Some career moves are meticulously planned. Others arrive more like unexpected invitations - nudging us toward something new and meaningful. According to Kyle Rausch, EdD, that second type has shown up often in his journey. While he’s always had a broad sense of his desired career direction, the moments of real growth have come when he stayed curious, paid attention, and embraced the opportunities that made his heart beat a little faster. 

That openness is part of what makes us so thrilled to welcome Kyle to CEA CAPA as our new Vice President of Academic Partnerships. Kyle officially joins the Academic Affairs team on March 30, bringing with him nearly two decades of experience in international education as a scholar-practitioner, program administrator, and first-generation student advocate. A longtime collaborator and friend of CEA CAPA, Kyle’s passion for understanding the big questions - about quality, ethics, access, and the future of global learning - aligns beautifully with where we’re headed as an organization. 

Kyle often describes himself as the kind of “nerd” who wants to understand every moving part of the education abroad ecosystem. His curiosity is balanced with thoughtful intentionality and a deep commitment to student learning, institutional collaboration, and meaningful global engagement. This new role offers him the opportunity to take a deeper dive into a dimension of the field he’s always wanted to explore more fully - the partner/provider side - at a time when international education is rapidly evolving and reimagining itself. 

As we at CEA CAPA continue shaping our next chapter as a global organization, we’re grateful to add Kyle’s perspective, leadership, and warmth to our team. We know he’ll play an important role in strengthening academic partnerships, elevating innovation, and helping us ask (and answer!) the big questions that will define the future of education abroad. 

To help you get to know him a bit better, we asked Kyle to tackle some of our favorite “Meet the Team” questions. Enjoy his thoughtful and engaging responses below!  

Can you share a pivotal moment in your academic or professional journey that significantly shaped your approach to global learning? 

A pivotal moment for me came during my dissertation, which focused on first-generation college students in education abroad. I partnered with a group of first-generation students on a photovoice action research project where they documented what it meant to study abroad as first-gen students and later developed what they called a “Theory of First-Generation Strength.” Through that process, I realized I had been unintentionally approaching my work from a deficit lens. Listening to students articulate their resilience, independence, and resourcefulness reshaped how I think about access and support. Since then, my approach to global learning has centered on helping students recognize and leverage their inherent strengths as they pursue high-impact experiences. 

What excites you most about joining CEA CAPA at this moment in its evolution? 

I’ve collaborated with CEA CAPA since early in my career, and over time I’ve come to appreciate several qualities that truly differentiate the organization. There has always been a strong emphasis on helping students not just have meaningful experiences abroad but also articulating what they’ve learned and connecting those insights to their future goals - something that feels especially important as our field works to better communicate its value. I’ve also consistently experienced CEA CAPA as a people-centered partner: genuinely curious about institutional context and focused on building solutions together rather than offering something transactional. As the organization continues to grow, expand its portfolio, and welcome both long-standing leaders and new program models and locations, I’m excited to join at a moment when there’s real opportunity to help shape what comes next and further broaden access to global learning. 

You’ve worked extensively across academic environments - what lessons or philosophies from those experiences guide you today? 

I’m a product of public education, and my entire career has been in education abroad offices at public universities. That experience has shaped a deep commitment to access and a recognition that expanding participation requires more than a single “gold standard” model. I believe strongly in centering the learner - designing programs that scaffold curiosity, invite exploration, and challenge students to grow while remaining meaningfully accessible. Working in resource-constrained environments has also clarified my values as an educator; when education abroad isn’t always the top institutional priority, you have to be grounded in your “why.” Those experiences continue to guide how I approach partnership, program design, and decision-making today. 

How do you envision the future of study abroad and experiential learning, and what role do you see CEA CAPA playing in that future? 

Education abroad must continue to demonstrate its relevance in a world that feels increasingly connected through technology yet deeply fragmented in practice. As financial and environmental considerations around travel grow, we have to be clearer about why immersive, in-context learning still matters - and how global experiences contribute to solutions that are both locally and globally grounded. I believe the future of experiential learning will require creativity, stronger articulation of impact, and a willingness to rethink what it means to “do” international education. 

CEA CAPA is well positioned to help shape that future. With its legacy of strong academic design, people-centered programs, and skills-based pedagogy - combined with the collective expertise of respected colleagues across the field - the organization has already demonstrated that collaboration drives innovation. I’m excited about the role CEA CAPA can play in advancing thought leadership and partnership-driven initiatives that bring the field forward together.  

What values or approaches do you hope to bring to your role as VP of Academic Partnerships that will directly benefit students and partners? 

The values that guide me most are curiosity, transparency, and access. I believe effective partnerships begin with listening - taking the time to understand institutional priorities, constraints, and aspirations before proposing solutions. Education abroad is ultimately a people-centered enterprise, and strong relationships built on trust and clarity are what allow it to function as a true problem-solver. As a collaborative and solutions-oriented leader, I’m committed to working alongside partners to design thoughtful, responsive strategies that directly benefit students and advance shared goals.