teaching and learning have taken her to France, China, the Middle East, and beyond, where she has developed an understanding of the dominant cultures and languages in each with varying degrees of proficiency. Having previously served as an Associate Professor of Instruction in the University of Iowa’s Department of Linguistics, she is proud to use her diverse experience there and abroad in her work with global exchange as the Executive Director of Global Ties Iowa. Upon discovering this organization and the International Visitor Leadership Program, Amy knew she had found her people—her community—and could continue to maintain an international connection while living and working in eastern Iowa. Because of the profound impact her time abroad had on her academic and professional development, her driving vision is to make the benefits of global exchange inclusive of and accessible to everyone.​

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Email: amy.chastain@globaltiesiowa.org

Studies with a minor in Spanish and a certificate in Nonprofit and Philanthropy. Born and raised in Marshalltown, Iowa, she attended a Spanish/English bilingual school where her love for connecting with other cultures blossomed. With being fluent in Spanish came the opportunity to study abroad in Paraguay through the Youth Ambassador’s program during her sophomore year of high school. Coupled with her experience as a member of her high school’s philanthropic organization, Abbey's career goals shortly followed. Abbey hopes to work in the international nonprofit sector with a position focused on public diplomacy and promoting gender equity in Spanish-speaking countries. Abbey looks forward to gaining meaningful experience and furthering my knowledge during my time here at Global Ties Iowa!

and minoring in Japanese. On campus, Brenda is a research assistant in Dr. Grazyna Kochanska’s Child Lab and a Japanese Program Ambassador for the Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. In her free time, she enjoys historical fiction, spending time with family and friends, and hanging out with her cat.

Russian languages. Ani was one of the editors of Exchanges, an online journal of literary translation. She was also a graduate assistant at the Center for Language and Culture Learning (CLCL), where her focal project among many was Iowa Intersections, a multilingual narrative project. For Ani, translation is a way to share amazing pieces of Armenian literature with wider audiences. Ani mainly translates comedies and plans to apply to the MFA in Dramaturgy program at the University of Iowa. In her free time, she enjoys reading, singing, dancing, and watching and performing comedy.

the pre-law track. Originally from Bettendorf, Iowa, Leila enjoys reading, thrifting, and listening to music. On campus, Leila is co-President and co-founder of Ethics Bowl and a member of the Middle Eastern and North African Student Association. She also worked as a research assistant for the Disasters, Migration, and Violence Lab in the Department of Political Science, and is currently a Peer Mentor for the Tippie Direct Admit Seminar and Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Honors. In the future, Leila hopes to attend law school with a focus in international law. 

Global Health.  At the University of Iowa, Anna has been involved in numerous extracurriculars on campus, namely Dance Marathon and the Undergraduate Student Government. In her free time, Anna enjoys spending time with her family and friends, singing, musicals, watching sports, and traveling. She also loves music, especially Harry Styles. She is extremely excited to see Niall Horan in concert this summer. Additionally, during the Spring 2025 semester, Anna will be studying abroad in Grenada, Spain.

of Iowa he is the current Director of Academic. Affairs in the Undergraduate Student Government, additionally serving as the Treasurer of University Democrats, as well as an active member in Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity on campus. Outside of student organizations, he volunteers in the food pantry on campus. In his free time, he enjoys being with his family and friends and enjoys being active and outside. After graduating in the spring, he plans to enter a gap year before starting law school, where he wants to focus on both international law and human rights law. During his gap year, he plans to travel to Europe and Asia, in the hopes of using his experiences in his future career.

years, during which he began his Japanese language studies. Through academic and self-study immersion, he has reached a comfortable level of proficiency and spends much of his free time passively interacting with the language through video games, books, and music. He is currently the Japanese Tutoring Lead for the Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and an active translator in the Japanese Translation Workshop held by Dr. Kendall Heitzman. Outside of school, he holds private tutoring sessions, hangs out with friends, and skates around campus.