship between humans and their (built) environment. Until recently she was the Director of Strategy and Development at the Department of Experimental Psychology at Oxford, at the Foundation for Theoretical Neuroscience and AI. Mihaela is currently a consultant in London, working on her first book. She has been delivering her innovative academic program in architecture, the Oxford School of Architecture (OSA), to students during the summer since 2014.

Millie Lawrence
  • Oxford Academia at Yale
University of Bath, B.S., Psychology

Millie completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Bath (in the UK), where she studied psychology with a particular interest in clinical psychology and cognitive neuroeconomics. As a student, Millie completed an internship year where she helped to develop a new smartphone application that collects decision-making data, which is now being used in multiple psychology and neuroscience studies taking place across both the UK and the U.S. She has also spent a year abroad living in Tokyo, where she was able to travel Japan while improving her Japanese fluency. Since graduating, Millie now works as a research assistant in the Yale Department of Psychology, helping to research mood disorders and how aging can affect our decision-making.

Nicholas Triolo
  • Oxford Academia at Yale
University of Montana, M.S., Environmental Studies, focus in Creative Nonfiction
University of Redlands, B.A., International Relations/Environmental Studies

During his time at the University of Redlands, Nicholas followed a curiosity about the intersection of political science, ecology, and communication. He lived for several months in Barcelona, Spain, to study the European Union’s land use policy and how mass media responds to social and environmental issues. This, along with several earlier intercultural learning experiences in Mexico, Guatemala, and southeast Asia, brought him to work in the intercultural education industry as Account Manager for American Field Service (AFS). During this tenure, he deepened a creative writing practice while studying ecology, psychology, and literature, which led him to pursue a Master of Science in Environmental Writing at the University of Montana, where he taught Writing Composition and was editor-in-chief of Camas Magazine. Upon graduation, Nicholas spent the next seven years working in senior editorial roles at Orion Magazine and Outside. His writing has been featured in Outside Online, Orion, Dark Mountain Project, Juxtaprose, Whitefish Review, Best American Poetry Blog, and others. He currently has a book coming out Spring 2025 with Milkweed Editions about pilgrimage and ecology.

Niels de Vos
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
Oxford University, B.A. Hons., Modern History

While at Oxford, Niels studied Modern History at Keble College and represented both his college and the university in football. During holidays he taught English as a foreign language to both overseas students and business people. After finishing his undergraduate, he began his career in the advertising and sponsorship industry. Niels now has 20 years of director-level experience in the development and delivery of major international sporting events, dating back to when he joined the Organizing Committee of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England. Here he was responsible for negotiating national and international broadcasting contracts, all commercial activity across ticketing, licensing, and merchandising, and for all aspects of marketing and promotion. Following the success of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Niels stayed in Manchester as CEO of Premiership Rugby Union franchise, Sale Sharks. In 2007 Niels was recruited to join UK Athletics and successfully drove performance improvements in time to deliver medal success at London 2012. Following London 2012, Niels led a complete overhaul of the business side of UK Athletics, establishing a profitable in-house event and sponsorship business. During his tenure at UK Athletics Niels also served as Chief Executive of the Organizing Committees for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, IAAF World Indoor Championships, and IAAF World Athletics Championships in London. He was also heavily involved in the oversight of the 2012 London Olympics & Paralympics, as an elected Board member and Audit Chairman of The British Olympic Association (2009-2014) In 2018 Niels left UK Athletics to set up his own specialist consultancy (Fabric Group Ltd) to advise brands, cities, and governments on better investments into sport, community, and charity – the Fabric of Society. In this role he has advised numerous sporting events and governing bodies, most recently Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2022 World Athletics Championships, Oregon USA.

Peter Bergamin
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, D.Phil., Oriental Studies
University of Oxford, M.St., Modern Jewish Studies
SOAS University of London, B.A., Hebrew and Israeli Studies

Peter is Lecturer in Oriental Studies at Mansfield College, University of Oxford, and Research Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. He specializes on the British Mandate for Palestine, with a particular interest in Maximalist-Revisionist Zionism. His first monograph, The Making of the Israeli Far-Right: Abba Ahimeir and Zionist Ideology (I.B. Tauris, 2020), focused on the ideological and political genesis of one of the major leaders of pro-Fascist, Far-Right Zionism, in the 1920s and 30s. He is preparing a manuscript that focuses on the role of Jewish anti-British resistance in Britain’s withdrawal from the Palestine Mandate. His current research looks at Anglo-Jewry in the first half of the 20th century, using the British Zionists Paul and Romana Goodman as a case study.

