Greta Daniels
Program Coordinator, Professional Development Program and Alfa Fellowship Program

It's difficult to say from whence Greta's interest in foreign cultures originally sprung, but it can probably be attributed to a mix of her great-grandmother's chicken paprikash, Russian fairytales, and her multi-cultural neighborhood. Originally from New Jersey, Greta moved to New York in 2001 to pursue her degree in Russian at New York University. During her undergraduate program, Greta completed an intensive language program at the Center for Language and Culture in St. Petersburg, Russia. After returning to the States, she became the first participant in the Russian department's combined BA/MA program which allowed her to complete her Masters in Russian & Slavic Studies at NYU's Graduate School of Arts and Science in 2006. Aside from reading a copious amount of 19th Century Russian novels, Greta occupied her collegiate time competing with NYU's Varsity Fencing Team. She was delighted to join the CDS Team in January 2007.

Sara DeLano
Program Assistant, Professional Development Program

Originally from Michigan, Sara first gained an appreciation for international exchange in high school when she participated in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange in Bonn, Germany. She then earned a degree from the University of Michigan with majors in German and Political Science. Immediately after graduating, Sara joined Teach For America and taught 1st grade in Brooklyn, New York, for two years. Sara was excited to join the CDS team in July of 2007. In her free time she enjoys going on road trips, visiting wineries, and cycling.

Matthias Neureither
Program Officer, Professional Development Program

Matthias earned a Masters degree in Art History from the Universitaet Heidelberg with a thesis on car design. Before he came to New York in April 2000 and joined CDS International, he worked for the famous Prinzhorn Collection and Spektrum, one of the largest scientific publishing houses in Germany. His hobbies include classical music and vintage cars.

Tom O'Connor
Senior Program Manager, Professional Development Program

Tom, who became committed to the life-changing rewards of international exchange as a graduate student at the University of Vienna, served as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer in India and four European countries. Subsequently, he became President of the international umbrella organization Youth for Understanding, a high school age exchange program with organizations in forty different countries. Tom holds Masters degrees in International Relations from American University and Johns Hopkins SAIS, as well as a postgraduate diploma from the University of Vienna.

Morgan Pearlman
Assistant Program Officer, Professional Development Program

Originally from Westfield, New Jersey, Morgan has always been greatly interested in studying foreign languages and various cultures. She was able to further explore both these interests in 2005 when she studied at the Humboldt University in Berlin. Morgan graduated from Skidmore College the following spring and holds a BA in German and Psychology. She is very excited to have recently joined the CDS team and to have just moved to Brooklyn.

Anja Strnad
Program Assistant, Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals & Professional Development Program

Anja grew up in Cottbus, Germany, and first became fascinated by foreign cultures and languages on a high school trip to Montreal, Canada. This tour inspired her to travel throughout Europe as well as participate in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals, which brought her to Valdosta, GA, for one year. After returning to Germany, Anja pursued a degree in European Studies at Magdeburg Universität and spent six months studying in Murcia, Spain. Her interest in international exchange programs was solidified by subsequent internships at InWEnt in Cologne and the Goethe-Institut Dresden. Anja was excited to join the CDS team in November 2007 and to live in New York.

Gabrielle White
Assistant Program Officer, Professional Development Program

Growing up in Brooklyn, NY, Gabrielle was always exposed to different cultures and wanted to know more. After her family hosted an exchange student, she learned about the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program for high school students that took her to Göttingen for one year prior to college. After Germany, Gabrielle went on to pursue a BA at Mt. Holyoke College with a History major and German Studies minor. While in college, she spent a year abroad studying at St. Andrews University in Scotland. Having participated as both a student and host, she is excited to be on another side of an intercultural exchange program.