Our Staff
Andie Beer
Associate Director
ambeer@cougarnet.uh.edu
(713) 743-4706
Andie serves as the Associate Director of the Learning Abroad Office. In addition to overseeing the office's strategic goals and planning, she also oversees our faculty-led programs and our university and provider partnerships.
Andie joined the team in July of 2022. She has an M.Ed. in Student Development and Leadership, where she focused her studies on education abroad curriculum and development. Andie’s Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, as well as her study abroad to Greece and London, sparked her love for international education and cultural studies. She is currently working on her PhD at UH in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies with a focus on International Education. When not working or in school, she enjoys traveling, hiking, watching Dallas Stars hockey, and playing with her three dogs, Indy, Sam and Moody.
Adrian Carruthers
Learning Abroad Senior Advisor
acarruth@central.uh.edu
(713) 743-7271
Adrian advises for Incoming and Outgoing Reciprocal Exchange programs (REEPs).
Adrian Carruthers joined the Learning Abroad team in July 2021. Adrian has a Master of Science in Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with minors in Spanish and Business Administration from Baylor University. As an undergraduate student they spent a semester abroad in Seville, Spain at Universidad Pablo de Olavide. They are fluent in Spanish and prior to joining Learning Abroad they spent two years living and working in international education in Puerto Rico. In addition, they have also travelled in Western Europe, the Caribbean, Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada, and Morocco. In their free time, Adrian enjoys baking, reading, and planning their next local or global adventure!
Carlos Romero
Learning Abroad Advisor
cromero9@central.uh.edu
713-743-9167
Carlos advises students from the following colleges: Liberal Arts & Social Sciences (CLASS), Arts, Education, and Public Affairs.
Carlos joined the Learning Abroad team in June 2023. Carlos has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication with a minor in History from Texas A&M University where he also began his career as an Academic Advisor. As a student, his first study abroad experience consisted of a week-long field trip to Costa Rica as well as a full semester in Italy, which gave him the opportunity to travel across western Europe. As a staff member at Texas A&M, Carlos had the opportunity to lead learning abroad programs to Portugal and Panama. Carlos is also fluent in Spanish and he is from the south Texas border town of Zapata, Texas. When Carlos is not at work, he enjoys watching and playing all types of sports, his favorites being soccer, American football, and baseball, traveling and gaming on his PS5.
Lauren Fedele Bobbitt
Learning Abroad Advisor
lfedele@central.uh.edu
713-743-9232
Lauren advises students from the following colleges: Architecture, Business, Engineering, Global Hospitality & Leadership, Natural Sciences & Mathematics, Nursing, Medicine, Law, and Social Work.
Lauren joined the Learning Abroad team in November 2023. Lauren has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and Urban Studies with a minor in Spanish from the University of Texas in Austin. As an undergraduate student, Lauren studied abroad in Santander, Spain for a summer. Since then, Lauren has worked at Texas Southern University as an Admissions Coordinator and for a study abroad provider called WorldStrides. She has led learning abroad programs to Costa Rica, Peru, and Ecuador. In her free time she enjoys traveling, gardening, hiking, and playing with her two dogs, Sunny and Georgie.
Ciara Plummer
Administrative Assistant
csplumme@central.uh.edu
Ciara joined the Learning Abroad team in March 2023. Ciara has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Multi-platform Journalism. Although Ciara was unable to study abroad during her undergraduate experience, she has had opportunities to travel recreationally to many places within the United States, as well as internationally to Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Mexico. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with family and friends, going to the movies (especially anything Disney, Marvel or DCU related), dancing, trying new and interesting foods, and cuddling with her dogs, Tipper and Chloe.
Lexi Denbow
Graduate Assistant
avdenbow@CougarNet.uh.edu
Lexi joined the Learning Abroad Team in September of 2022. She is pursuing a double master's degree in Social Work and Public Policy. After graduation, she hopes to work with human rights groups fighting to change policy here in Texas. Lexi has a Bachelor of Social Work degree, with minors in Sociology, Honors, and Missions. As an undergraduate student, she studied abroad in Ávila, Spain for a semester. While in Spain, she was able to visit 7 other countries outside of Spain, with Austria being her favorite. Studying abroad opened her eyes to just how big the world is, and just how much this experience can change your world view. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family and friends, and walking her dog, Xephyra and Koda.
Sahnobiah Swaso
Graduate Assistant
sswaso@CougarNet.uh.edu
Sahnobiah joined the Learning Abroad team in August 2023. She is pursing her master's degree in Social Work at UH. Originally from Arizona, she has a bachelor's degree in Applied Humanities from the University of Arizona. Although Sahnobiah was unable to study abroad during her undergraduate experience, she has traveled throughout the United States and to Belize where her family is from. She hopes to visit France in the near future! In her free time, Sahnobiah enjoys practicing her French, studying the Bible, and talking through movies with friends and family.
Kimberly Nguyen
Passport Facility Manager
knguy273@Central.uh.edu
Kimberly joined the Learning Abroad team in August 2023. Kimberly has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Human Resources and Management from the University of New Mexico. She has had the opportunity to travel to Canada, Mexico, and around the Caribbean. Next on her bucket list is to travel somewhere in Europe. Kimberley is fluent in both English and Vietnamese. In her free time, Kimberly likes to cook, garden, walk her dog Apollo, spend time with her family and friends, and watch Disney movies with her kids.