The Switzerland Program Team

The Switzerland Program is staffed by an international team of dedicated academics, administrators, and professionals from a variety of backgrounds.  Our faculty come from Switzerland, surrounding nations, and from the United States. Many are also affiliated with other universities both in Switzerland and abroad. 

Ezra Plank, Ph.D. (AMERICAN)

DIRECTOR / PROFESSOR

Ezra Plank has served as the Director of the Switzerland Program and Professor of Religion since 2014.  His completed his undergraduate work at Pepperdine University, during which he studied abroad at the program in Heidelberg, Germany. After graduation, he served as a Resident Director and member of the Emergency Response Team at Pepperdine. Later he completed his Ph.D. in the Department of Religious Studies at The University of Iowa, with his research focusing on the impact of religious ideas on family relations, domestic routines, and the use of the home for devotional activities.  He has published book chapters and presented papers at the American Historical Association conference and the Sixteenth Century Society conference.  His interest in the impact of study abroad on university students was fueled by his voyage around the world with Semester at Sea, and he feels very fortunate to be serving in the current role with his alma mater. He is a father, avid outdoorsman and mountaineer, and enthusiast of live music.

SOPHIE PEETERS (FRENCH/AMERICAN)

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Sophie originally hails from Williamsburg, Virginia, but has lived abroad for seven years. After graduating from the University of Virginia in 2016, Sophie moved to Rome, Italy, and began working as a Communications Officer for the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, where she helped coordinate Embassy programs and initiatives. She later joined the Vatican’s communications section, where she assisted in developing global messaging for the Holy See. Sophie also speaks French, Italian, and little bit of German, and loves learning about new cultures and experiences. She is thrilled to be part of the Pepperdine Switzerland team and can’t wait to meet everyone!

ANAÏS PEREZ (SWISS/SPANISH)

COORDINATOR OF STUDENT LIFE

Anaïs was born in Switzerland and grew up in a Swiss-Hispanic family. The cultural diversity in her upbringing shaped her open-mindedness and curiosity about the world around her. Her professional journey led her to explore her passion for languages and education. She worked in the language immersion industry, where she contributed to facilitating transformative journeys for many students seeking intercultural learning. Following this experience, she joined EHL Hospitality Business School, where she handled international admissions and managed a team of 150 to 180 students for over 4 years.

Anaïs is excited to share her passion for travel and her in-depth knowledge of the region with students at Pepperdine University. Her experiences in both the language immersion industry and her time at EHL Hospitality Business School have equipped her with a unique skill set and a deep appreciation for the transformative power of education and intercultural experiences. She looks forward to inspiring and guiding Pepperdine students on their own journeys of discovery and personal growth.

RAFAEL ZULIAN (BRAZILIAN)

PROGRAM ASSISTANT

With over 15 years of experience in hospitality management, Rafael made a transformative shift from a successful 5-year tenure as a guest services manager to discovering a newfound passion for education in Switzerland. Armed with a master's degree in hospitality management and a postgraduate qualification in higher education, Rafael is thrilled to channel his extensive expertise into his role as a Program Assistant at Pepperdine.

Rooted in a commitment to creating a meaningful impact on students' lives, Rafael brings a distinctive blend of hands-on knowledge and academic insight to the Pepperdine community. His dedication to fostering holistic growth aims to guide students toward success.

As a Program Assistant at Pepperdine Switzerland, Rafael eagerly anticipates inspiring positive change and facilitating transformative learning experiences.

Prof. Marjorie Besnard (FRENCH/SWISS)

Professor Besnard is a passionate French and Swiss teacher with a Master's degree in International Marketing from Neoma Business School and a Master's degree in Applied Language Science, specializing in French as a Foreign Language, from University Stendhal III Grenoble. With experience living in France, Germany, and England before settling in Switzerland, she brings a diverse perspective to her teaching. From beginners' French to Business French, she excels in teaching various aspects of the language. As the Coordinator of the Homestay Upper French Division program and the Internship program, she empowers students to develop their French skills. Beyond teaching, she enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and skiing with her family, as well as quiet moments with a cup of tea and a captivating novel. Professor Besnard inspires students to learn and speak French, making her an influential figure in their academic journeys.

