Florence Claassen

Experience:
Florence Claassen serves as Resident Director of the GW Paris program. She has been in her position since the program was launched in 2001 and she participated in shaping it over the years. Florence serves as GW liaison to Sciences Po and ESSEC for academic support, students services, and extracurricular activities. She organizes student arrival and orientation program logistics. Florence develops and presents an on-site orientation program and activities each semester to introduce students to life in France, cultural mores, health and safety matters. Florence also reviews and approves student housing placements.  Historically, for the former Fall Business Program, she supported faculty and arranged logistics for all corporate site visits. Florence prepares a selection of cultural events and excursions, highlighting things which are difficult to visit independently including a weekend trip to Normandy and Mont Saint-Michel.

Florence’s top priority has always been to make sure students get the most out of their stay in Paris. With her years of experience she provides strong support and guidance to students. In 2012, Florence was awarded the GWU Parent Choice Award in recognition of her commitment to supporting students abroad. As a member of Associations des Programmes Universitaires Américains en France (APUAF) Florence regularly joins meetings and trainings for US study abroad leaders in France.

In her previous position, Ms Claassen served as the International Education Officer for Sciences Po. Previously, she worked as housing coordinator for the Sciences Po Program at Georgetown University. Prior to this position she served as an assistant at Bloomberg Business News and was responsible for following through the economic programs for the parliamentary election in France. Florence also held positions at University Paris Dauphine as assistant for documentation and in the Placement Department helping students in career counseling.

Education:
MA in Economics, Management and Languages, Université Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne
MA in Applied Economics. Major: Monetary Economics, Université Paris IX Dauphine 
BA in Economy and Finance, Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po)
Two undergraduate summer sessions with credits in macro economics and on East European countries, Harvard University

Interesting Facts:
Florence has lived in many places over the world and in the Academic Environment (Austria, Berlin, Florence, Washington, New York, Palo Alto, Houston, Singapore and Bangkok). She started a PhD dissertation in Economics in Austria about China and Russia. Florence attended classes in Economics at the Institute of Southern Asian Studies in Singapore, and a summer course in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University in Palo Alto. She also held a job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and in an advertising agency in New York City.