Faculty — Global Citizenship Program and English as Second Language

Julianna Sandholm-Bark has over 20 years of experience working in international education, teaching courses in art history, literature, critical thinking and research methods on a regular basis since 2008. As the Head of the Global Citizenship Program since 2017, she oversees the institution's liberal arts curriculum which hosts courses in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, and which provides students with a core educational foundation that emphasizes critical thinking skills. From 2018 to 2023, she oversaw the Meet the Artist Lecture and Podcast Series, an educational initiative that brought Geneva’s vibrant artistic community to the Webster campus. She has been contributing her expertise in art and education at Geneva's annual art fair artgenève since 2019. A contributor to the “Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible,” she has presented her work on art, pedagogy and assessment at numerous academic conferences since 2014.

“Dreamer's Water: Why data isn’t enough, with apologies to Hans Rosling.” 78 Magazine, April 2, 2021.

Possible in Visual Arts. In Glăveanu V.P. (Ed.), “The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible.” Cham: Palgrave Macmillan (2020).

F. Arese Visconti, and J. Sandholm-Bark. (2018). "Enabling effective assessment through collaboration." INTED2018 Proceedings. ISBN: 978-84-697-9480-7

Julianna Bark and Anders Sandholm. Describing the Value of Art through Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedastic Models. In Rodríguez-Ortega, “IV Encuentro Internacional de Historia del Arte y Cultura Artística Digital. Libro de resúmenes.” (2016).

“(Not just) spots on a wall — a review of Hirst’s spot paintings, exhibited at Gagosian in Geneva,” Le Flaneur, 21 Feb. 2012.

“Portraiture, Authorship, and the Authentication of Shakespeare,” Swiss Papers in English Language and Literature 25 (2011), 215-229.

Jean-François Guillebaud, in “Artistes à Genève,” Karine Tissot, ed. (Geneva: Editions Notari, 2010), 286-287.

“Jean-Etienne Liotard, Mimesis, and History Painting,” Cantor Arts Center Journal 6 (2008-2009), 19-25.

“The Spectacular Self: Jean-Etienne Liotard’s Self-Portrait Laughing,” Inferno 12 (2007-8), 49-56.

Email: juliannabark21@webster.edu

Reni Atanassova received a MASE in Secondary Education, a Master of Arts in English Literature and Linguistics and a Master of Science in Psychology, all from the University of Geneva.

 

Email: reniatanassova@webster.edu

Lucie Cardinaux teaches French and serves as an academic advisor at Webster Geneva Campus. She holds a Master of Arts in French as a Foreign Language and a Master of Arts in Translation and Intercultural Communication, both from the University of Geneva. Swiss and French, she brings a multicultural perspective to her teaching, incorporating cultural insights that enrich classroom discussions.

Before joining Webster, she taught in a Swiss linguistic program for refugees. In addition to her academic role, she is an artist specializing in painting and drawing, and she supports the campus Art Club. A passionate reader, she especially enjoys science fiction, and in her free time, she loves to explore new creative projects.

 

Email: luciecardinaux@webster.edu

Peter Carson received a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver. He has practiced law in the area of tort litigation, worked as a reporter and editor for several publications in the United States and Switzerland, and worked in the community investment department of a large nonprofit in Houston, Texas. In addition to teaching Peter is manager for academic advising and student success at Webster Geneva Campus.

 

Email: petercarson43@webster.edu

Lucia Del Moro is a counselor and language instructor (Italian and German) in the Geneva/Nyon area. Italian and Swiss, Lucia holds a Master of Arts in Foreign Languages from the University of Florence (Italy), a Master of Arts in Translation and Interpretation from the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Webster University. She is a licensed counselor (Swiss Association of Counselling – SGfB) specialized in Logotherapy, the existential approach developed by Viktor Frankl.

 

Email: luciadelmoro87@webster.edu

Agnès Demornex is an English as a Second Language and Global Cornerstone teacher at Webster University Geneva and a teacher trainer at Haute école pédagogique du canton du Vaud in Lausanne. She studied Architecture at École d'architecture de Lyon and English Civilization and Literature at Univeristé Lyon II before moving to the United States. She a has earned an MA in English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education at the American College of Education and is currently finishing an MA in English Literature and Culture at Hertfordshire University in England.