Prof. Dr. ANNALISA IZZO (ITALIAN/SWISS)

Dr. Izzo completed her joint Ph.D. at Université Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle (France) and Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa (Italy).  She obtained a Master of Advanced Studies in French Pedagogy at Haute Ecole Pédagogique du canton Vaud (Lausanne, Switzerland).  She has taught languages and literature at Harvard University (2003-2005, where she won the Levenson Teaching Prize at Harvard University), the University of Durham UK (2007-2008), and the Université de Lausanne (2009-2015).  Her research focuses on Comparative literature in French and Italian. She is the author of the book, Telos. Il finale nel romanzo dell’Ottocento (2013), as well as the editor of Lessico critico dell’Orlando Furioso (2016). She has published articles in Comparative Literature (in both French and Italian), organized several conferences and programs, supervised graduate students, and directed Masters and Ph.D. theses. She is a literary translator (from French to Italian), with a special interest in Swiss novels. She specialized in writing workshop and she is also the author of a children’s book based on an ancient epic tradition.  She enjoys culture and traveling.

Prof. Dr. Marido Marcant (French)

Dr. Marcant has a Ph.D. in didactics of foreign languages and cultures from University of Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, France. She is passionate about pedagogy as well as language learning and is always trying to find new active ways of teaching. Marcant’s fields of interest are collaborative learning, student’s autonomy in language learning and intercultural communication skills. She has a very diversified experience of teaching youth and adults in different countries: she has worked in France, Chile, Palestine and Switzerland. Professor Marcant lives with her husband and daughter, and enjoys reading, running, cooking and tasting different types of coffees.

Prof. EMILy plank (AMERICAN)

Professor Plank teaches sociology and religion for the Switzerland program. She holds master's degrees in sociology from Linköping University and in theology and religion from the University of Notre Dame. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, her research focuses on children in ancient house churches in Corinth. With a passion for teaching that began during her undergraduate studies at Pepperdine, where she majored in Liberal Arts and completed her teaching credential, Professor Plank brings a diverse perspective to the classroom. As an alumna of Pepperdine's IP program in Heidelberg, she loves traveling and exploring new places. Professor Plank enjoys spending time with her three teenage children and two cats.

Prof. Dr. Julie stauder (SWISS)

Dr. Stauder is an accomplished historian, holding a master's degree from the University of Geneva and a Ph.D. from Basel University. With extensive experience in academia, she has taught undergraduate and graduate students for 20 years. Her expertise lies in ancient Egyptian history and languages, with a particular focus on inscriptions from private tombs dating back to the Pyramid Age. Notably, she has directed research projects and received prestigious awards, including a Swiss National Science Foundation Professorship. At Pepperdine University, she imparts her knowledge of Swiss history and culture to students. Alongside her professional pursuits, she cherishes her role as a mother to three daughters.

ProF. Dr. Elizabeth Grottle Strebel (Swiss/American)

Dr. Elizabeth Grottle Strebel (Swiss/ American) has a Ph.D. in Modern European History from Princeton University.  She is the author of numerous publications including a book on French Social Cinema of the Nineteen Thirties and articles in the Journal of Contemporary History and in the Film Journal Sight and Sound.  She has previously taught for the University of Massachusetts and Washington State University in Brig, Switzerland. as well as for the Ecole Hotelière in Lausanne Switzerland.  Professor Strebel has lived for forty years with her husband in Grandvaux, Switzerland and has two wonderful children and three grandchildren.  Her passions are photography and music.

Prof. Dr. MARIT VAN ZALINGE (DUTCH)

Dr. Van Zalinge is an enthusiastic natural science teacher, holding a Master’s degree from the Utrecht University and a Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Bristol. Marit enjoys hiking in the mountains and spotting wildlife in one of the many Swiss nature reserves. Marit is determined to never stop learning about the natural wonders of planet Earth. She is extremely passionate about taking students outside and connecting them with the beauty and vulnerability of the Swiss landscape. 

Prof. Udo W. Middelmann (German/SWISS)

Professor Middelmann earned a L.L.M. from Freiburg University in Germany and a Bachelors and Masters degree from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO. Middelmann has authored numerous books and articles and currently serves as the International Scholar in Residence for Nyack College in New York City.