International Programs

OIP Leadership

---

Orlina Boteva

Director of International Programs
orlina.boteva@maine.edu, (207) 581 – 3437

My pronouns are: she/her/hers

Orlina Boteva serves as the Director of the Office of International Programs. A native of Bulgaria, Orlina earned her undergraduate degree in International Affairs at the American University in Bulgaria. She spent her junior year of college as an exchange student at UMaine during which she also served as an RA in Knox Hall. She returned to UMaine to complete her M.A. in History and M.Ed. in Higher Education. Orlina joined OIP in 2009, and loves working with UMaine students. Orlina brings a passion for working with college-age students combined with a strong background in advising, intercultural communication, and student affairs. She lives in Orono with her husband and two children, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education at UMaine.

I can help students with academic support and success strategies, scholarship awards and posting, and emergency scholarship requests.

I can help faculty and staff with diversity and inclusion as it relates to international populations, international agreements and establishing connections,  international students at risk, international transfer credit policy, and embedding study abroad experiences in the curriculum.

Make an appointment with me at orlinaboteva.youcanbook.me

---

Danielle Beaupré

Immigration Advisor
Assistant to the Director/Front Desk and Financial Manager
danielle.beaupre@maine.edu
(207) 581 – 3437

Danielle is a Franco-American hailing from Jackson, Maine. She earned Master’s degrees in English and French from the University of Maine. Danielle has been working in International Education since 2018, and joined the Office of International Programs in 2022. Danielle is passionate about working with students both in the office and in the classroom, and has taught in a variety of disciplines including: English, French, Innovation Engineering and Success in College. In her free time, Danielle enjoys spending time with her partner and their dog, reading, writing poetry,  yoga, and knitting.

I can help students with: 

• Accessing OIP Services
• Travel signatures
• Notarizations
• Immigration matters, including visas and travel (undergraduate students)
• Academic or personal issues (undergraduate students)
• Extension of program (undergraduate students)
• Work authorizations (undergraduate students)
• Tax related questions

Schedule an appointment with me.

---

International Student & Scholar Services

---

Sarah Joughin

Senior Associate Director
joughin@maine.edu
(207) 581 – 3437

My pronouns are: she/her

Sarah has been advising students and scholars on immigration issues and cultural transition since September 2003. Her background is in advocacy, immigration and legal services and she has had a life long love of travel and international affairs. She is a graduate of the University of Vermont and in 1991 she studied at the University of Lancaster in the UK. In 1998 while teaching ESL, she had the opportunity to travel throughout Korea and visit both China and Japan.

I can help scholars and departments with:

•  consultation on hosting a research scholar in your department
•  UMaine faculty and staff H-1b visas consultations and processing
•  intercultural communication issues

---

Mireille Le Gal

International Student & Scholar Advisor
mlegal@maine.edu
(207) 581 – 3423

My pronouns are: she/her/hers

Mireille grew up in Brittany, France and joined the office in 1998. She advises international students, faculty and staff on immigration issues.  She also oversees Women of the World, a support group for international women in our area.   Mireille enjoys being a part of commencement ceremonies, celebrating students’ achievements, and enjoys meeting with international alumni when they return to visit UMaine!

I can help students with:

• immigration matters, including visas and travel
• academic or personal issues
• extension of program
• transfer to another institution
• work authorizations
• tax related questions

I can help faculty and staff with:

• international student visa compliance issues
• international students at risk

Schedule an appointment with me.

---

Ella Wu

Sevis and Student Success Coordinator
ella.wu@maine.edu
(207) 581 – 3433

Originally from Guangdong, China, Ella moved to Buxton, Maine when she was 14. After graduating from Bonny Eagle High School, she attended the University of Maine and earned her business degree in Marketing and Management. Throughout her college career at UMaine, Ella was highly involved with both international and multicultural communities. She loves working in a higher education setting. She often describes a university as a place for inspiration, a symbol of growth, and a path to success.

I can help students with:

• academic or personal issues
• UMaine international health insurance questions
• campus resources and leadership opportunities

Schedule an appointment with me.

---

Christian Hartling

Graduate Assistant for Programming and Activities

christian.hartling@maine.edu

Christian is from Burlington, Massachusetts and graduated from the University of Maine in May of 2022 with a degree in Finance and Management. He is now a graduate student pursuing an MBA and is excited to be continuing his education. His interests involve international business/sales and hopes to be working in that environment in the future. While attending the university, he’s enjoyed playing on the Men’s Club Hockey team. In his free time, he prefer’s to be outside golfing, fishing or skiing. Christian recently visited Amsterdam and London where he enjoyed experiencing different cultures.