Qianyu “Cora” Dou
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, M.Sc., Financial Economics
University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business School, B.Sc., Management (Accounting & Finance) with Professional Experience

Qianyu, also known as Cora, is an M.Sc. student in Financial Economics at the University of Oxford. While at University of Oxford, Cora has worked as a healthcare investment analyst at Oxford Alpha fund and was a marketing director at Oxford Sustainable Finance Society. She had a year-long placement at CICC as a healthcare investment banker, conducting biotech and life science IPOs. She also adopted two cats during her time at the investment bank. She is a native speaker in Chinese and proficient in English. Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Cora is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment. This commitment is reflected in her personal and volunteer activities, aiming to elevate women’s roles in business and finance. This is her first year teaching for Oxford Academia.

Rob Miller
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University Southern California, M.F.A., Film
University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., Art History

Rob is a writer, teacher, and Los Angeles native, although travel keeps him away from Hollywood for months at a time. As an undergraduate art history major at UCLA, he was assistant arts editor for the Daily Bruin and worked kitchen prep in his dorm. While pursuing his master’s degree in film at USC, he worked as a phlebotomist, middle school English teacher, and realtor. He is currently shopping a TV pilot (Runway) and a feature-length script (No Kissing). If he hadn’t pursued a writing career, his second choice would have been to be a chef. He is a charter member of Slow Food and once had to move because his library of cookbooks had outgrown his apartment. Rob has taught numerous seminars at Putney’s international Pre-College programs, and at Pre-College at Amherst College, where he also served as director. He has worked with Putney for 22 years.

Russell Mayhew
  • Oxford Academia at Yale
Northwestern University, M.S., Secondary Mathematics Education
Indiana University, B.A., Cognitive Science, minor in Psychology

Russell is the Math Department Chair, a crew coach, and the Music League coordinator at a boarding high school in southern Vermont. Over the summer he will be working on building a brick wood-fired bread and pizza oven on campus for students and faculty to enjoy. Russell loves basketball, making pizza from scratch, listening to records, and he taught himself how to snowboard last winter. He has led summer programs with Putney Student Travel to Alaska, Dominica, Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sage Chasen
  • Oxford Academia at Paris
Lehigh University, B.S., Product & Fashion Design; B.S., Industrial & Systems Engineering

While at Lehigh University, Sage pursued two degrees, merging the worlds of design and engineering. During his undergraduate education, Sage spent time abroad in France, Germany, and Australia, studying subjects ranging from architectural history to car manufacturing to hot glass blowing. Since graduating, Sage has established himself as a dynamic figure in the fashion industry, known for creative prowess and a passion for education. With roles at Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior Couture, Vans, and Ralph Lauren, Sage has honed skills in supply chain management, merchandising, design, and product development. In his current role at Louis Vuitton, Sage launched Pharrell Williams’ debut collection (SS24 M Show) in the Americas market, as well as LV’s collaboration with Tyler, the Creator (Spring Transversal Capsule). Sage is proficient in French. This fall, Sage will be moving to California to start up a fashion-inspired furniture line.

Saul Dorado Nuño
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Universidad de Navarra, Ph.D., Engineering Systems Modeling (candidate)
Universidad de Navarra, M.Sc., Biomedical Engineering
Universidad Pontificia Comillas, B.S., Electromechanical Engineering

While pursuing his bachelor’s degree at Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Saúl focused on mechanical engineering, patents, and medical devices. He volunteered for UNESCO at Jeju-do (South Korea) to help restore historical South Korean heritage, and also designed and patented a telescopic catheter designed for reaching remote areas of the body. While at University of Navarra, doing his master’s, he focused on biomechanics and medical devices, analyzing the viability of a new medical device for large intestine analysis. He went to Dusseldorf, Germany, to search for providers in order to build the final design of this medical device. Saúl has done research on dental biomechanics for eight years and continues doing so, researching on the idoneity of current endodontic procedures and the methods of testing medical procedures, implants and treatments. While doing so, he has designed several medical devices and works to get these ideas to different medical companies. In 2021, he started his Ph.D., focused on the effect of dental treatments on the future age of teeth. Along with his research partners, they have discovered that certain types of treatments performed today are potentially harmful to patients. Saúl now works as a professor and researcher, helping to teach the future generations of engineers and discovering causes of dental failure. Saúl is fluent in Spanish and English and is proficient in French; he also speaks basic Japanese. This fall, Saúl will be studying the effect of how your bite affects the life of your teeth and will finish his Ph.D. He has twice taught on student programs with Putney.

