Evgenia Karamani

Greece Site Director - Semester

Evgenia was born and raised in Athens, Greece where she currently lives with her husband and their two cats. She is a Mental Health Counselor, holding her private practice in Athens and also serves as Greece's Site Director for CIS Abroad. She loves to host study abroad students in her hometown, helping them love the uniqueness of this vibrant city and also taking them on trips to favorite destinations all around Greece. Having studied abroad herself in France, she believes the study abroad experience is unique in one's life journey and makes it a point to help students make the most out of their experience. In her free time, Evgenia enjoys cycling, hiking in the woods, and long walks by the seaside.

Kostas Kourtelis

Greece Assistant Site Director

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 run into any issues while abroad - Kostas is there to help provide resources and guidance.  

I come from Athens, Greece. I am a sales engineer with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, an MBA and an Master of Science in Energy Markets. I've lived and travelled abroad on various occasions, including spending several years in England. Traveling began as a curiosity and a pleasure but through the years became an inner journey. From the satisfaction of the museums, architecture and landscapes I found myself walking in other people feet and developing my empathy. I live with my wife and we have a new journey ahead: we are expecting our baby-boy and we are thrilled!!!

Kostas' travel tip: Traveling is all about exploring. Don’t forget to embrace the country’s culture, talk to the local people and respect the diversity. Stay safe by all means and enjoy your precious time!

Nicole Baumgartner 

International Operations Regional 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 Evgenia and Kostas  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.