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Meet the Staff
Lisa Swaim
Director
Lisa began her intercultural journey by visiting her friends’ homes in her multicultural neighborhood in Northern California, traveling as far and wide as she could with her earnings from her part-time jobs, and living with some amazing college roommates. Although she had studied Spanish, French, and Russian, it wasn’t until her Russian professor encouraged her to study abroad that Lisa had a longer immersive experience. She studied in Russia with UCEAP and then joined the Peace Corps to teach in Ukraine after graduation. Lisa majored in Russian Studies at UCLA and taught English in Ukraine, California, and Massachusetts. As she pursued her master’s degree in Intercultural Relations and assisted with orientation programs, she discovered what she really loves best are cross-cultural conversations and helping students with intercultural adjustment and understanding. She has worked as an international student and/or study abroad advisor in universities big and small, including Middlebury College, Georgetown University, The Ohio State University, and Kenyon College before returning to her home state to join Global Programming at UC Santa Cruz. In Lisa’s free time, she enjoys long walks with her dog, taking her children on adventures, attending concerts, eating good food in good company, and working on her dissertation in International Higher Education.
Andy Ng
Andy (he/him) sees himself as a full-fledged California boy, carrying Bay Area slang wherever he travels around the world. He majored in Sociology and Asian American Studies (sparked by activism and his upbringing as Cantonese-American) at UCLA before moving to Sendai, Japan to teach English through the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET). Following this stint, he returned to LA to pursue his master’s degree in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs at USC. Andy then spent a number of years at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he served as a Resident Director, before making his way into the field of international education now at UCSC. In his free time, Andy enjoys cooking plant-based meals, traveling to see family and friends, and becoming the best Pokemon Go trainer he can be.