International Education Services Staff

Arlene Wergin, Ph.D. - Director

Arlene was born in Munich, Germany. She moved to the United States when she entered high school after her stepfather, a career diplomat, was stationed in Washington, D.C. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Maryland, College Park and her Ph.D. in German literature from The Johns Hopkins University. After serving as the Director of Foreign Student and Faculty Services at Johns Hopkins, she became the first director of the (then) new office of International Education Services at UMBC in 1990. Her primary responsibility as director is working with UMBC's international faculty and scholars. Arlene is married with two teenage children.

Jennifer Jantos - Assistant Director, International Faculty Services

Jennifer was born in New York but lived in Japan during middle and high school. She is primarily responsible for assisting UMBC faculty and researchers, in addition to advising students in F-1 status. Jennifer worked for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for two years prior to coming to UMBC in 2000. Jennifer received her Bachelor's degree at Towson University in English. She recently earned her Master's degree in Fiction at UMCP.

Roy  Braine - Assistant Director, International  Student Services

Roy was born in Sri Lanka and moved to the U.S. in 1987. He is primarily responsible for advising F-1 Students. Roy worked at Florida State University for 5 years as an international student adviser prior to his current position. Roy received a Masters in Intercultural Management from the School for International Training and has a BA from the University of Central Arkansas.

James Kamonjoh: Student Advisor, International Student Services

Jimmy is a native of Nairobi, Kenya and joined the IES staff in July 2007.
He attended Earlham College in Richmond Indiana, where he got his
Bachelors in Political Science. He worked at The College of Wooster in
Ohio prior to joining us at UMBC. His primary responsibility is also
advising F-1 students. Jimmy loves rugby, college football and traveling.
He hopes to get a Masters in Public Policy from UMBC.

Brian Souders - Assistant Director, Study Abroad

Brian has been UMBC's Coordinator of Study Abroad since 2000. His first study abroad experience was in Finland as a high school exchange student. He liked it so much that he went back for a second year as a student at the University of Helsinki. He also spent two summers on intensive language programs in Moscow, Russia and a year of research in Tallinn, Estonia. He holds a Bachelor's degree Russian and Political Science from Indiana University, and a Master's in Political Science from the University of Illinois. He is completing his Ph. D. in the UMBC Language, Literacy and Culture program. In his spare time, he is an avid marathoner.

Arthur Brown - Administrative Assistant

Arthur has worked with International Education Services at  UMBC since 2005.  Prior to that he worked in the UMBC Office of Undergraduate Admissions.  He was born and raised in Philadelphia.  Arthur is currently pursuing his Bachelor's degree at  UMBC in Education.