Her research interests include universal design for learning (UDL), developing students’ choice, voice and autonomy, as well as meaningful technology integration. She taught at high schools and middle schools in the United States for over ten years before returning to France and concentrating on her current positions at the university level. She is committee director of the Kamilala Swiss competition of plurilingual kamishibaïs, which involves the Japanese art of storytelling in French along with the integration of several other languages.

Besides her passion for language teaching and education, Demornex is an avid gardener.

Demornex, A. (2022). Fostering student voice, choice, and autonomy in the foreign language classroom. ETAS Journal, 39(no.1), 34-35.

Bemporad, C., et Demornex, A. (Eds.). (2023). Le kamishibai plurilingue multimodal: un outil d’éducation numérique ? Edilettre, 1.

Bemporad, C., et Demornex, A. (2023, juin). Le kamishibaï plurilingue : enjeux de la multimodalité et défis du numérique. Communication présentée à 10ème congrès international de l’association EDiLiC: L’éducation plurilingue de la petite enfance à l’âge adulte: Transitions, continuités et ruptures, Copenhague, Danemark.

Demornex, A., Lehmacher, S., et Viret Couchoux, E. (2024). Aide à l'apprentissage des langues. Cahiers Pédagogiques (Les), 593, 40-41.

Email: agnesdemornex76@webster.edu

Dr. Frei is a recent addition to the faculty at Webster University, where he teaches courses in biology and mathematics. He holds a PhD in Biology from the University of Geneva, having begun his academic journey at Grenoble University, France, before transitioning to Geneva in 2009. His research focuses on genetics, molecular biology and developmental biology in insect systems, including a notable discovery in Drosophila genetics. This work uncovered the unique expression pattern of a specific messenger RNA in the brain essential for reproductive processes.

Frei is committed to creating a welcoming and supportive classroom environment where students feel safe and excited to learn. Outside academia, he holds an IPMA Level D project management certification, is passionate about French, Japanese and Italian culinary arts, and enjoys playing drums in a music band.

Frei Y, Immarigeon C, Revel M, Karch F, Maeda RK (2024) Upstream open reading frames repress the translation from the iab-8 RNA. PLoS Genet 20(9): e1011214.

C. Immarigeon, Y. Frei, S.Y.N. Delbare, D. Gligorov, P. Machado Almeida, J. Grey, L. Fabbro, E. Nagoshi, J. Billeter, M.F. Wolfner, F. Karch, R.K. Maeda, (2021) Identification of a micropeptide and multiple secondary cell genes that modulate Drosophila male reproductive success, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 118 (15): e2001897118.

Maeda RK, Sitnik JL, Frei Y, Prince E, Gligorov D, Wolfner MF, et al. (2018) The lncRNA male-specific abdominal plays a critical role in Drosophila accessory gland development and male fertility. PLoS Genet 14(7): e1007519.

 

Zuzana Hevler studied journalism and media studies at FSV, U.K. She is a trained journalist and has carried out a part of her studies in New York and England at the U.K.'s Loughborough University. She has written for various newspapers and weeklies in English and has worked since 2007 in conjunction with International Geneva. She worked as an editor for the Hospodářské Noviny, the English-language weekly Prague Post and the daily Zemské Noviny. She gathered experience in the magazine Československý shah.

Groundbreaking Referendum and Billion-Dollar Costs: Swiss Approve 13th Pension, March 4, 2024.

Zelensky Criticizes Putin in Davos: Once Again Urges Swiss, Who Promise Peace Conference, Jan. 16, 2024.

Watches Worth Hundreds of Thousands to Tens of Millions: Left a World-Renowned Watch Company and Started His Own in a Room, Nov. 4, 2023.

Swiss-Alps-Zermatt: Glaciers Melting Faster Than Expected, Surprising the Swiss. Only Some Snow-Capped Peaks Might Be Saved. Oct. 7, 2023.