---

International Recruitment and Admissions

---

Andrius Ksikvas

Associate Director of International Recruitment
andrius.ksikvas@maine.edu
(207) 581 – 3444

Andrius joined the Team at the Office of International Programs in July of 2018 and brings along almost six years of experience in international admissions, recruitment, and enrollment management fields. In his current role serving as the Assistant Director of International Admissions, Andrius is looking forward to helping talented students from all over the world to discover the immense value that higher education at UMaine represents. Originally from Lithuania, a small country in the European Union, Andrius found his home away from home in the beautiful and welcoming State of Maine where he, along with his wife and three children, has resided since the early 2000’s. He loves traveling and exploring, enjoys the outdoors, and is a huge fan of space exploration. Having gone through the experience of enrolling and studying as an international student in the United States, Andrius is uniquely positioned and always passionate to share his experience and advice with those considering studying at UMaine.

Andrius can help with:

• International students recruitment
• General international admission related questions
• Information regarding available scholarships and costs
• Country-specific admission requirements
• Status of submitted applications
• International transfer credit related questions and inquiries
• Organizing virtual and in-person campus visits and info sessions

Schedule a Zoom video appointment with Andrius at www.andrius.youcanbook.me

Jess Wade

International Admissions Assistant
jess.wade@maine.edu
(207) 581 – 3437

Jess is a Maine native and graduate of the University of Maine. She received her Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs in 2017. Her studies centered around world cultures, populations, and languages and she spent much of her time learning in Spanish and French. During her undergraduate career, Jess was involved with many multicultural events and programs that brought both the international and domestic communities closer together. This included participating in activities such as CultureFest and International Dance Festival with the OIP as well as working with the Modern Languages & Classics Department to facilitate World Languages Day for the area’s local high schoolers. Pursuing this passion further, Jess joined the OIP Team in 2021 to assist applicants with the admissions process and provide a welcoming introduction to the UMaine community. She looks forward to continuing her work bridging the gaps between diverse groups of people with her knowledge of campus and the local area.

---

Shania Soler

Graduate Assistant
shania.soler@maine.edu
(207) 581 – 3437

Shania Soler joined the OIP Team in Summer 2023 as a Graduate Assistant for the International Admissions section of the Office of International Programs.

---

Education Abroad

---

Erika Clement

Assistant Director of Study Abroad
studyabroad@maine.edu
(207) 581 – 3437

Erika is an Estonian-American from Syracuse, New York. In 2007, she studied abroad in Tübingen, Germany and in 2009 moved to South Korea for a year to teach English. After traveling across Europe and parts of Asia, she went to SIT Graduate Institute and received her MA in International Education. She is passionate about accessibility and inclusion in study abroad, as well as the internal journey that occurs when adapting to a new culture. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing and dancing Argentine tango.

Yijie (EJ) Ren

Education Abroad Advisor
studyabroad@maine.edu
(207) 581 – 3437

EJ is originally from Hefei, China. She came to the United States when she was 14 years old. After graduating from high school and college in South Bend, Indiana, she pursued a master’s degree in International Higher Education at Boston College. EJ enjoys traveling and cooking, especially learning about different cultures. Intercultural competence and cross-cultural adaptation are two of her passions when it comes to study abroad.  She strives to enable students to pursue an education that empowers them, specifically, one that celebrates their culture while making them feel welcome and engaged.

---

Intensive English Institute

---

Erin-Kate Sousa

Senior IEI Instructor
erinkate.sousa@maine.edu
(207) 581 – 3821

---

Robert Canning

IEI Instructor
robert.canning@maine.edu
(207) 581 – 3821

Rob Canning is an ESL Instructor. He has taught English as a second language for almost thirty years. He started teaching in Taiwan, where he lived for over fifteen years. When he returned to the States, he taught English and Mandarin at a local high school for ten years, before he went back to school to get his master’s degree in Chinese literature at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is currently learning Arabic and brushing up on his Taiwanese. His interest in languages comes from working with language learners of many different backgrounds. He and his wife have a garden and raise chickens, which they enjoy very much. He also likes reading, gardening, watching movies, whitewater rafting, and mountain climbing.

---

Adriana Cavalcanti

Administrative Specialist
um.iei@maine.edu
(207) 581 – 3821

Adriana Cavalcanti is the administrator for the Intensive English Institute. She was born and raised in Brazil and moved to Maine in 2019, to pursue her education and professional endeavors. Adriana started her professional path in Brazil, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in 2010, followed by a Botany MSc at the Rio de Janeiro State University in 2012. When Adriana relocated to North America, this geographical change has motivated her to reshape her professional life. In 2022 Adriana joined the IEI team, after receiving her Master in Fine Arts degree from the Intermedia program at the University of Maine. Adriana finds in the IEI a place for cultural validation and respectful social interactions.