The Department of Modern Languages, Linguistics and Intercultural Communication (MLLI), the Center
for the Advancement of Intercultural Communication (CAIC), and the Society for Intercultural Training,
Education and Research (SIETAR) Baltimore invite you to attend:
Conversations with Training Designers & Intercultural Trainers
December 13
ITE 456
7:10 – 8:45 p.m.
The purpose of the panel is to give the attendees the opportunity to hear from experienced intercultural trainers
or individuals involved in training or the process of training, how they built their careers, what is it that they do
now, what are the parts of their job that make their heart sing, what are the challenges and lessons learned, and
what type of things they would have liked someone had told them when they started their careers.
The Panelists
Sophia Tadé
Manager, Client Solutions, Global Novations
Sophia has worked with clients across the U.S. and Africa, Asia, and Europe to develop results-driven initiatives
in both the private and non-profit sectors. Her areas of expertise are in diversity and inclusion strategic
consulting, account relationship management, project management and human performance improvement. She
is also a seasoned market research analyst with expertise in benchmarking, measurement, and cultural audits.
She is a certified facilitator of Cultural Detective, and a Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI®)
certified practitioner. She is also certified Project Management Professional®,
Maria Morukian
Training Specialist, Foreign Service Institute, Department of State
Maria has a decade of experience in organizational development, intercultural communication, and training
design and facilitation. Prior to joining FSI, Maria was the Executive Director of the National MultiCultural
Institute, providing consultation and training to implement strategic diversity and cultural competence initiatives
for organizations in the public, nonprofit and private sectors. Maria has designed and delivered training
programs on communication, teambuilding, diversity and cultural awareness, leadership skills, and much more.
She has conducted needs assessments, led strategic planning retreats, and facilitated group dialogues to explore
critical issues impacting workplace culture and customer service.
Stephen Moles
Senior Advisor for Learning and Leadership, Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
Stephen has 15 years of experience in training and performance improvement within multicultural nonprofits,
corporations, and government agencies. His areas of emphasis have included cross-cultural training,
organization development, and competency programs. At Peace Corps, Stephen was the cross-cultural specialist
and also led the agency’s competency modeling project. He has also worked with USAID (office of Foreign
Disaster Assistance), the Intercultural Management Institute (at American University), AIPT, and Youth for
Understanding. Stephen has degrees in International Service, Intercultural/Organizational Communication, and
Organization Development. He is a member of ISPI, the OD network, NASAGA and SIETAR.
Jennifer (J.J.) Di Bella Expert
Consultant for the Peace Corps: Focus In/Train Up Project Lead & Programming & Training Track Specialist,
Overseas Staff Training
J.J. has worked for Peace Corps since August 2000 when she started as a Peace Corps Recruiter eventually
becoming the Recruitment Coordinator of the Mid-Atlantic Region. J.J. moved to Zambia in 2003 to be the
Associate Peace Corps Director for Education, where she worked with the Zambian government to start a new
education project before her promotion to Programming & Training Officer in 2006. She returned to the U.S. in
2008 to work at Peace Corps Headquarters as an Expert Consultant, training overseas staff, assisting with new
country entries, and developing training materials for staff worldwide.
Contact person: Duncan Cohen at duncancohen@gmail.com