Staff Contact

Valerie’s role within the MBA Program as the Director of MBA Global programs responsible for the development and implementation of the Global Immersion Elective Programs (GIE) as well as the overall strategy and implementation of all MBA Global Programs. The GIE programs are the flagship international experience within the full time MBA program and are a key element of the Global Business Education Model. Valerie has been an active member in NAFSA as well as The Forum on Education Abroad and is excited to take part in the new organization the Global Leadership League. Valerie developed and implemented training for faculty and staff leaders on Emergency Preparedness and Response in coordination with the Undergraduate Business Programs. She is certified in both Cultural Intelligence​ and Globe Smart systems.

Valerie has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Music and Religious studies from Columbia International University and a Masters of Arts in in Arts Administration from Texas Tech University. She began her career in international education in 2001 where she served as a Designated School Official working with incoming international students at a small private college in South Carolina. She has over sixteen years of experience working in higher education administration at both large state universities and a small private college. Valerie has also worked within the nonprofit sector serving as Assistant to the CEO at the South’s Largest Children’s Museum, Edventure and as Managing Director of a small educational theatre company. Before joining UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School she served as Assistant Director of the Center for Global Engagement in the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University.

Valerie began her international experiences as a young adult performing with a combined choral group in​ Vienna, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic; and Bratislava , Slovakia. She has since become a dedicated international education professional and a passionate advocate for the value of international education as a means by which students have their comfort zones challenged and build the skills that are necessary to be competitive and successful in the modern business environment. She has traveled to Austria, Botswana, Canada, Cuba, Czech Republic, India, Israel, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Switzerland, South Korea, Argentina, and Uruguay. Valerie​ and her husband Ben currently live in Pittsboro.

Patricia´s role within the MBA Program as the MBA Global Programs Associate Director is being responsible for the successful execution of the MBA Exchange Program. She serves as a board member within the​​ PIM organization (Partnership in International Management), a consortium of top business schools around the world. She represented UNC as a board member in the NCAIE, a state organization of international education. Patricia works closely with international full-time MBA students in adjusting them to life in the U.S. She also works closely with MBASA career and social clubs, in particular the MBASA Interna​tional Business Association. School wide, Patricia has served as a member of the Enrichment & Diversity Committee, as well as the Social Committee. She is a certified instructor in Cultural Intelligence​ and Globe Smart systems. She  is also an active member of NAFSA and Forum of Education Abroad. 

Patricia was born and raised in Germany. Her hometown is Göttingen, a small University town in Lower Saxony, about 2 hours north of Frankfurt. Always attracted to foreign languages and cultures it became her passion to travel throughout Europe on any given occasion. After college, where she studied English, French and Spanish, she worked as an international student advisor in the International Office at her hometown university, the Georg-August University in Göttingen. Patricia later transferred to Munich, LMU, Ludwigs-Maximilans Universität with a short stint at the University of Trier. Being a basketball player’s wife made her change cities and jobs quite frequently.

​In 1994 Patricia moved from Germany to the U.S.. After her initial year of adapting to American ‘food’ and ‘culture’ in West Virginia, a move to North Carolina really made her finally feel like home far away from home. In 1996 she started working for American Express as a credit analyst in Greensboro, NC, and in 1998 she began working at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Her first job was in the alumni office, with a short stint as the Dean’s assistant, and in August 2000 she joined the Office of International Programs which is now a part of the MBA Program. Patricia´s passion is photography, traveling, her Irish Setter, and basketball. During her high school time in Germany, she won the Junior National Championship representing Germany in the finals in the Czech Republic. Of course her favorite teams are found right here in the Triangle: UNC basketball, and football! Go Heels! 

Kaitlyn has worked within UNC since 2011, joining Kenan-Flagler in 2018. Her role spans all MBA program formats, where she orchestrates dynamic global experiences. In the full-time program, she spearheads the Dean’s Fellows Global Immersion and plays a pivotal role in contributing to the Global Immersion Electives (GIEs). Beyond the full-time MBA, Kaitlyn takes charge of coordinating international MBA@UNC Summits and Immersions, as well as leading the Global Entrepreneurship Lab (GEL) for our working professionals.

Grounded in the conviction that international experiences possess the power to generate profound transformations and shifts in mindset, Kaitlyn earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Master’s in Higher Education, with a focus on International Education. She brings a nuanced understanding to her role. With close to 12 years of experience in the field, she has not only worked extensively in international education, but has also lived and worked abroad in Ireland. Beyond professional commitments, she is a certified GlobeSmart facilitator, a member of the MBA Diversity Committee, and an annual judge in the UNC Global Photography Competition. Kaitlyn also served on the UNC Chancellor’s Global Taskforce, and is currently an active board member for NAFSA: the US Association of International Educators.

Born and raised in Chicago, Kaitlyn’s wanderlust has led her on adventures across Europe, Central America, South America, Africa, and Oceania. Outside the office, she (unsurprisingly) loves to travel and spend time with her toddler son, who proudly earned his first passport stamp at 3 months old. She is thrilled to support Global Programs at Kenan-Flagler and looks forward to working with students as they prepare to cross borders and cultures, challenge their comfort zones, and grow in ways they never expected.