Meet the AAECA Team
The People Behind Your Study Abroad Experience
Our teams on both sides of the Atlantic collaborate closely to provide guidance, support, and expertise throughout your entire journey. From academic counseling and program coordination to on-site assistance in Vienna and the US these are the people committed to your success.
Arthur Mettinger
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Arthur Mettinger, is the chairperson of the Austrian-American Education Cooperation Association. From 1999 to 2011 he served as the University of Vienna’s Vice Rector for Academic and International Affairs, in this capacity driving the modernization agenda in one of Europe’s oldest higher education institutions. Over the past 20 years he has been involved in many projects on the European level concerning curriculum development, ECTS and ECVET, and the training of HE reform and Bologna experts. Dr. Mettinger was an associate professor of English linguistics at the University of Vienna’s Department of English and American Studies until his retirement in October 2021. Additional details on LinkedIn
Alfred Posamentier
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Alfred Posamentier, Professor Emeritus and former Dean at the City College of New York – CUNY, is an award-winning educator who has authored or co-authored more than 80 books in mathematics. He has been a visiting professor at multiple European universities and is currently a Distinguished Lecturer at the New York City College of Technology – City University of New York (CUNY), Dr. Posamentier is a Fulbright Scholar and a frequent commentator in the media on topics related to education and mathematics. Additional details on LinkedIn
Roberta Maierhofer
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr.in Roberta Maierhofer, is Professor of American Studies and Director of the Center for Inter-American Studies at the University of Graz, Austria. A leading expert of Ageing Studies, she is a founding member of the European Network in Aging Studies (ENAS), and the chair of the Board of Trustees of the Afro-Asian Institute, Graz (AAI), an intercultural center with a focus on Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Dr. Maierhofer is the director of the Graz International Summer School Seggau, which was established as an interdisciplinary and intercultural platform in the fields of European and Inter-American Studies. Additional details on LinkedIn
Evelyn Süss-Stepancik
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr.in Evelyn Süss-Stepancik, is the Vice Rector for Academic and International Affairs at the University of Applied Sciences, Vienna. Dr. Süss-Stepancik has more than 25 years of experience in teaching, research, and management at national and international educational institutions. In the field of education, Dr. Süss-Stepancik’s research focuses on mathematics didactics, the integration of new media in mathematics teaching, university didactics, and professional development. Additional details on LinkedIn
David B. Smith,
Advisory board
Dr. David B. Smith, is the Director of the Center for Holistic Integration, a Professor of Sound, Music, and Media Technology and former Dean at New York City College of Technology – City University of New York. An award-winning composer and sound designer, he is a pioneer in live performance virtual orchestras. Dr. Smith is the principal inventor of the Sinfonia® orchestral enhancement instrument, which has been utilized in hundreds of thousands of performances worldwide. He is a founding partner of Realtime Music Solutions and holds several patents in music performance systems. Additional details on LinkedIn and on website.
Denise H. Sutton
Advisory board
Dr.in Denise H. Sutton, is an associate professor of business history at the New York City College of Technology – City University of New York (CUNY). An expert on advertising beauty, she has lectured widely on the subject at universities and at corporations, e.g., Unilever and Firmenich, and is a frequent commentator in the media on topics related to gender, fashion, and beauty. Dr. Sutton is an adjunct associate professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology-SUNY and a 2020 Fulbright award recipient (Vienna, Austria). Additional details on LinkedIn
Karl Zarhuber
Advisory board
Mag. Phil. Karl Johannes Zarhuber, was a Professor at the University College of Teacher Education in Lower Austria until his retirement in 2023. His research focused on migration, education in humanity, and values-based education. Mag. Zarhuber served with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in many capacities, including as Regional Director; Secretary General of the Austrian Youth Red Cross; Senior Advisor in the Youth and Volunteering team; and Global Humanitarian Education Initiative Coordinator. In these roles, he promoted humanitarian education among the 193 Red Cross Red Crescent-National Societies with a focus on education as a strategic field of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement globally and within the respective National Societies. Additional details on LinkedIn
Maximilian Schachner
Advisory board
Mag. Maximilian Schachner, is Professor Emeritus and former Head of Academic Mobility and Labor Market and Industry Relations at the University of Applied Sciences Krems, where he taught International Tourism, Marketing, and Intercultural Communication. He was also responsible for the strategic design of international internships (as essential mandatory curriculum components), operational support for students and monitoring of their practical field experiences as well as quality assurance and enhancement. Dr. Schachner is a Fulbright Scholar (Arizona State University, 2005). Additional details on LinkedIn
Eva Sattlberger
Advisory board
Dr.in Eva Sattlberger, is Professor for School Pedagogy and General Didactics at the Private University College of Teacher Education of Christian Churches Austria. Her research focuses on assessment, gender studies, teacher training, and professional development. Dr. Sattlberger was an educational consultant for the Vienna City School Council, a research associate at the University of Vienna (Institute for Educational Science/Teacher Education), and a Visiting Professor at the City College of New York. She has co-authored textbooks in Physics and Mathematics and is an editor of a journal for school development and management. Additional details on LinkedIn
Petra Heißenberger
Advisory board
Dr.in Petra Heißenberger, is the Vice Rector for Teaching and School Development at the University of Teacher Education Lower Austria. She was formerly the Head of the Leadership Centre at the University College of Teacher Education Lower Austria from 2013 to 2022 and has headed the Department of Leadership Culture there since 2022. Dr. Heißenberger also holds a university professorship for school management and works as a professor for principals of all school types. She conducts research in the field of school management and personality. Additional details on LinkedIn
Barbara Zeitlberger
Office Management
Barbara Zeitlberger is the Office Manager for the Austrian-American Educational Cooperation Association. Ms. Zeitlberger had a long career at VERBUND and Austrian Power Grid AG in Vienna across various departments and roles. As an Executive Assistant at VERBUND Management Service GmbH, she took on numerous responsibilities; her work as a project assistant in diverse projects, such as the „Gesund im Verbund“ initiative, the relocation project of the corporate headquarters, and a cost analysis project with a consulting firm, allowed her to expand both her professional and project-specific skills, as well as her social competencies.
Contributing Members
Administration
Dr. Hans Matzenauer (Honorary President), Christine Steibel, Mag. Reinhard Gruden, Herbert Spacil, Dr. Anton Dobart, OSRn Ilse Henner, Mag. Michael Schedl, Dr. Wolfgang Gröpel