Office of International Affairs

The Office of International Affairs (OIA) supports the international activities of all schools, departments, offices, centers, and organizations at Yale; promotes Yale and its faculty to international audiences; and works to increase the visibility of Yale’s international activities around the globe. Staff in the Office of International Affairs have expertise and contacts in different world regions to assist faculty’s, staff’s, and students’ international efforts whenever possible.

OIA focuses on efforts that carry out Yale University’s goals and strategies for internationalization as described in “The International Framework: Yale’s Agenda for 2009 to 2012.”

Staff Directory

Donald Filer, Executive Director

Prior to his appointment at Yale in 2000, Don served in a number of capacities at Connecticut College from 1991 to 2000 including Vice President for Community and Public Affairs, Secretary of the College, and Acting Vice President for Development. He worked for former U.S. Representative Bruce A. Morrison of New Haven from 1985 to 1991.

 
João C. Aleixo, Associate Director for Latin America

Prior to his appointment at Yale, João was vice president of the Latin America Region for a commercial finance company, which specializes in providing financing to small and medium sized companies in emerging markets around the world. He has traveled through Latin America extensively. He was born in Mozambique and lived in Portugal prior to moving to the United States. He holds a master’s degree in international studies.

Azur Begovic, Technology Coordinator for the Maurice R. Greenberg Conference Center

Azur is responsible for providing audio-visual support for all programs within the Center. Before joining the Greenberg Conference Center, he was a freelance audio-visual technician for the Yale Broadcast and Media Center. He received his bachelor’s degree in Digital Filmmaking and Video Production at The New England Institute of Art in Boston, Massachusetts.

Leslie Bull, Woodbridge Fellow

While a student at Yale, Leslie served as co-Center Head of the Roosevelt Institute Center on International Development and studied in Beijing, China on the Richard U. Light Fellowship. She later held internships with the U.S. Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Niamey, Niger and with NDN and the New Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. Leslie graduated from Yale College in 2013 with a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Political Science, focusing on international relations and international development.

Daniela Castillo, Assistant Director for International Initiatives

Daniela is responsible for supporting the development and delivery of leadership education programs. Prior to joining Yale, she was the marketing communications coordinator for one of the largest law firms in Hartford, Connecticut. Daniela holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing communications and advertising and a master’s degree in business administration. She grew up in Ecuador and speaks fluent Spanish.

Kathy Edersheim, Director for International Alumni Relations for OIA and the AYA

Prior to joining Yale, Kathy was volunteering on behalf of Yale as the Chairperson of the Yale Global Alumni Leadership Exchange that shares best practices in alumni relations with universities around the world and as a Program Organizer and Board Member for the Yale Alumni Service Corps. She is from New York and was the first female President of the Yale Club of New York City. In addition to her BA from Yale, she has an MBA in Finance from the Stern School of Business at NYU.

Tracy Edwards, Senior Administrative Assistant

Tracy has worked for the University for more than 18 years in the Office of Public Affairs & Communications, the Yale School of Medicine, and the University Health Services Center. Before coming to Yale, she worked as an outreach and recruitment specialist for the City of Ansonia’s Valley Job Training Program and as an advocate of the Youth Employability Services.

George Joseph, Director for International Relations and Leadership Programs

George served in the Office of International Education and Fellowships Programs in Yale College and on the South Asian Studies Council in the Yale Center for International and Area Studies before joining OIA in October 2004. Prior to these positions involving the University’s international initiatives, George was a doctoral student at Yale. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Washington University in Saint Louis and graduate degrees from Yale.

Agnes Leary, Senior Administrative Assistant, Maurice R. Greenberg Conference Center

Aggie is responsible for assisting with the support of Leadership Education Programs, scheduling, and finance for the Greenberg Conference Center.  Before coming to Yale 9 years ago, Agnes was employed by Connecticut Light & Power in Madison, CT.

Sheila Pastor, Associate Director for Leadership Programs

Sheila has responsibility for the delivery of leadership programs for the Office of International Affairs and for the operation of the Maurice R. Greenberg Conference Center. Prior to coming to the Office of International Affairs, she served as Director of the Mead Visitor Center at Yale University for eight years. Before she joined Yale, she was the Executive Director of the Leadership Center of Greater New Haven.

Leslie Powell, Associate Director for Leadership Programs and Europe

Leslie oversees the development of senior-level leadership programs and supports Yale’s initiatives and facilitates Yale’s relationships with European senior officials in government, business and higher education. Prior to joining OIA, Leslie directed outreach, media relations, and alumni affairs for the Yale World Fellows Program. Earlier in her career, she was a senior political risk analyst for Eurasia Group, a global advisory and consulting firm, and a contractor for NASA, serving as a liaison to the Russian Space Agency and other former Soviet agencies. Leslie has a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University and an A.B. from Harvard in Russian and Soviet studies.

Shana N. Schneider, Director of Communications

Shana is responsible for publicizing the international achievements of Yale faculty, departments, and schools through traditional and social media. Before assuming this position, she was Chief Marketing Officer of Just the Right Book, an online startup company.  Earlier in her career, she was Deputy Director of the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute and Director of Economic Development for the Yale Office of New Haven and State Affairs. Shana has also worked in the media industry as a producer for Agape Productions and at TV Guide, where she worked on shows that aired on FOX, VH1, and Food Network. She received her B.A. from Yale University.

Erin Schutte, Woodbridge Fellow

While a student at Yale, Erin represented the island nation of Seychelles at United Nations negotiations on sustainable development and climate change and later held an internship at the U.S. Department of State. In addition to her responsibilities at OIA, Erin is the North American regional editor for an international affairs blog. She graduated from Yale University in 2012 with a B.A. in political science.

Amy Shah, Communications Officer

Amy is responsible for marketing and recruiting for both the Yale Publishing Course and the Yale Young Global Scholars Program. Prior to her current position, she worked as a communications consultant on the Yale India Initiative. Earlier in her career, she was a project coordinator for Certificates of Origin at the International Chamber of Commerce, World Chambers Federation in Paris, France. She received her Masters of Global Communications from the American University of Paris and, during this time, she had the opportunity to study and volunteer with an NGO in India.

 
Fawn Wang, Director for East Asia

Fawn supports Yale’s East Asian initiatives and facilitates Yale’s relationships with senior officials in government, business and higher education in the region. Prior to her appointment in the Office of International Affairs, Fawn was a senior program officer at the Yale-China Association, where she developed and managed public, fellowship and health programs. She holds Master’s degrees in English and in Library and Information Science.

Yusong Huang, China Program Associate

Yusong works with OIA’s Director for East Asia as well as with Yale faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends on programs and activities related to China and assists in the preparation of materials for China Leadership Programs. He holds B.A.s in Economics, History, and Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and subsequently completed an M.A. in American Studies at Yale where he focused on Post-WWII U.S. intellectual history. 

Tina Christenfeld Weiner, Director of the Yale Publishing Course

Previously, Tina was the Associate Director and Publishing Director of the Yale University Press and has been a frequent speaker, workshop leader, and consultant within the publishing community both in the United States and abroad. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Smith College and spent a year studying at the University of Florence.

Elizabeth Wilkinson, Assistant Director for International Initiatives

Elizabeth has responsibility for supporting the University’s strategy, visibility and engagement in Asia with special focus on Japan, Korea and Singapore. Before her appointment at Yale, she was a senior consultant at a global recruitment firm where she specialized in Pacific Rim and life sciences recruitment. Prior to that Elizabeth was President and Chief Operating Officer of the US offices of a Japanese translation and software localization company. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Duke University and spent her junior year and a post-graduate year studying in Japan.