Executives & Staff

Andrea Perez

Andrea Perez is a Fellow of the Global Perspectives Office and the Global Connections Foundation. Until 2010, she was a Program Assistant in the Global Perspectives Office, providing support to globally oriented projects and programs, and contributing to research efforts. Perez holds a B.A. degree from Rollins College, with an emphasis on Economics and International Affairs. She is currently pursuing a Master of Planning in Civic Urbanism from Rollins College. She speaks Spanish, has traveled in the Americas, and lived in South Africa for four years

Yang Zhang

Yang Zhang is a Fellow of the Global Perspectives Office and the Global Connections Foundation. She is a Lecturer at the School of Society, Scoochow University, in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. From 2009-2010, Zhang was a Fulbright Visiting Student Researcher and was jointly hosted by the Global Perspectives Office and the Political Science Department. She received a Ph.D. from Northeast Normal University in Changchun, Jilin province, China. Her doctoral research focused on the evolution of U.S. counter-terrorism policy. Zhang received a B.A. in History from Tong Hua Teachers College and an M.A. from Northeast Normal University. She has published academic articles in numerous journals, including Pacific Journal, International Forum and Journal of Northeast Normal University. Zhang speaks Mandarin, English and some Japanese.

Bettina Steible

Bettina Steible is a Fellow of the Global Perspectives Office and the Global Connections Foundation. In Summer 2010, she was a Global Connections Foundation Volunteer hosted by the Global Perspectives Office. She is pursuing a bilingual master's degree in European law and policy within a program at the University of Barcelona (Spain), University of Milan (Italy), University of Montpellier (France) and the University of Szczecin (Poland). Her research interests include European law, international law, human rights and humanitarian law. She also plans to pursue a Ph.D. in European and International law and become a university professor. A native of France, she speaks French, English, Spanish and some Italian. She has traveled throughout Europe, North America and the Caribbean, as well as to Vietnam.

Amelia Paz

Amelia Paz is the Global Fellow for Spring 2012, under the auspices of The Lawrence J. Chastang Global Fellows Program at the University of Central Florida, for the Global Perspectives Office. A senior at UCF, she is majoring in Political Science, Pre-Law track. She has been a PACE Center for Girls volunteer since 2004. Her research interests include international relations, pan-Africanism, comparative politics, feminist theory and LGBT rights. Upon graduation, she plans to attend law school. Paz speaks conversational Spanish and has traveled to England, Spain, France and Holland. 

Gabrielle Swaby

Ken Klose

Ken Klose is the Global Peace Fellow for Spring 2012, under the auspices of The Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship Program, for the Global Perspectives Office. Previously, he served as the first ever Terrorism Studies Fellow in Fall 2011. He is a graduate student at UCF, studying Political Science/International Relations. Klose received a B.A. from UCF in Political Science – International Relations track, with minors in both Russian Area Studies and History. From 2006-2007, he served in Iraq as Platoon Leader in the 1st Calvary Division of the U.S. Army. From 2010-2011, Klose served in Afghanistan as Troop Commander in the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. His research interests include Iranian foreign policy, Israeli national security policy and counter-terrorism. Klose has studied Russian and French, as well as Arabic and Pashto. He has traveled to Costa Rica, Mexico and the Bahamas.

Derek Hunter

Derek Hunter is the China-Taiwan Fellow for Spring 2012, under the auspices of the C.T. and Jean Hsu Fund of the Global Connections Foundation, for the Global Perspectives Office and the UCF China-Taiwan Cross-Strait Program. A junior at UCF, he is majoring in Political Science, with a minor in History and a certificate of specialization in Diplomacy. Hunter is a member of the Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society. His research interests include post-Soviet Russia and Eastern Europe, democracy in the Middle East, global terrorism, and China-Taiwan cross-strait relations. Upon graduation, Hunter plans to either attend law school or graduate school to pursue a degree in international relations. He speaks conversational Spanish and is currently studying Russian. Hunter has traveled to Russia, Mexico and throughout the Caribbean.