Staff Profiles

Catharine Wilson

Catharine Wilson is Director of Teaching and Learning Programs of the Teacher and Secondary School Programs division. She works on a number of programs administered by American Councils including the Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP), Teachers to Teachers Program (LTMS) and the American Serbia & Montenegro Youth Leadership Exchange (A-SMYLE) program. She has been with American Councils for over 20 years. She spent 9 years in Moscow as the NIS Manager for Secondary School Programs and continues to work with the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX). Prior to that Catharine worked as resident director at the Institute of Steel and Alloys for American Councils outbound programs. Catharine holds an M.A. in Russian linguistics and literature from the Ohio State University.

Zara Hovhannisyan

Zara Hovhannisyan is a Senior Program Manager for the Educational Seminars and Teachers of Critical languages programs. She joined American Councils for International Education in October 2009. Prior to that Zara worked as Senior Program Officer for teacher training programs at International Research & Exchanges Board. She has also taught English as a Second Language in a secondary school in Armenia. Zara holds an MA in Applied Linguistics from the H. Acharian Language Institute in Yerevan, Armenia and she is fluent in Russian and Armenian.

Eliza Doton

Eliza Doton is a Senior Program Officer for Teacher Programs. She has worked on several programs at American Councils, including the Intensive Summer Language Institutes (ISLI) and the Teachers to Teachers Program (LTMS). Prior to joining American Councils in April 2008, she worked for the Foundation for Community Betterment and the Curley Company, planning fundraisers and public relations. Eliza holds a B.S. in Psychology from St. Lawrence University, has studied in Austria and Senegal, and is currently learning Arabic.

Daniel Cassiday

Daniel Cassiday is a Program Officer for Teacher Programs. Prior to joining American Councils in July 2010, he co-founded and directed the New Horizon English Training Center in Guangdong, China. From 2007 to 2009 he taught university-level English and American Culture with the U.S. Peace Corps at Guiyang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Guizhou, China. Daniel holds a B.A. in English from the College of William and Mary.

Stephanie Heard

Stephanie Heard is a Program Assistant for Teacher Programs. Prior to joining American Councils in September 2009, she taught English to elementary school students in Shandong, China and in Lugano, Switzerland. Within the U.S., she co-taught reading and math to 3rd grade students in Baltimore City through a summer learning program. Stephanie holds a B.A. in Psychology and Art History from Queen’s University in Ontario.