John C. Bersia
Special Assistant to the President for Global Perspectives and Director

John C. Bersia, a Pulitzer Prize winner in 2000, is a global educator and journalist. He serves as Special Assistant to the President for Global Perspectives, as Director of the Global Perspectives Office and as a University Professor at the University of Central Florida. He also writes a weekly foreign-affairs column that is internationally distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. Bersia previously served as a Foreign-Affairs Columnist and Editorial Board Member for the Orlando Sentinel. During that time, he won the first Pulitzer Prize of the 21st century for the Sentinel, as well as for its parent organization, the Tribune Co. Additionally, he is the recipient of the Walker Stone Award of the Scripps Howard Foundation, the first-place “Green Eyeshade” editorials award of the Society of Professional Journalists, the annual Media Award for Editorial Excellence of The National Association of Consumer Advocates and other national awards. Earlier, Bersia worked in the global political-risk analysis and publishing businesses, as well as for the federal government. He is the author of World War 4: Confronting Terrorism (2003), serves as Editor of the Worldviews for the 21st Century monograph series, and has written thousands of commentaries on global issues. He hosts the “Global Perspectives Show” on the UCF Channel, co-chairs the UCF Middle Eastern Studies Program's advisory board and co-directs The India Program at UCF.
Further, he is the Chair (a voluntary position) of the Global Connections Foundation, a non-profit, non-ideological, non-political, regional, educational network that promotes international awareness and understanding. Bersia holds an M.Sc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics; an M.S.P.I.A. in Public Information Administration from The American University; an M.A. in Government (Foreign Policy) from Georgetown University; and a B.A. in Political Science (International Relations) and French from UCF.

Dr. Stephen Sloan
Lawrence J. Chastang Distinguished Professor of Terrorism Studies

Stephen Sloan is the Lawrence J. Chastang Distinguished Professor of Terrorism Studies and also serves as a University Professor and  a Fellow in the Global Perspectives Office.  He is the author or co-author of numerous books, including Terrorism: The Current Threat in Context (2006), Terrorism: Assassins to Zealots (2002), the Historical Dictionary of Terrorism (1994), Corporate Aviation Security (1993), and Beating International Terrorism (1992). Until 2004, he served as Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Presidential Professor of Political Science at the University of Oklahoma, where he taught the first U.S. university course on terrorism. He also has held positions at Booz, Allen Hamilton and the Center for Aerospace Doctrine Research. Sloan regularly conducts terrorism seminars and simulations for government officials, military audiences, law enforcement personnel and other groups in the United States and other countries. Sloan completed a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Comparative Politics at New York University in New York City. He obtained a B.A. from Washington Square College of New York University. In addition to his work in terrorism/counter-terrorism studies for the Global Perspectives Office, where he serves on the Internationalization Advisory Board, Sloan teaches courses on terrorism, the changing nature of war and intelligence. He is sponsored by the Global Connections Foundation.

Ambassador Harriet Elam-Thomas
Diplomacy Program Director

Ambassador Harriet Elam-Thomas is shaping a new global initiative at UCF, the Diplomacy Program, which will feature education and training for both students and professionals. From 2003-2005, she served as Diplomat in Residence at UCF under the auspices of a national U.S. Department of State program. In that capacity, she was the U.S. Department of State’s official liaison in Central Florida, conducting workshops, providing information on careers, connecting students to internship and scholarship opportunities, and speaking on policy matters. Until the fall of 2005, she was a Senior Foreign Service Officer with the rank of Career Minister. Previously she served as U.S. Ambassador to Senegal on from 1999-2003; Chief of Mission to Guinea-Bissau; Acting Director of USIA; Cultural Attaché, American Embassy, Athens; Country Affairs Officer for Greece, Turkey and Cyprus; Director of the American Press and Cultural Center, American Consulate, Istanbul, Turkey; and in other positions at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the President's Appointments Office at the White House and the Foreign Service Personnel Office. Amb. Elam-Thomas' additional posts abroad were in France, Mali and the Ivory Coast. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the U.S. Government's Superior Honor Award, the Lois Roth Award for Excellence in Informational and Cultural Diplomacy, and a Group Superior and Meritorious Honor Award for her work in connection with the first Persian Gulf War. She holds a B.S. in International Business from Simmons College, and an M.A. in Public Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She speaks Turkish, Greek and French. Ambassador Elam-Thomas is partly sponsored by the Global Connections Foundation.