Zelensky's Attempt to Convince Hesitant Swiss: Standing Ovations and a Few Walkouts. June 15, 2023.

Swiss Leopards Gather Dust: Will Bern Send Tanks to Ukraine? Arms Companies Await Permission, Public and Parliament Divided. June 7, 2023.

"It’s Important to Fulfill Dreams You Had as a Child," Says Mystery Author Michaela Klevisová. April 26, 2023.

Swiss Dismantle Air Defense Missiles Despite Not Needing To: Criticism Arises, Could Have Sent Them to Ukraine. March 15, 2023.

"For Russia, It’s a Case of Let the Chips Fall Where They May," Says the Highest-Ranking Czech Diplomat at the UN. March 13, 2023.

 

Kwihee Kauffmann-Bin is a pianist who has been teaching piano and music since 2000.

After graduating her bachelor’s degree in Composition at KyungWon University in Seoul, she came to Switzerland where she studied French and earned a Music Theory Teaching Diploma (MA) and Certificates in Musical Culture Teaching (Advanced Musical Theory, Music Analysis and Orchestration) at Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève. She has given concerts in duet with Soprano Kwihyun Bin in Switzerland, France, Scotland, U.S., Japan and South Korea and performances with other musicians.

 

 

Though Canadian by birth, Olivia Marcz has spent most of her life abroad in Southern Africa, Southeast Asia and Europe.

She works in private practice with adolescent and adult clients. After completing her Master of Arts in Counseling at Webster University, Geneva, she went on to study cross-cultural trauma at Harvard University in Italy and completed her Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy at the University of Oxford.

Marcz has worked as a school counselor for both primary and secondary school students in international schools in Switzerland and Cuba. She is a qualified international psychology educator with experience teaching various psychology curricula, specializing in neurodivergent education.

 

 

Agnese Mariotti earned a PhD in Genetics from the University of Pavia, Italy. After her postdoctoral research studies at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, she worked as a principal scientist at the University of Lausanne. She is the author of various scientific articles and of two books for the general public on the effects of psychophysical stress on health (Gestire lo stress, Il Punto di Incontro, 2017, and Stress, les solutions sont dans nos mains, Rosso Editions, 2018). She is particularly interested in the biological mechanisms that coordinate the interactions between our physical and psychological responses.

 

Email: agnesemariotti74@webster.edu

Eric Ménétré is a dedicated researcher with a PhD in Psychology from the University of Geneva, where he focused on the involvement of executive functioning in word production using neuroimaging methods. His academic journey also includes a Master of Advanced Studies in Clinical Neuropsychology and a Master of Science in Psychology, both from the University of Geneva.

In his current role as a postdoctoral researcher at the EEG and Epilepsy Unit in the Division of Neurology at the University Hospitals of Geneva, Ménétré is at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence with clinical data to enhance the diagnosis of epilepsy. He is spearheading the development of a medical device designed to identify novel biomarkers at the first seizure, aiming to redefine early detection and intervention. Ménétré's work also involves the coordination of multicentric research projects, ensuring data quality and consistency across seven epilepsy centers. His dedication to methodological rigor and advanced statistical knowledge has been instrumental in advancing both academic research and clinical applications in the field of neurology.

 

Email: ericmenetre@webster.edu

Anne-Laure Oberson is a philosopher, photographer and curator. Her research focuses on the quantic nature of images, the impact of electronic images on cognitive processes and phenomena such as synchronicity. She is currently writing on imagination in regards to generative models for image creation. She is leading an art residency program and teaching contemporary philosophy. She has edited and contributed to books, catalogs and articles in the field of philosophy, contemporary art, photography and art history. Her book "I see. Do you? Thinking Seeing" was published by Atropos Press. She studied History of Art at the University College of London and Philosophy, Art and Critical Thought at the European Graduate School.

Fight Back! in “The Struggle for Digital Images, An Agonistic Perspective of New Media Floods,” ed. Béatrice Joyeux-Prunel et al., upcoming.

