Susan Sygall, co-founder and CEO of Mobility International USA, is an internationally recognized expert in the area of international educational exchange and leadership programs for persons with disabilities. Sygall, who uses a wheelchair, has had a personal and professional commitment to disability rights and women's issues for more than 25 years.

Susan has lectured throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia on a variety of topics related to international exchange and disability rights, and has traveled to more than 25 countries.

Cerise Roth-Vinson is the Director of Administration at Mobility International USA and the Project Manager of the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange.  Cerise oversees all NCDE operations, leads the Muslim World Initiative, manages the NCDE budget, leads the NCDE staff and team, and writes and edits proposals, articles and publications. Cerise received an M.A. in International Studies at the University of Oregon with an emphasis on international development and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa.

Cerise speaks Arabic and French, and has participated on international exchange programs in Yemen, France, Turkey, Japan, England, Morocco, and the Gambia, West Africa. She has led international exchange programs for people with disabilities from around the world and has traveled to more than 45 countries worldwide.

E-mail Cerise at crothvinson@miusa.org

Michele Scheib is the Project Specialist.  Michele works on initiating new projects each year involving outreach, research, publications, and presentations.

Michele completed her Master’s degree in Comparative and International Development Education at the University of Minnesota, where she addressed the topic of students with non-apparent disabilities in education abroad. She also assisted with Access Abroad’s project for enhancing study abroad for students with disabilities.

Michele visited with disability organizations in Northeast Thailand on a Rotary scholarship and has also studied abroad with the School for International Training in Kenya after which she volunteered as a teacher for deaf children in rural Kenya. She has also traveled or attended conferences in Canada, Europe, and New Zealand.

E-mail Michele at mscheib@miusa.org

Jeff McBride is the Project Coordinator.  Jeff works closely with the Project Specialist and Manager on NCDE projects, initiatives, and presentations, answers questions about exchange and accessibility information, presents at conferences and events, and develops new promotional materials and content for the NCDE website.

Jeff graduated with a Bachelors degree in Political Science (Russian/East European Studies) from the University of Oregon. Jeff lived in Hungary for two years as a university exchange student in Szeged and as a high school English teacher in Hodmezovasarhely.  He also worked as an English Teacher on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program and as a SCUBA Diving Instructor in Okinawa, Japan for three years .

Jeff's passion for travel and new experiences has taken him to 28 countries in Europe, Asia and Central America.

E-mail Jeff at jmcbride@miusa.org

Melissa Mitchell is the Outreach & Training Coordinator for the NCDE.  She develops and presents trainings on disability and exchange for conferences and for organizations. Melissa, who uses a wheelchair and has a service dog, can relate her trainings and consultations to her own experiences as a student and teacher in France.

Melissa holds a degree in Communications from Central Washington University.  Previously, Melissa served on the Washington State Disability Council, worked on youth projects, and conducted disaster preparedness training for people with disabilities.

E-mail Melissa at mmitchell@miusa.org.

Olivia Emilia is the Information Services Coordinator at the NCDE.  Her work involves answering inquiries from individuals with disabilities and providing technical assistance to organizations on disability inclusion and international exchange, presenting information at conferences and other forums, and writing articles and resources.

Olivia holds a B.A. degree from Lewis and Clark College and is obtaining a Master’s degree in International Education from the School for International Training. Her research is focusing on the support of students with psychiatric disabilities on study abroad programs. Olivia worked at SIT Study Abroad advising students and assisting with in-country logistics for programs in Europe and the Middle East. She also led a semester long Lewis and Clark College study abroad program to East Africa and studied abroad in Zimbabwe and Spain.

Email Olivia at: oemilia@miusa.org.