CAPA About Us | Resident Director Staff

Barcelona

Laura Rovira Canals

Assistant Director of Program & Student Services in Barcelona

As Assistant Director of Program and Student Services at CAPA Barcelona, Laura’s role is to oversee and coordinate all aspects of the CAPA Barcelona Student Services and Custom Program teams, including logistics and operations, crisis management, health & safety protocols, and services, student advising, cultural engagement programming, student housing, and advising on custom program development. Prior to joining CEA and CAPA, Laura taught English to speakers of other languages and worked in tourism, high fashion, and international travel and education.

Laura holds an M.B.A. in Strategic Management of Events and Protocol and a B.A. in Applied Language in English and French from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. She is a native speaker of Catalan and Spanish, speaks fluent English, and has varying levels of French, Italian, and Mandarin. She studied abroad in Canada and the United Kingdom, which is why she strongly believes in the importance of living abroad when it comes to personal growth. These experiences give her insight into the challenges that come with studying abroad, and how to overcome problems and build resilience.

Dublin

Alessandra Nania

Director of Program and Student Services in Dublin

As CAPA Dublin's Director of Program and Student Services, Alessandra brings her expertise in study abroad with a strong focus on operations, logistics, programming, inclusion, event management, and general student well-being. Born in Italy, she first arrived in Dublin in 2003 as a student and intern, returning home with a passion for all things Irish. She decided to leave Italy a year later to move back to Ireland. In 2008 she began her career in international education, gaining great experience in managing all aspects of study abroad, and has since worked with many faculty and institutions.

Alessandra leads a team of dedicated staff covering many aspects of CAPA programming such as student services, pastoral care, housing, program activities, health and safety, inclusions, and internship, ensuring that the students have an enriching and positive experience throughout their stay. Alessandra holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Management and teaches Italian and English as second languages. She is outgoing, has many interests, and is passionate about her job.

Florence

Lorenzo Ciccarelli

Director of Program and Student Services in Florence

Lorenzo was born and raised in Florence and is half Italian and half Swiss. His mother tongue is Italian, though he is fluent in German, English, French, and Spanish. After attending high school in Florence, Lorenzo moved to Lucerne, Switzerland where he obtained his degree in Hotel Management. Lorenzo became a part of the CAPA Florence Center team in 2000. Prior to joining CAPA, Lorenzo worked in the hotel business for several years in various countries in Europe and South America. He oversees all the operations for the CAPA Florence Center.

London

Katie Cohen

Director of Program and Student Services in London

Katie comes to CAPA with over a decade of experience in study abroad; she has worked at an international education organization, at a US institution, and has served on the Board of AASAP/UK (The Association of American Study Abroad Programs, UK). Katie holds a BA in American Studies from the University of Birmingham, in which she spent a year studying in the US at the University of California, Santa Barbara, an experience which provides her with a solid frame of reference when connecting with students in London today. Katie also holds an MA in Contemporary Literature and Culture from Birkbeck College, University of London. When not at our CAPA London Centre, Katie can be found serving her community in leadership roles as a school Governor and town councillor. Across all her endeavours, Katie brings a passion for widening opportunity and a strong belief in the transformative potential of education.

Sydney

Daniel Cunningham

Director of Program and Student Services in Sydney

Since 2008, Daniel has held key positions helping and guiding students from over 90 countries through their educational journeys, gaining extensive experience managing student events, student safety and wellbeing, housing, and programming. Having lived and worked in England, Ireland, and Australia, as well as traveling extensively across five continents, Daniel is well-versed in cross-cultural competence and meeting the needs of students from different cultures and viewpoints. As the CAPA Sydney Resident Director since 2019, Daniel leads a team of dedicated staff covering many aspects of CAPA programming such as student services, pastoral care, housing, program activities and inclusions, internships, and ensuring the overall student experience in Sydney is a fulfilling and rewarding one. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accountancy) degree from the National University of Ireland, Galway, a Higher Diploma in Project Management from Griffith College, Dublin, and is currently completing his MBA at the University of Newcastle, Australia.

Resident Directors

Barcelona

Dublin

Florence

London

Sydney