BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kevin Arscott
Managing Director
Kevin was born in Oamaru and studied commerce and accounting at the University of Otago. He is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and has a background in accounting, finance and investments. Kevin became a director of AUIP in 2008 and brought with him a savvy financial awareness to his leadership of the AUIP business. His aim is to have continual improvement in the business and to enhance all aspects of study abroad. Kevin is passionate about providing academic and experiential opportunities, and life changing experiences for university students in the South Pacific.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Stephen Astor
Director
Steve was deeply influenced as a teenager by his service work in Utah on a Native American reservation; an experience that inspires his continued interest in working with indigenous peoples around the world. Steve has a Bachelor of Arts in History and is also a U.S. Certified Public Accountant. Aside from serving on AUIP’s Board of Directors, his work is focused on assisting Americans in New Zealand to comply with U.S. and New Zealand tax law. He has valued the opportunity to settle outside of the U.S. in New Zealand and would like as many Americans as possible to have an international experience.
STAFF
Mary Ogburn
International Programs and Development Director
Originally from Blacksburg, Virginia, Mary holds a bachelor’s degree in French from the College of William and Mary, and a master’s in Higher Education Administration from Boston College. She has extensive professional experience working in the U.S. study abroad field at Virginia Tech, Boston College, and Boston University Study Abroad. She also has a personal understanding of study abroad students’ perspectives: she studied abroad herself in Germany, Italy, and twice in France. Mary is a believer that cross-cultural experiences have a unique power to broaden perspectives and offer insights about students’ personal and professional goals. She joined AUIP in 2016 and is passionate about designing experiential study abroad programs that offer students opportunities to reflect on their position as global citizens.
STAFF
Helen Beumelburg
Operations and Programs Manager
Helen is Christchurch born and bred. She holds a Bachelor of Technology (Food Technology) majoring in marketing and product development from Massey University and a National Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education. Post university she worked in the dairy industry before embarking on her ‘Big OE’ (overseas experience), backpacking through Southeast Asia and Europe and teaching in Japan for two years. These eye-opening experiences redefined her life’s purpose and priorities. Since her return to New Zealand, she has dedicated her career to education and cross-cultural communication. She has spent six years in New Zealand universities and nine years in the literacy and language sector (working with refugees and migrants), in various management, marketing, curriculum, program, and business development and teaching roles. Helen is AUIP’s Operations and Programs Manager, having worked at AUIP since 2015. Her focus is on logistics, risk management and academics, working with the AUIP team to ensure seamless in-country study abroad programs, so that students and faculty are freed to make the most of their own eye-opening and life-changing experiences.
E samantha@auip.com
STAFF
Samantha Low
Program Coordinator
Sam is a local Cantabrian who joined the AUIP team in 2016. She brings with her qualifications in business administration and travel, tourism and hospitality management, plus years of experience working in the industry as a travel agent with a specialization in cruises. In addition to coordinating high quality programs, she also assists with coordinating group flights. She prioritises building relationships with faculty and assisting them to ensure every program runs smoothly.
E wendy@auip.com
STAFF
Wendy Preston
Program Coordinator
Wendy holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Archaeology from the University of Wales. She started at AUIP in 2017 and brings to her role as program coordinator wide geographical knowledge and logistical know-how from a background in the travel industry in her native England and in Canada, the United States, South Africa, and New Zealand. Wendy is passionate about travel as a form of education; expanding horizons in knowledge, culture, language and experience.
E candice@auip.com
STAFF
Candice Houghton
Program Coordinator
Candice has BA in Classical Studies and Anthropology, and undertook postgraduate studies in Counselling at the University of Canterbury. Originally from New Zealand, Candice has also lived in the UK and spent many years in Australia. Her professional journey has spanned roles in hospitality, student accommodation, international student support, and the American study abroad field, and has included work at the University of Canterbury and as the Christchurch Program Director for IES Abroad. Candice joined AUIP in 2023 and enjoys finding unique experiential learning opportunities for AUIP’s programs and specialises in New Zealand and Australian destinations.
E angus@auip.com
STAFF
Angus Gourlay
Program Coordinator
Angus hails from Christchurch and has extensive travel experience in Asia, complemented by a year living and exploring Canada. With a background in sport and recreation management, he joined AUIP in early 2024, bringing over ten years of expertise in organizing group travel for sports teams across Australia and New Zealand. Angus finds great satisfaction in collaborating with US faculty and local South Pacific suppliers to craft programs that offer students both educational enrichment and lasting memories.
E rachel@auip.com
STAFF
Rachel Markham
Program Coordinator
Rachel is a born and bred Cantabrian who has a background in the sport sector and a strong passion for travel and education. She holds an honours degree in Sport and Recreation Management from Lincoln University. Rachel has extensive experience in relationship management and client/customer support across multiple sectors which has led to her believing in the true value of positive relationships and communication. Rachel has seen first-hand how travel can be genuinely life-changing and believes academic travel programmes can challenge perspectives and provide eye-opening experiences. She joined AUIP in 2024.
E amy@auip.com
STAFF
Amy Goodbehere
Marketing Specialist
Amy, a proud Kiwi, has spent many years living and traveling abroad. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classics and Philosophy, along with an undergraduate qualification in Visual Arts. Her diverse experience in customer-service, coordination and marketing roles within tourism, retail, hospitality, and international education has equipped her with well-rounded skills in marketing, logistics, and finance. Throughout her journey, Amy has enjoyed meeting, living and working with people from all over the world. She first joined the AUIP team in 2017 and firmly believes in the value of lifelong learning through travel for both personal and professional growth.
AUIP DESTINATIONS:
NEW ZEALAND
An isolated island nation in its evolutionary infancy, New Zealand is the most recently inhabited country in the world
AUSTRALIA
Australia is one of the most diverse countries on Earth, both in terms of its landscapes and its multicultural population
FIJI
Fiji is an archipelago of 330 islands, 110 of which are inhabited. It is a tapestry of ecological, cultural, and social complexity
ANTARCTICA
The coldest, driest, and windiest place on Earth, Antarctica is a frozen desert that is the least understood of Earth’s continents