Mark Allen Freeman
Public Affairs Coordinator

Mark Freeman joined the Global Perspectives Office as Public Affairs Coordinator in 2006. He is responsible for the coordination and promotion of events, ranging from distinguished speakers to panels to symposia to conferences. He also plays a key role in developing and expanding partnerships at the regional, state, national and international levels. Freeman is the Marketing Editor for the Worldviews for the 21st Century monograph series. Prior to joining Global Perspectives, he was a Global Fellow in the Global Perspectives Office under the auspices of the Lawrence J. Chastang Global Fellows Program at UCF. He also was a graduate teaching assistant in the University of Central Florida’s Political Science Department. In that capacity, he also served as an assistant to the Director of the Lou Frey Institute for Politics and Government, where he helped to organize and publicize a series of symposia dealing with issues of critical importance to the United States. Freeman holds an M.A. in political science with an emphasis on Environmental Politics and Policy from UCF and a B.A. in political science, with a focus on international relations, also from UCF. He also earned a minor in cultural anthropology. He has traveled to several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Panama and Mexico.

Gabriela Othón
Program and Research Coordinator

Gabriela Othón is the Program and Research Coordinator for the Global Perspectives Office, the Diplomacy Program, the Terrorism Studies Program and other affiliated offices. She is responsible for helping to manage globally oriented projects, programs and research, and serves as the business and research liaison to key partners, such as the Global Connections Foundation, the Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Foundation for Democracy and Development) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and the U.S. Department of State. She is also the Business and Research Editor for the Worldviews for the 21st Century monograph series. Othón is responsible for managing budgets, and serving as manager for support staff. She also conducts research on topics of international, national and metropolitan significance; participating in externally funded research projects; exploring grant opportunities; and facilitating public events. She has played in key role in key research projects at UCF on terrorism trends and the marketing of high technology projects from the United States to India. Previously, she was a Research Specialist for the Global Perspectives Office, a Global Connections Scholar and a Global Fellow. Prior to those positions, she worked as manager in the retail sector for several years. Othón is a graduate of UCF, with a B.A. in Political Science, International Relations Track, and is a recipient of the Bledsoe-Young Award. She is a native of Panama, speaks Spanish, and has traveled extensively in the Americas and visited Europe.

Jessica Gagnon
Project Specialist

Jessica Gagnon is the Project Specialist for the Global Perspectives Office, the Diplomacy Program, the Terrorism Studies Program and other affiliated organizations, including the Global Connections Foundation. She is responsible for assisting with globally oriented projects and programs, conducting research and serving as a liaison to key partners, notably the Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations. Previously, she was a Program and Research Assistant for the same group of partners. She graduated from UCF with a University Honors degree in International Relations and Comparative Politics and a minor in Marketing. Gagnon is currently pursuing an M.A. in International Studies at UCF, and is a Graduate Assistant in the UCF Political Science Department. She was a Provost’s Fellow in 2007-2008. Gagnon’s research interests include East Asia and American national security. Fluent in French and a student of Mandarin, she has traveled extensively in North America and has visited China. She is sponsored by the Global Connections Foundation.

Andrea Perez
Program Assistant

Andrea Perez is a Program Assistant for the Global Perspectives Office, the Diplomacy Program, the Terrorism Studies Program and other affiliated organizations, including the Global Connections Foundation. She is responsible for providing support to globally oriented projects and programs, contributing to research efforts and serving as an initial point of contact for the office. Previously, she was an intern for the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission in the Business Intelligence Department, as well as for the Global Perspectives Office. She is currently working on a B.A. degree at Rollins College, with an emphasis on Economics and International Affairs. She has traveled in the Americas, lived in South Africa for four years and speaks Spanish. She is sponsored by the Global Connections Foundation.