Anne-Laure Oberson. Making Sense of AI Generated Images in the Process of Imagination, in “From Hype to Reality: Artificial Intelligence in the Study of Art and Culture,” ed. Eva Cetinić, Darío Negueruela del Castillo, 2024, Hertziana Studies in Art History, vol. 03, 2024.

Towards a New Imag(e)ination, in “A Piece of Artificial Intelligence,” ed. Flussera Robionica, Postdam: University of Applied Science, 2024.

From visibilities to images: can AI models offer us a look beyond the invisible? Mundus imaginalis: Philosophical lucubrations towards an imaginary approach to the question of synchronicity, in “Quantum Psyche 2,” ed. Giuliana Galli Carminati et al., Genève: KDP Independant Publishing Platform, February 2021.

"La fièvre - ce facteur trop humain", in Markiewick&Piron, PFH*, Luxembourg: Centre national de l'audiovisuel, March 2020.

"The fourth meaning of the image: Flusser's invitation to envision the world," Flusser Studies, vol. 29, February 2020.

Œuvres en devenir - devenir d’une œuvre. L’an-archive de Bujar Marika, in Dayer, C., Schurmans, M.-N. & Charmillot, C., “La restitution des savoirs : un impensé des sciences sociales?,” Paris: L'Harmattan, April 2014.

“I see. Do you? Thinking seeing,” New York, Dresden: Atropos, February 2013.

View a complete list of publications.

Email: annelaureoberson@webster.edu

Ivana Machonova Schellongova has more than 20 years of experience in international human rights law, litigations, negotiations, and diplomacy, including in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), the End Human Trafficking Now (EHTN) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. She works in the Human Rights Treaties Branch of OHCHR and manages the Special Fund on Torture Prevention (OPCAT Special Fund). She collaborates with the Research Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, Charles University where she serves as a member of the Editorial Board of the Human Rights Bulletin and is a visiting lecturer at the Prague Economic University on business and human rights. She holds a PhD and JD in International Law, the Faculty of Law, Charles University in Prague, and Master in International Relations, the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva and Master in Law, the Faculty of Law, Masaryk University, Brno.

Neuroscience and Human Rights, Human Rights Bulletin, Charles University, 2024.

Death Penalty and Prohibition of Torture, Human Rights Bulletin, Charles University, 2023.

Draft Legally Binding Instrument on Business and Human Rights, Azem Gealfow and Ivana Machonova Schellongova, International and Comparative Law Review, Issue 1, 2022.

Reservations to International Human Rights Treaties and the Practice of the Czech Republic, Czech Law Journal, Vol. 1, 2022.

The Practice of the European Court and the Human Rights Committee – convergence or divergence? in “70th Anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights” (Pavel Sturma and Alla Tymofeyeva, eds.), Science & New Media Passau-Berlin-Prague, 2021.

Right to a Peaceful Assembly, General Comment of the Human Rights Committee, Human Rights Bulletin, Charles University, Vol. 2, 2020.

Are Human Rights Universal? The Legacy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in “70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” (Pavel Sturma and Milan Lipovsky, eds.), Science & New Media, Passau-Berlin-Prague, 2019.

United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies’ Approach to States’ Obligations in the Context of Business Activities, in “Business and Human Rights,” (Pavel Sturman and Vinicius Almada Mozetic, eds.), Science & New Media Passau-Berlin-Prague, 2018.

Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, Human Rights Bulletin, Faculty of Law, Charles University, Prague, Vol. 3, 2016.

What Regulations for Corporations and Business Enterprises with respect to Human Rights? Acta Oeconomica Pragensis, Economic University, Prague, Vol. 5, 2015.

A New International Instrument on Business and Human Rights, Human Rights Bulletin, Faculty of Law, Charles University, Prague, Vol. 2, 2015.

The United Nations Treaty Bodies Interim Measures: An Effective Instrument of Human Rights Protection? Czech Law Journal, Vol. 8, 2015.

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflicts, Czech Law Journal, Vol. 6, 2002.

