Staff

Mark Bryant

Mark is originally from Texas, but he has also lived in Florida and Tennessee.  During 2008-2009, he lived in Kosovo in Southeastern Europe where he taught Leadership Theory and English courses at a university.  He has traveled all over the world and hopes to live overseas again someday.   Mark has worked on university campuses for over 20 years in various aspects of the student life experience.  He is an advocate for international education and when given an opportunity, he enjoys challenging American students to engage in international experiences as a part of their education and to make it a part of their lives after graduation.  He has a B.A. Degree in Psychology from Baylor University, an M.S. Degree in Student Affairs from Florida State University, and a Doctor of Education Degree from Vanderbilt University.   Mark enjoys spending time with his wife exploring new places, hiking in the mountains, playing with his dog, reading fiction, running, and going to the theater.  Please stop by the I-House and say hello!

Carol O’Brien

Carol is originally from New York, but she has been living in Tennessee for many years. Carol knows the Knoxville area very well and knows alot about the “culture” here at UT. She has been working at the International House as a Program Resource Specialist for over 20 years.

She helps out the I-House staff and tries to keep things running smoothly for everyone who works and comes to the I-House. Her office is located next to the computer lab. Stop by to say “Hello” sometime.

Qi Fu

Qi Fu is a Graduate Assistant at the International House. She is from Beijing, China, and has lived all her life there before
she came to the U.S. in August 2008. She has gained a Master Degree in Applied Educational Psychology here at UT, and currently is pursuing her second Master’s in Human Resource Management. To help people better learn in whichever area they would like is the type of work she wants to do as a career.

Qi loves music; classical and vocal are her all-time favorite. She began to learn keyboard performing when she was five years old and vocal singing around the same time. She was in school chorus since age 9 till 19, which was one of the most enjoyable time of her life.

Qi has a mind of curiosity. She is always pleased to try and learn about something. She especially likes to get to know more about people-from different parts of the world and cultures, with fascinating stories and insights. It is very easy to strike up a conversation with her, and to bring the conversation to a deeper sense if one would like to. Something she can always chat with you about-food.

Working at the I-House is a great joy to Qi. She is truly learning progressively and trying to return what she has gained to the I-House friends and the bigger community.

Rajesh Jena

Rajesh Jena is a Graduate Assistant at the International House. He is from a city named Vizag on the east coast of India. He is presently doing his Masters in Food Science and Technology at UT.

Rajesh loves meeting new people from different parts of the world. He can speak in four Indian languages and is interested in learning new languages. He likes to know more about the culture traditions, music and dance forms of different countries throughout the world. He likes playing volleyball and cricket. Cooking and dancing are his favorite pastimes.