UMUC Asia - Staff Biographies

CHRISTOPHER KELLY Executive Assistant to the Associate Vice President Equal Employment Opportunity Officer
Christopher Kelly earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Management Studies with UMUC Asia and is currently pursuing a Master's of Science in Human Resources through UMUC. Mr. Kelly joined UMUC Asia in 2001, holding positions within Student Affairs, the Business Office and the Human Resources office. He assumed his current position as the Executive Administrative Assistant to the Associate Vice President May of 2007. Mr. Kelly also recently became the Asian Division's Equal Employment Opportunity Officer.

HAK-SUN KIM Korean Language Academic Coordinator
Hak-sun Kim is a veteran of the UMUC Asia faculty and has taught courses in Korean language and culture for UMUC since 1981, primarily at Yongsan, in Seoul, and occasionally at other locations north and south of Seoul as well as at Kunsan Air Base. She also serves in the International Studies Program at Ewha Women's University in Seoul. Earlier in her career she taught English at the secondary level and was a Korean Language instructor for U.S. Peace Corps volunteers in Korea. She later taught at the Language Research Institute at Seoul National University. Ms. Kim holds the B.A. and M.Ed. degrees from Ewha Women's University. She has served as the UMUC Asian Academic Director for Korean Language since mid-2000.

DARNELL KIRKLAND Associate Vice President
Mr. Kirkland received his B.S. in Professional Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and his Masters in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma, as well as a Masters of Science in International Relations from Troy University. Mr. Kirkland retired from the United States Air Force after serving for 22 years. His last active duty assignment was at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan where he was the Gold Flag Superintendent. He began his civilian career as the Okinawa Area Program Coordinator for Central Texas College in June 2001. In June 2002 Mr. Kirkland joined Troy University as Business Coordinator. In this role he was responsible for overseeing financing and budgeting for the Pacific Region. A year later Mr. Kirkland was appointed Director, Pacific Region for Troy University, putting him in charge of the graduate program in international relations in the Pacific Theatre under the military contract. Mr. Kirkland has been involved with the Military Voluntary Education Program since 1979 as a student, faculty member, and administrator. He assumed his current position in April 2007.

JENNIFER KUKES Regional Manager, Guam
Ms. Kukes is a Florida certified guidance counselor and teacher with over ten years worth of experience in the field of education. Prior to relocating to Guam, Jennifer was an 8th grade Science teacher and Realtor. Prior to that she has held several other supervisory and teaching positions in Florida and Andersen A.F.B., Guam. She belongs to several professional organizations such as the National Education Association, Florida School Counselor Association, and the Florida Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, to name a few. Jennifer earned her Bachelors of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of West Florida and she is a recent graduate of Troy University where she earned a Masters of Counseling and Psychology. She assumed her current position in September of 2009.