Email: ivanam73@webster.edu

Francesco Pennacchio is a multidisciplinary professional whose expertise spans chemistry, physics, public health and the art of visual storytelling. With a BSc and a MSc in Chemistry from University of Pavia Italy and a PhD in Physical Chemistry from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Francesco initially grounded his career in the sciences. Over time, he transitioned into the realms of data science and population health, notably coordinating the Specchio-COVID-19 digital study, a longitudinal study tracking the experiences of 20,000 participants during the pandemic. His work in scientific research is complemented by a passion for communicating complex topics through photography.

As a visual artist and documentarian, holding an MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography from University of the arts London, Francesco’s photography focuses on themes of the invisible like memory and identity. He has exhibited and been published internationally, including in Galleria Civica Bosio, IPFO Haus der Fotografie, Modern Art Oxford, Il Meccanico, and on Lonely Planet Magazine and LensCulture. His photographic style has garnered recognition through numerous awards, including the PhEST Open Call for Being Human, Athens Photo Festival and the Siena Drone Photo Awards.

In addition to his work at Webster Geneva Campus, Francesco currently collaborates with the Visual Art Biennale Images Vevey, teaches photography in Geneva and continues freelance work, blending his scientific insights with a profound commitment to visual storytelling.

Baysson, H., Pennacchio, F., et al. Specchio-COVID19 cohort study: a longitudinal follow-up of SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey participants in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland. BMJ Open 2022;12:e055515. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055515

Stringhini, S. et al. Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after the second pandemic peak. The Lancet. Infectious diseases vol. 21,5 (2021): 600-601. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00054-2

Stringhini, S. et al. Large variation in anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence among essential workers in Geneva, Switzerland. Nat Commun 12, 3455 (2021). doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23796-4

Dumont, R., et al. A population-based serological study of post-COVID syndrome prevalence and risk factors in children and adolescentis. Nat Commun 13, 7086 (2022). doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-34616-8

Pennacchio, F., et al. Design and implementation of an optimal laser pulse front tilting scheme for ultrafast electron diffraction in reflection geometry with high temporal resolution. Struct. Dyn. 1 July 2017; 4 (4): 044032. doi: 10.1063/1.4991483

Truc B., et al, Ultrafast generation of hidden phases via energy-tuned electronic photoexcitation in magnetite, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 121 (26) e2316438121, doi: 10.1073/pnas.2316438121 (2024).

 

Dusan Petkovic holds a PhD in media technologies and innovation, a master's degree in visual anthropology from the Free University of Berlin, and a bachelor's degree from the Dutch Film and Television Academy. With over eighteen years of professional experience in media production, Petkovic is a post-production specialist with a long list of award-winning projects. He has worked on four continents and his projects have received awards at the Sundance Film festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, as well as the BAFTA, BfFA and Daytime Emmy awards.

 

 

Jeanette Tantillo has two master’s degrees, one from the Bloustein School of City and Regional Planning at Rutgers University and the other from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. She has worked at various non-governmental organizations in Geneva organizing and moderating dialogues, acting as liaison, and providing documentation, presentations and training on sustainable development in the areas of digital technologies, trade and ethics. She began working at Webster Geneva Campus in 2007, where for over 15 years she has engaged students in exploring the complicated mandates of international organizations, including the contributions and impacts of civil society, corporations and digital technologies. She is otherwise a private consultant for lectures, research and editing; a Model United Nations trainer; a poet and fiction author; hostess of the Geneva Open Mic Poetry Readings; and an optimistic gardener with moderate success.

 

Email: jtantillo84@webster.edu

Davide Vité was born in Italy, where he obtained an MSc in Physics. After a research experience at the University of California in Santa Cruz, he joined the Imperial College in London where he obtained his PhD in Physics while a doctoral student at CERN, Geneva. He became research associate at the University of Geneva and worked in collaboration with CERN and NASA, while obtaining an MBA at Webster Geneva Campus. Vité was then in charge of learning programs at CERN and UNAIDS, devoted fully to teaching since 2007 and obtaining a MASE in Physics and Mathematics. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Musicology at the University of Geneva. Vité's teaching approach focuses on students’ needs while creating a motivating, dynamic classroom environment. His current fields of interest include innovative teaching, environmental science and ancient music.

 

Email: vitedav@webster.edu