Vanessa Lincoln
  • Oxford Academia at Paris
University of California, Berkeley, M.A., PhD, Modern European History
University of Chicago, B.A., Modern European History, minor in French

Vanessa is a Paris-based educator, administrator, and researcher. Vanessa first studied abroad in France while in college at the University of Chicago and discovered the country’s rich history and cultural heritage. She then went on to earn a master’s and PhD in Modern European History at the University of California, Berkeley. She is passionate about cultural heritage, international relations, and education. Her research has concerned France’s first historical museum and the emergence of the notion of “patrimoine,” the French contribution to the 19th-century international peace movement in Europe and the beginnings of international civil society. More recently, she has been focused on the process of restitution after the First World War from Germany to France. She has also conducted research for the UNESCO Associated Schools Network regarding the network’s impact and the teaching of indigenous languages. She taught for over 10 years in universities, including the American University of Paris and Sciences Po, and has also worked at the UNESCO World Heritage Center and in museum education. She is currently Head of Department and History-Geography Professor for a Cambridge program in a French high school. She speaks fluent French and basic German. This is her third summer with Paris Academia.

Victoria Taylor
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, PhD, Criminology (candidate)
University of Oxford, M.Sc., Refugee and Forced Migration Studies
University of Cambridge, B.A., Geography

While at Cambridge, Vicky specialized in human geography and worked with refugees and asylum seekers in London and Calais. She went on to complete a Master of Science in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies at Oxford, furthering her interest in justice in the asylum system. After graduating, Vicky spent two years in the UK Government (Civil Service) in asylum and refugee policy and research, while also doing pro-bono research for the legal charity Just for Kids Law. In October 2021, Vicky started a PhD at Oxford, studying the criminalization of asylum seekers in the UK. She is Director of Screen Share UK, an organization that supports, informs and advocates against the digital exclusion of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. Alongside her PhD, she runs events for the research group Border Criminologies, and is a participant in the Bonavero Institute’s Legal Aid Clinic, which involves paralegal work with a solicitor’s firm with clients at the prison HMP Huntercombe. In her spare time, Vicky learns intermediate Arabic and enjoys open water swimming.

Will Jefferson
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Oxford, D.Phil., Philosophy
University of Oxford, B.Phil., Philosophy
University of Oxford, B.A., Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Whilst writing his Ph.D. (D.Phil.) on the philosophy of empathy at the University of Oxford, Will trained in an approach to conflict mediation called Nonviolent Communication. After completing his Ph.D., he spent two years helping to manage a think-tank researching how philanthropists can do good most effectively. Besides his research work, Will has spent a total of four months walking on the Camino De Santiago Pilgrimage Trail in Spain. He has also directed an improvised comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and enjoys writing Shakespearean Sonnets. Will now works as a mindfulness facilitator and coach, helping people to explore philosophy through their moment to moment life experience.

Wyatt Radzin
  • Oxford Academia at Oxford
University of Southern California, PhD, Philosophy (in progress)
University of Oxford, B.A., Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (First Class)

Wyatt is a PhD student in Philosophy at the University of Southern California. Before that, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the University of Oxford, where her studies clustered around political philosophy, ethics, and the history of philosophy. She was the 2024 winner of the Oxford Uehiro Prize in Practical Ethics (run by Oxford’s Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics) and a 2023 finalist for the inaugural Bernard Williams Prize in AI Ethics (run by Oxford’s Institute for Ethics in AI). She is proficient in Spanish and, lately, has been working on her Russian, French, and German. This is her third summer with Oxford Academia.

Ziad Majed
  • Oxford Academia at Paris
Sciences Po Paris, Ph.D., M.A., Political Science
American University of Beirut, M.A., Arabic Literature
American University of Beirut, B.A., Economics

Ziad Majed is the Elliott E. Burdette Professor at the American University of Paris. He teaches History, Politics and International Relations and writes on French, Lebanese, Syrian, and Arab affairs as well as on Middle Eastern political transitions and crises. After graduating in Economics from the American University of Beirut (Lebanon), he obtained a Master’s degree in Arabic Literature, then a DEA and a Ph.D. in Political science from Sciences Po Paris (France). Majed has been involved since 1994 in research work and reform campaigns related to political processes, Legal and civil society causes and women’s rights in Lebanon and other Arab countries. For the last 20 years, he has been regularly publishing articles and papers in Arabic (in Now Lebanon, Al-Quds al-Arabi, Al-Hayat, Aljazeera Center, the Journal of Palestine Studies, Daraj and Megaphone) and in French (in Orient Littéraire, Mediapart, Le Monde, Express, Libération, and AOC). He is a board member in Lebanese and French cultural institutes, a consultant for many international organizations, and a lecturer in festivals and annual conferences. His books include “Syrie, la révolution orpheline”, published in Arabic, French and – in an updated version – in German, “Dans la tête de Bachar Al-Assad” (with Subhi Hadidi and Farouk Mardam-Bey) in French, and “Iran and its four Arab fronts.”

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