ACADEMICS

Program Staff

Matthew Kwasiborski
European Institutes Director
Matthew Kwasiborski joined The Fund for American Studies in the February of 2005. Matt has directed AIPES 2005-2010; EJI 2005-2008. In addition to directing AIPES and EJI, Matt began directing IIPES 2009 and will do so again in 2010. Matt earned his BA in history from Loyola University New Orleans and received his MA in Executive Leadership from the Thierry Graduate School of Leadership located in Belgium. He has experience teaching ESL in Hungary where he wrote and directed the play, “A Dawn of a New Era,” He created and recommended ESL curriculum, and served as a tutor for the citizens of Fonyod. He was an administrator for the "Summer in Switzerland" program located at the Leysin American School that served international high school students. He has taught world religions, Christian vocations, morality, computers, and also served as a basketball coach for Mount Carmel Academy in New Orleans, LA. From 2001-2004 he has served as the Director of the Loyola University Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America program in New Orleans and worked directly for the President of Loyola University. Matt was a 2004 nominee for the Leon J. Obermayer Award given to an outstanding alumnus or alumna of the School District of Philadelphia.

Pavel Hrbek
AIPES Program Manager
Pavel is a graduating student at Institute of Economic Studies at Charles University in Prague. He participated in an Erasmus Exchange program in Spain at Universidade de Vigo in 2006/2007. He is a Vice-President of the Czech TFAS Alumni Club. He is an AIPES 2006 and Capital Semester Fall 2008 alumnus. In 2008 he worked in Prague as a coordinator of international programs at theCenter for Public Policy and in Washington D.C. and as a research assistant at the Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation. Currently he is completing his thesis writing about tax evasion. He is also getting ready to spend the fall 2010 semester at the University of Richmond in the state of Virginia.

Teaching Assistants 2010

Andrea Mayer -American Government
Georgetown University
Andrea Mayer is a PhD candidate in American Government at Georgetown University, as well as the Academic Director of Georgetown’s Law and Society summer program.   Previously, Andrea was a trial attorney for the federal government for nine years and represented the government in numerous capacities, including Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, receivership counsel, and agency counsel, where she provided legal advice relating to employment law, fraud, venture capital and investment law, regulatory enforcement, and governmental privileges.  She regularly lectures on topics related to government institutions, constitutional law, and federalism, including lectures at Georgetown’s Center for Intercultural Education and Development and the U.S. Department of State.  She has been selected as Georgetown’s 2009 Pro-Seminar Fellow for American Government, and will serve as Georgetown Adjunct Faculty in spring 2010. Andrea received her J.D. from George Washington University and M.A. in Government from Georgetown University.  She has completed coursework towards her PhD in Government at Georgetown and Harvard Universities, and is currently working on her dissertation in the area of Law and Society.

Sam Potolicchio-American Government
Georgetown University
Sam Potolicchio is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Georgetown University where organizes the American politics program for the Semester in Washington program. His research focuses on religion and politics and political communication. He is the keynote lecturer at the Library of Congress for American Government, where he lectures to delegations from Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Armenia on electoral politics, constitutional law and federalism. Potolicchio was named Graduate Student teacher of the year at Georgetown for the 2007,2008 and 2009 academic years and his "Religion and Politics" course was featured on the famous Middle Eastern television show "On the Road in America". In December 2009, he gave two invited keynote lectures on Religion and Politics in the Balkans, at the University of Zagreb (Croatia) and the University of Belgrade (Serbia).

In addition to his doctoral work at Georgetown, Potolicchio holds a B.A. from Georgetown University in Government and in Psychology, an M.A. from Georgetown University in Government, and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University. Potolicchio’s published work (with Clyde Wilcox) has appeared in the Congressional Quarterly Press and the Oxford University Press (forthcoming). During his teaching career, Potolicchio has taught at every age-level of the educational system as an elementary school Latin teacher, a middle school basketball coach, high school administrator and a history teacher in the Boston public schools. His basketball team the "Jelleff Hoyas" has had six undefeated city championship seasons.

Devin Shippey -Economics
Clemson University
Devin Shippey is currently a PhD candidate at Clemson University. He holds an MBA and a Bachelors of Science degree in Economics ( Clemson University). Devin owns and operates a small business in South Carolina and has been self-employed since 2000. At Clemson, Devin has been a teaching assistant for the principles of both microeconomics and macroeconomics. His academic interests include Entrepreneurship, Public Choice, and Behavioral Economics. In his spare time Devin enjoys reading and exercise.

Sherry Jensen-Economics
Clemson University
Sherry Jensen is currently a PhD candidate at Clemson University. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics at Centre College in 2005, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Since then she has worked for a financial institution and a major automotive manufacturer. At Clemson, she has taught both principles of microeconomics and macroeconomics. Her research interests include Labor Economics and Industrial Organization, along with Applied Econometrics, and she was recently named the recipient of the 2010 Wiliiam S. Dillingham annual research prize at Clemson University. In her free time, Sherry enjoys fitness activities, gardening, and travel.