About GEO

GEO’s Mission

The Global Engagement Office provides College of Wooster students with the opportunity to participate in compelling off-campus study experiences that are academically challenging, professionally relevant, and personally engaging.  Programs are designed to: 

  • Enable students to enrich their general education
  • Acquire discipline-specific global competencies
  • Acquire foreign language skills
  • Understand and respect the beliefs and perspectives held by others.

Students can obtain an appreciation for cultural diversity and develop cultural intelligence. Through reflection, they may also gain clarity about personal values and future goals.

GEO’s Vision Statement

College of Wooster students who participate in off-campus study come to understand our world as an increasingly complex web of connections and interdependencies – a world in which our choices and actions may have repercussions for people and communities locally, nationally, or globally. They think deeply about what is equitable and just and are prepared for a lifetime of global engagement.

GEO Team

GEO is located in the APEX suite of the Gault Library. Stop by our office to meet with a Peer Advisor for GEO 101 or schedule an appointment with us using the links below.

Contact us at: geo@wooster.edu

Charlie Polinko – Director of Global Engagement

I joined the College of Wooster in 2025 as Director of Global Engagement, bringing with me a deep passion for international education and student development. Prior to Wooster, I served as the Graduate Advisor at the University of Michigan’s International Institute, where I established and expanded the Masters in International and Regional Studies (MIRS) graduate program. I also supported global initiatives at the Ross School of Business, working with semester exchanges and faculty-led programs.

Before my time in Michigan, I worked with the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, where I developed and led global education initiatives, including managing the Council’s Model United Nations program for middle and high school students and educators.

I earned a B.A. in International Studies and Political Science from Bowling Green State University and an M.A. in Global Interactions from Cleveland State University. As an undergraduate, I spent a transformative year studying abroad in Salzburg, Austria, an experience that continues to shape my work today.

I am excited to support Wooster students as they explore meaningful global experiences that connect their academic interests with the wider world. Outside of work, I dedicate my time to giving my corgi, Oliver, the best life possible.

Amelia Crowley – Peer Advisor

Hi! My name is Amelia (she/her), and I’m so excited to be a Peer Advisor for Pathways and GEO.

I’m a junior, and I’m an Environmental Studies major in the Environment and Society track. I’m also a German Studies minor and I’m in the Environmental Communication and Action and Global Impacts/Peace Corps Prep Pathways.

This past summer, I worked with two conservation non-profits where I live in northwest Pennsylvania, and last semester I went to Thailand with the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute (ISDSI) where I learned more about ecology and its ties to culture and community.

In my free time I like to read, crochet, sew, bake, and listen to music. Feel free to ask me any questions you have about Pathways or study abroad!

Saveer Patil – Peer Advisor

My name is Saveer (he/him), and I’m excited to be a Study Abroad Advisor. I grew up in Pune, India. I’m a sophomore Political Science major. I will be studying abroad in Athens in Spring 2026 and would love to help you with any questions about the application process.

Eli Balisi – Peer Advisor

My name is Eli Balisi (he/him), and I am a junior International Relations major here at Wooster working in the Global Engagement Office as a Peer Advisor!

I spent my semester abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark during the spring of 2025 through DIS. It was a wonderful experience wherein I was privileged to study the complex politics of Europe from an on-the-ground perspective, in the process traveling across northern Europe between Amsterdam, London, Brussels, and northern Germany. I look forward to helping you in your study abroad journey!