Alex Dorsey 

Site Director in Barcelona

The Site Director is CIS Abroad's On-Site staff.  Their job is to support the CIS Abroad students throughout their on-site study abroad experience. They serve as a cultural liaison, organizing excursions, cultural activities, and providing invaluable guidance on everything from the local cuisine to navigating public transportation.  If students in Barcelona run into any issues while abroad - Nicole is there to help provide resources and guidance.  

He is originally from Detroit, Michigan and travelled to Barcelona years ago for what he thought would be a short stay.  He quickly fell in love with the city, its culture and I decided to make it his home. With a background in finance and a Master's of Education, he spent the past 10 years working with students in Barcelona, helping them connect across cultures and explore new perspectives. He has also had the chance to travel to several different countries and have amazing experiences, which has only deepened his passion for global education. Outside work, you'll find him spending time with family, trying new recipes or diving into a good book.

Sophia Ventura

Assistant Site Director in Barcelona

Assistant Site Director plays a crucial role in supporting the Site Director to provide high-quality on-site support to students. They act as a key liaison between students and staff, ensuring that students receive the guidance and resources they need to succeed.

Sophia grew up in southeastern Massachusetts and earned her degree in economics with a focus on Labor and Policy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. During this time, she studied abroad in Alicante, Spain. This would eventually lead her to her current venture of pursuing her Master of Science in Economics at the University of Barcelona. Sophia has a passion for people and has fallen in love with Barcelona for its vibrant social culture and ease of meeting people. She believes that, beyond academics, some of the most valuable knowledge comes from the genuine connections made with people you meet and the experiences you have. Sophia looks forward to welcoming students to Barcelona and showing them all that the city has to offer.  She hopes to connect new students with the city through sport, creativity, and immersive cultural experiences.

Nicole Baumgartner 

International Operations Assistant Director 

The International Operations Director ensures that the study abroad program runs smoothly, overseeing on-site logistics, health and safety measures, and responding to emergencies.  Nicole works closely with Alex  to ensure that the program is set up and ready for students.  Then, they work closely together when students are on-site to ensure that things run as smoothly as possible.  Nicole may work directly with students if they have special requests, they experience an emergency, or if they need additional accommodations when they are abroad.  

Nicole was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest in Seattle, Washington and recently earned her Global MBA from IE University in Spain. Previously she studied Political Science, Law Societies and Justice, and Human Rights at the University of Washington, and consistently uses her skills from these degrees in her daily life and job. Nicole has always had the travel bug so after graduating she moved to Spain to work as an English Assistant and fell in love with the country of tapas, flamenco, and constant sunshine! She lived in Granada, Spain for 9 years and is lucky to now call Barcelona home. She has always worked in education and loves seeing the profound benefits of students immersing themselves in another language and culture. As Site Director in Barcelona, Nicole is looking forward to welcoming students to the most desired and exciting city in Spain and giving them the most local experience to help deepen student understanding of the Spanish culture and language. In her free time, Nicole loves to spend time at the beach, wandering around neighborhoods, and grabbing a few tapas and cañas with friends.