Gene Vricella joined the Education Program in June 2004. He coordinates the U.S.-South Pacific (USSP) and the U.S.-Timor-Leste (USTL) Scholarship Programs. He came to the East-West Center from Meridian International Center in Washington, DC, where he arranged study tours for international visitors on a variety of thematic programs under the auspices of the State Department's International Visitor Program (IVLP); he has also worked for many years as an interpreter in Italian for the IVLP. program. Gene has a bachelor's degree in French Language and Literature from the University of Maryland. He earned a Masters degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and Bilingual Education at Georgetown University. Gene worked for Pan American World Airways for nearly seven years, including two years based in Honolulu, flying throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
