Staff
Dr. Raymond Giles, EdD has a doctorate in international education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the International Education Resource Center. Prior to working with study abroad programs in the Dominican Republic, he worked at the New York City Department of Education as an administrator in Community School District 6 in the Bronx and later as Director of Program Planning Development and Evaluation. He resigned from the board of education in 1990 to start a new career as an educational entrepreneur in the Dominican Republic.
Dr. Giles served as a consultant to the Maiden form Foundation and Director the Centro de Aprendizaje an Education Technical Assistance Center sponsored by an association of U.S. industries operating in the la Romana Free Trade Zone. He also directed the research and grant-writing processes in collaboration with the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, and He helped to get a planning grant from the VERIZON International Foundation to support our program during a year.
He has served as contractor and consultant to a host of diverse companies, institutions, and consortiums; writing grants, an academic advisor, securing funding, and managing programs to open opportunities for more U.S. students to study overseas.
Mrs. Kenia Avila has worked with IERC since 1992. She has experience working with various Dominican and American universities and institutions including CUNY, SUNY, CIEE, Dillard University, Medgar Evers College, North Carolina Central University, University Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña, UNAPEC, and the New York ADIEP Inc. For the past ten years she has been the Country Director for Study Abroad Program sponsored by the International Education Resource Center (IERC). In 1996 she help establish a University to University agreement between UNAPEC and Medgar Evers CUNY to help forster the development of international studies between the US and the Dominican Republic. She has run several international programs in collaboration with CUNY and SUNY universities.
She is responsible for all in-country program planning. She manages all housing issues, excursions, orientation, internship placement, and all other general student services. Has a bachelor’s degree from UCE Universidad Central del Este in the Dominican Republic and currently runs operations for the Caribbean Reseach Center in Medgar Evers CUNY University..
Blas Jiménez Afro/Dominican poet and essayist. His poetry and essays appeared in specialized journals in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the United States, Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay. (Winner of the Ethel L. Payne International Award for Excellence in Journalism – Individual Journalist -The African Diaspora, 1998). Meritorious Professor of Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra, (2004), where he lectures in Caribbean Literature and African Heritage. Producer and conductor of “Página Abierta” a daily TV program of comments and interviews he is also a producer and conductor of “La Mañana en Antena” a daily Radio Talk Show, both in Santo Domingo… Blas has dedicated his poetic work to describe the racial reality with reference to the history, ideology, economic and politic of the Dominican Republic… Among his published Books we can mention: ”Aqui... Otro Español.” “Caribe Africano en Despertar”, “Exigencias de un Cimarrón” and “El Nativo.” Co-editor of the book “Desde la Orilla: hacia una nacionalidad sin desalojos” in collaboration with Silvio Torres-Saillant and Ramona Hernández.
From the year 2000 to 2003 Professor Jiménez served as Secretary General of the Dominican Republic National commission for the United Nations Organization for Education, Culture and Communication (UNESCO)
He has been attached to IERC since 1998, first at APEC and later at PUCMM and UNICARIBE, as developer and teacher of African heritage, Caribbean culture and literature courses.
Ana Cuevas has worked as the Administrative Assistant for the IERC program for two years. She has a marketing degree from the University Iberoamerica (UNIBE). As a staff assistant she is responsible for all general student services including traveling tips, shopping, adjustment & health issues, schedule changes or additions, activities, customs, your home stay, and university classes.
Thomas (T.J.) Murray was a former IERC program participant interning as a News Assistant at CDN Canal 37 in the Dominican Republic in 2005. He has since become a Program Associate and provides support for students studying abroad in the Dominican Republic. He assists in many IERC facets including program development, internship coordination, and attends to general student needs. T.J. graduated from St. John’s University in New York City in 2004 and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications. Besides his experience in the Dominican Republic he has also lived in Chile studying journalism at La Universidad Catolica in Santiago. He is an American of Dominican descent who understands the country and at the same time is able to offer the students an American point of view.
Bettina Gardner is a 2005 graduate from Florida State University with a B.A. in International Business and Spanish with a minor in Portuguese. At FSU, she worked for three years in the International Programs office and as an English Language tutor to international students and a public relations volunteer for FSU’s International Student & Scholar Center. She has interned for GE Power Systems in Atlanta through INROADS, Inc. She has traveled abroad to Panama, Jamaica, Costa Rica, France, and Spain on various study abroad and/or community service exchanges during her college career. She will be organizing the community service activities and internship placements. She is a 2003 Institute for International Public Policy Fellow. She provides students with travel tips, adjustment assistance, career counseling, and general support services from an American student perspective.
Now that you’ve gotten to know us, let us get to know you! Write, call, email or or visit us in person at one of our offices in the Dominican Republic. Also, if you have any questions about our program, please let us know and we will respond them.