Joshua Smith
Researcher and Analyst

Joshua Smith is a Researcher and Analyst for the Global Perspectives Office, sponsored by the Global Connections Foundation. He works primarily with Dr. Stephen Sloan on terrorism and national security issues, but also conducts research on other international topics and assists with the production of the Worldviews for the 21st Century Monograph Series. A graduate of UCF in Information Technology and Liberal Studies, he focused on computer science, economics and international relations. He was born in Illinois and has traveled to Mexico.

Abeer Abdalla
Global Connections Advanced Scholar on Terrorism

Abeer Beshir Abdalla is a Global Connections Advanced Scholar for the Global Perspectives Office, the Diplomacy Program, the Terrorism Studies Program and affiliated organizations, including the Global Connections Foundation. Abdalla’s studies focus on the interconnected relationship between multimedia, terrorism and the radicalization of Islam. She is a graduate of UCF, with a B.A. in Radio and Television and a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. She has earned a M.A. in Mass Communications, also at UCF. While at UCF, Abdalla served as the Political and Media Columnist for the Central Florida Future, and ran WGKN Radio Station. She is a native of Washington D.C., speaks Arabic, and is also studying Mandarin Chinese and French. She is sponsored by the Global Connections Foundation.

Ambassador Ulric Haynes, Jr.
Distinguished Visiting Scholar

Ambassador Ulric Haynes, Jr., was the U.S. ambassador to Algeria from 1977 to 1981, culminating his tour of duty as one of the negotiators for the release of the American Embassy hostages in Iran. He served as a Partner of SpencerStuart and Associates, as President of Management Formation, Inc., and in various capacities with the Cummins Engine Company. He also was Dean of the School of Business and Executive Dean of University International Relations at Hofstra University. He has taught at the University of Central Florida and Rollins College. Amb. Haynes is working on various projects, including a book on American foreign policy.

Johanna Marizan-Ho
Fellow

Johanna Marizan-Ho is a Fellow of the Global Perspectives Office and the Global Connections Foundation. She assists with projects in both organizations. Until 2007, she was a Project Specialist in the Global Perspectives Office, responsible for activities and programs worldwide and for serving as the business liaison to key partners. Previously, she worked as a program assistant in the Global Perspectives Office and spent several years as a retail manager. Marizan-Ho holds a bachelor’s degree in B.A. in Political Science (American Policy track) and a minor in Legal Studies from UCF. She has traveled extensively in the Caribbean and Europe, and speaks Spanish.

Joshua Hill
Fellow

Josh Hill is a Fellow of the Global Perspectives Office and the Global Connections Foundation. He assists with projects in both organizations, with particular reference to those dealing with political violence, terrorism/counter-terrorism, national security and international security. Previously he was a Researcher and Analyst for the Global Perspectives Office, working primarily with Terrorism Studies Program Director Dr. Stephen Sloan on terrorism and national security issues, but also conducting research on other international topics. A graduate of the UCF, he received a B.A. in International Relations. Currently Hill is pursuing graduate studies in criminal justice/terrorism at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. He has traveled extensively in Thailand, Mexico and Italy, and speaks American Sign Language.

Michelle Harrington
Fellow

Michelle Harrington is a Fellow of the Global Perspectives Office and the Global Connections Foundation. She assists with projects in both organizations. Until 2005, she was a Project Specialist in the Global Perspectives Office, responsible for programs related to Latin America and Asia, and for serving as the business liaison to key partners. Harrington also was the Business Editor for the Worldviews for the 21st Century monograph series. Prior to that, she worked with a world affairs council, an international trade firm and the state attorney general's office in Washington state. Harrington holds a master's degree in Public Administration from UCF, and a B.A. in international studies and Spanish from the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. She has studied abroad in Spain, has traveled in Ecuador and throughout Europe, and speaks Spanish.

