Meet Our Team

Study Abroad & Away Team

We look forward to meeting with you in person, virtually, or by phone. Please click on the program duration below and contact the appropriate staff. 
 
  • Long-Term Abroad Program Advisors (Semester / Year)

    Meet Julie and Vid who manage our semester or yearlong global opportunities in the SJSU Exchange, CSU IP, or ISEP programs and the National Student Exchange (NSE) programs in the United States and territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. 

    Julie Lucas, M.A.

    Julie LucasSenior Study Abroad Coordinator
    Direct: (408) 924-6057 | Email: julie.lucas@sjsu.edu
    Book An Appointment 

    Program Portfolio: SJSU Exchange Programs (Europe, Latin America, and Africa), CSU IP (all locations)

    Advising Liaison: College of Engineering, College of Social Sciences, MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center

    Bio: Julie is a proud Chicago native! She studied abroad in Granada, Spain her junior year of college and earned a B.S. in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After graduation, she moved to Salamanca, Spain where she taught English and worked with students studying abroad in Spain. She then completed her M.A. in International Education Management at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Before moving back to California, she worked with outbound study abroad students at a nonprofit organization in Chicago.

    Fun Facts: Julie enjoys practicing yoga, dancing salsa, and spending time outdoors. She loves weekend hikes and traveling to new places.


    Vidalino Raatior, Ed.D.

    Vid RaatiorCoordinator, Study Abroad & Exchanges
    Phone: (408) 924-2684 | Email: vid.raatior@sjsu.edu
    Book An Appointment

    Program Portfolio: SJSU Exchange (Asia and Oceania), ISEP Programs (all locations), and all locations in the National Student Exchange (NSE) program.

    Advising Liaison: Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment (CAPISE), Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Connie L. Lurie College of Education, UndocuSpartan Student Success Center

    Bio: Vid is a native Pacific Islander from Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). He came to study in the United States  eventually earning a B.A. in communications from the University of Guam, M.A. in school administration from University of San Francisco, and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D) from University of Hawai’i. During his 20-year career in higher education Vid has held a number of roles as International Student Advisor, Assistant Director of Study Abroad, Associate Director of the Center for Multicultural Learning, Director of the Pacific Islander Student Center and a STEM-focused initiative at Santa Clara University, University of Hawaii at Hilo, and University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC).

    Fun Facts: Vid lives in the Santa Cruz area, loves his kids and when he's not working he engages in equity-focused initiatives.   

  • Short-Term Abroad Program Advisors (Summer/Winter)

    Meet Courtney and Erin who manage our summer and winter opportunities including the Faculty-Led Programs (FLP) and Summer School Abroad (SSA) programs.

    Courtney Anne Jackson, M.A.

    Courtney Anne JacksonProgram Specialist
    Phone: (408)924-2613 | Email: courtneyanne.jackson@sjsu.edu
    Book An Appointment 

    Program Portfolio: Faculty-Led Programs (FLP), Summer School Abroad (SSA) programs

    Advising Liaison: College of Business, Undergraduate Advising and Success Center, Black Leadership and Opportunity Center (BLOC)

    Bio: Courtney is a proud Northern Californian. She was born in Oakland and raised in a rural community in the Sierra Nevada Mountains called Quincy, CA. Courtney studied abroad in Rome, Italy her junior year while earning her B.A. in Cultural Memory and the Arts from Whittier College. After graduation, she worked supporting international students in San Francisco before getting her M.A. in International Education Management at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, where she studied abroad in Chile. Courtney spent 6 years working in international education in Washington before joining the SJSU SAA team.

    Fun Facts: Courtney enjoys competitive swimming, museums, and archaeological sites. She also loves traveling to new places in search of street art and the world’s best mac and cheese.


    Erin Kelly-Weber, M.A., M.P.A.

    Erin Kelly-WeberSenior Program Specialist
    Phone: (408) 924-5916 | Email: erin.kelly-weber@sjsu.edu
    Book An Appointment

    Program Portfolio: Faculty-Led Programs (FLP), Summer School Abroad (SSA).

    Advising Liaison: College of Health and Human Sciences, College of Humanities & Arts; PRIDE & Gender Equity Center

    Bio: Erin was born and raised in New Jersey but calls Chicago her second home after having studied and worked there for 12 years. Erin studied abroad in Santiago, Chile during her junior year of college and earned a BA in Anthropology and International Studies with a Spanish minor from Northwestern University. Throughout her 10+ years of working in international education, she has supported university and high school students on study abroad programs both in the U.S. and overseas, and has studied or worked in 12 countries. Erin earned a Master of Arts in International Education Management and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in Monterey. She is passionate about fostering cross-cultural communication and creating accessible and equitable international education opportunities for every student.

    Fun Facts: Erin is thrilled to continue living her CA adventure at SJSU! In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, practicing yoga, spending time with her two cats and learning about different languages and cultures.

  • Faculty Support

    Meet Dr. Zartoshty who serves as the Interim Director of the Study Abroad & Away office and supports our faculty in developing global opportunities through the Faculty-Led Programs (FLP), Fulbright Scholars, and other faculty exchange programs. 

    Parinaz Zartoshty, Ed.D.

    Parinaz Zartoshty
    Senior Director, Global Programs and Services

    Phone: (408) 924-6144 | Email: parinaz.zartoshty@sjsu.edu
    Appointment via email

    Bio: Parinaz is originally from Tehran, Iran and earned her Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Government/International Relations and her Master’s degree in International Relations from Boston University. She earned her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership at SJSU. Parinaz entered the field of international education after having worked for Amnesty International, UNICEF and other smaller nonprofits, both in the US and internationally. She speaks several languages including Farsi, French and German. Parinaz studied abroad in Paris, France and has also worked abroad in the Middle East. Parinaz is passionate about international education, whether it is welcoming students at SJSU, sending SJSU students abroad, facilitating cultural exchange virtually, or empowering faculty to foster those cross-cultural connections.

    Fun Facts: Parinaz loves hiking, reading and of course traveling. She loves all international cuisine, but especially Japanese, Mexican and Korean food.

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