Samantha Rommel

Samantha Rommel is a recent graduate of Ohio University, where she earned her B.A. in anthropology with a minor in history and certificate in museum studies. Sam’s first time abroad was as an undergraduate on Ohio University’s Northern Ireland: Human Rights, Law & Justice pilot program in 2013, which she was able to experience again in 2016 as the CISabroad Onsite Program Coordinator! That first trip instilled a passion for travel and desire to inspire positive personal & social change through transformative educational experiences! She conducted ethnographic research in Cambodia for her senior thesis, Voices of Transition: Cultural Productions of Memory and Justice at Cambodian Museums, and hopes to continue learning about collective memory and justice in post-conflict areas.

Currently, Sam works for International Education Programs (IEP) at OU as the Marketing & Outreach Intern. She is a self-described polyglot-in-training, working to become fluent in Arabic, French, Spanish, and Russian by the time she’s 30 (inshallah). Her bucket list is constantly growing, newest additions being riding a hot air balloon in Cappadocia, Turkey and keeping her houseplants alive for more than a year.

What’s an OPC? 

As part of your customized faculty-led program abroad, you will be led and supported by a CISabroad On-Site Program Coordinator (OPC). OPCs are experienced and well trained staff members, there to ensure the schedule goes according to plan. Each OPC attends an extensive training program that involves a range of modules – risk management, emergency response, safety, logistics’, cultural awareness, communication, culture shock, budgeting, social media, La Vida Local and customer service.

The primary role of the OPC is to facilitate the in-country implementation of the assigned customized program, by providing safety / emergency response and logistical support. During the program, the OPC is responsible for managing the day-to-day logistics of the assigned customized program and providing in-country support to both the faculty and students. Using personal travel experience, professional work experience (and where possible language knowledge), the OPC will help create a program environment that is safe and culturally engaging. The CISabroad OPC may or may not be an in country local. The majority of CISabroad OPCs are expats from the US, who have travelled, lived, volunteered, or worked abroad in the program destination.

The OPC is not a registered tour guide nor expected to provide tours of sites visited during the program. If the program is one that requires specific guided tours of various sites, these will be provided separately. The OPC provides a general neighborhood walking tour to help the group identify the nearest bank/ATM, pharmacy, laundry-mat, grocery store and other similar conveniences.

The OPC’s role allows Faculty to focus on the academic objectives and the students to make the most of their time overseas!