Christopher Estoch
Intern

Christopher Estoch is an intern at the Global Perspectives Office. He is in his third year at the University of Central Florida and is currently majoring in Political Science with an emphasis on International Relations. Estoch was recently awarded a Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship with the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. His research interests include strategic weapons, human rights and genocide. He has traveled extensively throughout North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Misuk Kim
Intern

Misuk Kim is an intern at the Global Perspectives Office. She is currently a senior at Rollins College and pursuing a B.A. in International Affairs with an emphasis on International Relations. She has been studying English and Korean Language and Literature at Dan-kook University in Seoul, South Korea. Kim has also served on the Academic Honor Council at Rollins College Hamilton Holt School. She is a Korean teacher at Orlando Korean School, which is supported by the Korean Embassy. Her research interests include nuclear weapon issues of North Korea and relations between North Korea, South Korea, and the United States. She plans to pursue graduate degrees in International Relations, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region and comparative politics.  She speaks English and Korean.
 

Xiaolin Lu
Intern

Xiaolin Lu is an intern at the Global Perspectives Office. A graduate with honors from Rollins College , he earned a B.A. in International Affairs with a minor in Business Administration. He is also a member of Tau Sigma, the Academic Honor Society and a recipient of Outstanding College Students Award of The National Dean’s List. He was awarded a full scholarship by the Crummer Business School at Rollins to pursue an MBA degree with concentrations on International Business and Finance. He came to United States through The Walt Disney World International Program, participating at Epcot as a Cultural Representative from China. Lu is fluent in English and Mandarin, and speaks some Cantonese. Lu also served as a journalist and consultant at Good Life Media and a researcher at the China Center at Rollins College. His areas of research include business development and economy in China, as well as politics in Asia.

Michael Marcous
Intern

Michael Marcous is an intern at the Global Perspectives Office. He is in his third year at the University of Central Florida and currently pursuing a B.A. in International Studies with an emphasis on the Middle East. Michael was recently awarded the Critical Language Scholarship to study Arabic at the Center for Maghrib Studies in Tunis, Tunisia. He has also studied the history of Islam at the University of Cambridge as a President's Scholar. Marcous is currently a Resident Assistant in the Towers at the Golden Knight's Plaza. His research interests include the war in Iraq and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Timothy Mason
Intern

Timothy Mason is an intern for the Global Perspectives Office. He is currently a senior pursuing a double major in Political Science  - International Relations Track - and Radio Television - Broadcast Production Track - as well as a minor in emergency management and homeland security. His interests include the Iraq War, strategic arms and the Arab Israeli Conflict. Upon graduation, he plans to pursue graduate degrees in both law and international relations.

Maria Pecoraro
Intern

Maria Pecoraro is an intern in the Global Perspectives Office. She is graduate student at the University of Central Florida pursuing her Masters in Political Science with a focus on International Relations. She graduated summa cum laude from UCF with a B.A. in Political Science, specializing in American politics and policy and is a member of the Order of Pegasus. She currently serves as Director of Governmental Affairs for UCF Student Government and is active in several organizations. Her research interests include the study of democracy, political theory, American Presidential and Congressional politics, and constitutional law. She plans to attend law school after completing her Masters.  Pecoraro speaks fluent Spanish and has traveled to Puerto Rico.

Mohenna Sarkar
Intern

Mohenna Sarkar is an intern in the Global Perspectives Office. She is a sophomore at Haverford College, majoring in Political Science and Environmental Science with a minor in East Asian Studies. She is an active member of Amnesty International and her college’s student government. Her research interests are in environmental sustainability and international political theory and after graduation she intends to further her education by attending law school. Born in India, Sarkar has also lived in the Middle East before moving to the United States. Along with her native languages of Bengali and Hindi, she is also conversational in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.