Oldenborg Center Staff

As a higher education leader with over 30 years of experience in international education, Senem is passionate about building globally engaged campuses, supporting international student success and shaping immigration policy that works. She is driven by a deep belief in the power of global education to transform lives, build understanding and strengthen institutions. She has been honored with the NAFSA Outstanding Contributions to International Education Award, the Fulbright IEA Grant to France, the DAAD Germany Today Grant to Germany and AU’s Service to the Community Award, and served on national selection committees for Boren, Fulbright, Critical Languages Scholarship program and JET. Senem has been interviewed by NPR, VOA, WETA, NBC and several international media outlets on international education policy and student mobility.

A love of languages and cultures drew Jessica to the dynamic and multifaceted work of the Oldenborg Center. Jessica's career in international education began at Claremont McKenna College in 2008, where she spent eight years working at International Place of The Claremont Colleges. While there, she partnered with colleagues across the consortium to provide specialized programming and services for international students and scholars. A strong proponent of language immersion, Jessica draws on her own study of French, Spanish, and Italian while living abroad. Her elementary knowledge of Arabic and Tagalog—one of her heritage languages—allows her to engage in simple and friendly, if not grammatically perfect, conversations. Jessica holds a B.A. in French and Global Studies, with a concentration in Socioeconomics, Politics, and the Middle East, from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She also holds an M.A. in International Conflict Analysis from the Brussels School of International Studies. Jessica is the mother of two children, whose own study of languages far surpasses her own.

Arlynne Criste (she/her) joined the Oldenborg Center team in the summer of 2025. Originally supporting Oldenborg’s Language Residents and other Oldenborg programming, she now assists with international student and scholar services and the upcoming transition to the Center for Global Engagement. Prior to Oldenborg, Arlynne worked in Pomona’s Asian Languages and Literatures Department managing the US operations (including applications, student advising, assessment, and crisis management) of the Associated Kyoto Program, a study abroad program to Japan. Her professional experience also includes positions at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC and NAFSA: Association of International Educators. As an international educator, Arlynne is passionate about facilitating opportunities for students to critically see themselves and their experiences within a global context. She has studied abroad in Japan twice—once during the summer in high school and for a full year in college.

Adan joined Pomona College fall 2010 after serving as assistant director of the Language Lab at CSU Long Beach for six years. During his time as a student and graduate student at CSU Long Beach he had the opportunity to study abroad for a year in Heidelberg, Germany and participated multiple summers at the University of New Mexico Deutsche Sommerschule, a 5-week intensive German language program. Adan continues to enjoy working with foreign languages and technology. He can be found in Mason assisting the language faculty finding ways to integrate technology into the classroom to assist with language learning/teaching. During Oldenborg Language Tables, he can be found at the German, Japanese, Spanish or Swedish table. To date he has visited 13 countries and 38 U.S. states.

Kathy E. Guillén Quispe (she/her/ella) joined Pomona College in January 2021 and oversees the International Student and Scholar Services. She specializes in helping F-1 and J-1 visa-holding students and scholars from pre-arrival through their program completion. Kathy has worked in international student advising for nine years. She holds an M.A. in Education with a specialization in International and Comparative Education from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Fadia serves as the Program Assistant to Oldenborg helping with student services, programming, and supporting international exchange between language residents and students. She has a B.S. in Business and Management from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MBA International Business and Marketing from American University, Washington D.C. Fadia brings a strong international background having lived in Kuwait and Germany as well as speaking Arabic and German.

Vanessa Wilke joined the Oldenborg Center in January 2026. As Administrative Coordinator, she supports the center's daily operations, Language Tables program, events, and a wide range of administrative functions that help sustain Oldenborg's language-learning and intercultural programs. Vanessa obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication with a minor in German from California State University, San Marcos. Born in Germany, she developed an early appreciation for international cultures and languages, which inspired her continued interest in global engagement and cross-cultural experiences. She speaks fluent German and is studying Spanish in her free time and enjoys finding opportunities to expand her language skills. To date she has visited 10 US states, and 9 countries.