Office Staff

Stephen Shewmaker serves as the interim director of the Center for International Education.  Stephen is an ACU graduate and Certified Public Accountant.  He and his wife, Dr. Jennifer Shewmaker, Associate Professor of Psychology, lived in Central Europe for 5 years, where he worked in public accounting with KPMG, as well as with a local media company. While at ACU, he has lived in England, Germany and Uruguay, directing semester and summer study abroad programs. He works on development and implementation of ACU’s study abroad strategy, program planning with faculty; as well as addressing the tax, legal and financial aspects of ACU’s international programs.  Stephen also serves as a Designated School Official (DSO) for F students and an Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) for J students.  He is currently completing an international MBA with the Euro*MBA consortium.

• Email: sbs02a@acu.edu

Laura McGregor serves as the assistant director of international student services at ACU. Laura graduated from ACU with a degree in English and a certification to teach English and ESL, and she completed her master's degree in English at Baylor University. She has extensive experience working with international students as a teacher, tutor, and mentor, and she has been an international student herself, studying abroad in college and later studying Spanish in Guatemala. She has visited numerous countries, speaks Spanish, and serves as an adjunct instructor of ESL. She loves international students, international food, and international travel! Laura is responsible for helping international students have a rich and satisfying experience at ACU, and she enjoys her work with these students immensely. 

• Email: laura.mcgregor@acu.edu

Lucy Dawson serves as the immigration specialist for F-1 and J-1 students, as well as the CIE administrative coordinator. She is the Primary Designated School Official (PDSO) for F students and the Responsible Officer (RO) for J students, advising students, staff and faculty on the immigration regulations related to F and J students. Lucy received her Master’s degree from Wheaton College in Missions/Intercultural Communication. As a college student, she enrolled in a German University as a study abroad student for a year, studying German, fine arts and theology. She lived in China for 8 years with her husband and family, where she taught ESL and enjoyed studying the Chinese language and culture. She speaks Mandarin and understands German. In the U.S., Lucy has worked with international students and immigrants in Houston, Lubbock and Abilene.

• Email: lucy.dawson@acu.edu

Rachel Brown is the study abroad coordinator at ACU. During her time at Hope College in Holland, Michighan, she studied abroad for a semester in Aberdeen, Scotland and for a month in Ecuador. She graduated from Hope in ’06 with a degree in Religion and Communications and moved with her brand new husband Derek to Cincinnati for two years before coming to Abilene. In addition to working in the CIE, she is also taking graduate classes in the GST and Graduate English Department at ACU. Rachel loved her own study abroad experiences (and other travel experiences) so much that she can’t wait to help you figure out how to fit an ACU Study Abroad program into your degree plan!

• Email: rdb08a@acu.edu