Acting Director of the International Studies Program, Associate Director of Career Education in the Center for Career Success, and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Case Western Reserve University.
Dr. Zeren’s academic and professional work focuses on conflict resolution, post-conflict reconciliation, transitional justice, human rights, and the intersections of academic and professional development. Dr. Zeren has more than a decade of experience teaching and facilitating learning in communication, conflict resolution, negotiation, mediation, and conflict coaching. Her work has included mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, nonprofit professionals, and community leaders as they engage with complex social, political, and professional challenges. Her research focuses on vetting processes following political transformations, with particular attention to their role in post-conflict reconciliation, transitional justice, and institutional change. In the Center for Career Success, Dr. Zeren works with students pursuing interests in government, policy, law, science, and research, helping them connect their academic interests with experiential learning and professional pathways. Dr. Zeren holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Kent State University and an M.A. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Sabancı University in Türkiye.
Damaris Puñales–Alpízar
Director of International Studies Program, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies (currently on sabbatical during the 2026–2027 academic year)
Dr. Damaris Puñales–Alpízar focuses on long-term program planning and implementation, advising students, and assisting other staff members with projects. Dr. Puñales–Alpízar studied Journalism at the University of Havana and has a Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies from the University of Iowa. She has worked as a journalist in Belize, Cuba, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Her work as a literary critic and transatlantic and translation scholar has taken her to Belize, Cuba, Mexico, Russia, and Spain to conduct research, and to Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Hungary, Mexico, Russia, and Spain to share her findings. Her scholarly articles have appeared in leading journals or in books in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Czech Republic, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Puerto Rico, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, and the United States.
Wendy Kunzler
International Studies Program Assistant
wendy.kunzler@case.edu
Wendy Kunzler is the International Studies Program Assistant. She compiles the weekly newsletter for majors, plans events, and provides other support to the Program. Wendy also serves as the Department Assistant for Political Science.