Sean Bryan, Academic Advisor
Sean joined the academic advising team at UMUC Europe in February 2009, shortly after completing his BA in political science at Rice University in 2008. In addition to his studies, he was also an intern with the Army Flight Operations Detachment in Heidelberg, Germany. Sean's focus is on general advising and he is looking forward to assisting UMUC Europe students with their degree planning.

David Godfrey, Coordinator, Academic Advising Policy
David has been with the advising team since 1988. Previously, he served as a German language instructor for the Army Command Language Program; manager of the U.S. Army Europe Command Language Office; and as a Czech, German, and Russian linguist for the Army. With UMUC he has served as an academic advisor for degree candidates, coordinator of academic advising, and currently as coordinator of academic advising policy. In addition to his regular advising duties, David has specialized in working with students with international credentials in the context of credit transfer as well as admissions. He earned his AB in German and linguistics from San Diego State University in 1981 and has an MA in public administration from Bowie State University.

Kelly Johnson, Advanced Academic Advisor
Kelly joined UMUC Europe advising in July 2008. Though relatively new to the team, she is a seasoned veteran in the areas of education and advising. She has taught high school math; substituted and tutored at every level from 1st grade to college; served as a counselor aide at the Mannheim Sullivan Army Education Center; and, most recently, was an education advisor at the Norfolk Naval Station, Navy College Office. Kelly draws from the knowledge and information gained from her previous experiences in order to provide the best possible academic advice for each individual she advises. She earned her BS in mathematics from Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois, in 1994 and is currently working on a Certificate in German Language Area Studies with UMUC Europe.

Mark Nelson, Academic Advisor
Mark is excited to return to academia on the administrative side after careers as a labor and employment law attorney and management consultant. Most recently, he spent two years completing the screenwriting curriculum at the Writers Boot Camp in Los Angeles. He earned a BA in humanities from the University of Colorado in 1991, earned a master's degree in English literary research with the University of Lancaster, United Kingdom, in 1992, and completed law school at the University of Iowa in 1997.

Monica Philipp, Senior Academic Advisor
Monica started with UMUC Europe in March of 1995 as an undergraduate records clerk. She moved to the business office in 1996 holding various positions until she joined the advising team in 2001. In order to broaden her horizons, she transferred to UMUC Asia in 2007 to join the academic advising staff in Japan. After a year, Monica returned to Germany and once again joined the Europe team where she is currently working as an advisor in the Graduation Services Office conducting graduation reviews and serving as the records supervisor. Monica earned her BA in business management and German from UMUC in 1999.

Cassandra Pope, Academic Advisor
Cassandra has been with UMUC since June of 2009 as a MyCAA specialist and veterans affairs assistant in the Veterans Affairs Office. She joined the advising team in September of the same year. In May of 2009, Cassandra graduated from North Carolina State University with a BA in English and film.

Daniel Powers, Senior Academic Advisor
Dan joined UMUC in 2003 after retiring from the U.S. Army as a sergeant major. He earned his master's degree in education counseling from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, in 1983. He specializes in VA course certifications and is the Green-to-Gold point of contact. As a former marriage and family therapist, West Point Cadet counselor, and federal education center counselor, he can address most student concerns, both academic and personal, if requested.

Dan Rahey, Senior Academic Advisor
Dan has been working at UMUC Europe in various positions since 1999, with a small break from 2004 to 2005 to take a position as an administrative assistant for the department of electrical engineering at the University of New Orleans. He began his advising career in November of 2005 and currently coordinates the temporary duties (TDYs) in conjunction with the director of student affairs. Dan is also the GoArmyEd case manager, who ensures student agreements are uploaded in a timely manner. He earned his BA in business management from UMUC in 2002 and is currently finishing his master's in public administration with Bowie State University.

Sara Roth, Senior Academic Advisor for Degree Candidates
After holding several positions with UMUC Europe, Sara began her advising career in 1981. She was later selected to oversee the Evaluations/Student Records Office in addition to her advising duties. Currently, Sara conducts the final audit of student records before graduation and looks forward to commencement every year because she can finally see the fruit of her labor. Sara earned her degree in German studies from Schiller College in 1975 and provides historical knowledge, problem solving skills, and comic relief to her colleagues.

Amy E. van der Vliet, Advanced Academic Advisor
Amy began her career with UMUC Europe in 2005 as a field representative in the Netherlands and Germany Tri-Border area. Previously, she held support positions in higher education, served as a public affairs specialist in the Indiana National Guard, and taught English (ESL) in South Korea. After taking a break in order to stay home with her newborn in the United States, she returned to Europe to begin working in her current position in July of 2008. Amy earned her BA in English at Indiana University in 1993 and a Master of Library Science degree from Clarion University in 2009.

Jessie Yerkic, Academic Advisor
Prior to joining the advising team in November 2009, Jessie taught middle school and high school social studies in New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. She also served in the U.S. Army for four years. Jessie earned a BS in secondary social studies education, with a concentration in history, from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 1996 and an MA in education from Central Michigan University in 2001. She brings an in-depth knowledge of education, advising, and the military to UMUC students.