Kirsten Sheppard

Kirsten Sheppard has been at Maryville College, in the Smoky Mountains since 2004, and is the Director of the Center for International Education. She first studied abroad when she was 13, travelling on a short-term study abroad program throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. As an undergraduate student at the University of Calgary, she studied abroad in Mexico, and then spent six years working and living abroad in Europe, Asia and the UAE. She completed her MA in International Education at the School for International Training (SIT Graduate Institute) in Brattleboro, VT. She enjoys helping both international and US students figure out how to make the most of their experiences abroad. She has travelled to many countries but always looks forward to her next trip, be it within the U.S. or abroad. Research interests include helping students develop global competencies, assessment of study abroad impact, crisis management, and re-entry programming.