The WSP Staff
Terrell Austin
About
Title: Director of WSP
Background:
Terrell has served as Director of WSP since February 2025. In this role, she oversees the day-to day operations of the program, institutional relations and partnerships, financial management, recruitment, marketing and communications. She leads a small and mighty six-person team dedicated to providing internship and academic advising, co-curricular programming, and employer relations. Prior to assuming the role of director, she served five years as Partner Relations Director for WSP, nurturing partnerships with more than 50 active domestic and 25 international academic institutions and two years as Assistant Director of the AU Gap Program.
Before joining AU, Terrell worked as Director of Student Programs in the Center for International Trade and Security at the University of Georgia and as a museum educator for K-12 students. She holds a BA in English and an MA in Political Science from UGA. She is a mother of 4 and an avid reader who enjoys theater, music, hiking, and making one-pot meals that include all the food groups.
Julia Rahimzadeh
About
Title: Senior Coordinator of Recruitment and Onboarding
Background:
Coming soon!
Rebecca Woods
About
Title: Advisor
Background:
Rebecca grew up in Southeast Asia and has lived and worked in several cities across the United States and Canada. Before becoming an academic advisor, she spent 10 years working in the corporate technology industry in Chicago. Having lived and worked in different environments, Rebecca has developed an appreciation for different cultures, perspectives, and ideologies—bringing an open mind, creative resources, and a bit of humor to the Washington Semester Program.
Karen Carter
About
Title: Internship Advisor
Background:
Karen Carter is a seasoned administrator and educator with more than 20 years of experience developing and administering academic and experiential learning programs in the United States and internationally. She specializes in designing and implementing comprehensive internship programs.
Karen has been the Internship Advisor for American University’s Washington Semester Program since 2022. Previously, she was the inaugural Internship Program Manager at Northern Virginia Community College. She has also the Internship Experience Program at The Lady Elizabeth School in Benitaxell, Spain, and served as Senior Program Advisor to the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Fellowships and Internships in Washington, D.C. Earlier in her career, Karen served as Director of Experiential Learning at George Mason University, and Associate Director of Women and Gender Studies at George Mason University. She also worked at Georgetown University Law Center as Program Manager for the Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program.
Karen holds an M.A. in Philosophy from George Mason University and has completed extensive doctoral coursework in Cultural Studies. She was recently appointed to the Student and Alumni Services Committee of the European Association for International Education. A committed community volunteer, she serves as a Career Coach for Future Link and has taught ESL, meditation, and yoga in public libraries, schools, and nonprofit organizations in the United States and Spain.
Meg Kadrmas
About
Title: Internship and Employer Engagement Coordinator
Background:
Coming soon!
Nicolas Gourgues
About
Title: Graduate Recruitment & Admissions Coordinator
Background:
Nicolas Gourgues has been working as the Graduate Recruitment and Admissions Coordinator for the Office of Graduate Admissions at SPA for a little over a year. In this role, he supports key affiliations, including the Combined Program, Key MPA, and WSP, in their pipeline development efforts and administrative needs.
Prior to this role, Nicolas worked as the Senior Administrative Assistant at the School of Public Affairs for nearly two years. As the office manager for students, faculty, staff, and visitors in Kerwin Hall, he also supported the student services offices and graduate and undergraduate advising staff at SPA.
Before joining SPA, Nicolas worked at Search for Common Ground as both a Policy & Internal Compliance Intern and a Program Assistant for the Global Affairs and Partnerships team.
Italia Rababah
About
Title: Administrative Coordinator
Background:
Italia has been part of the WSP team since August 2023. She first joined WSP as an Advisor, where she enjoyed working directly with students and supporting them throughout their program experience. She now works behind the scenes to support the many moving parts that keep WSP running, including marketing, billing, alumni engagement, and other program needs. Before joining WSP, she worked as a Program Coordinator at the University of Maryland Global Campus.