Sara Branley

Sara Branley has been the Director of Study Abroad at Santa Clara University (SCU) in Northern California since 2019. Sara joined Santa Clara as the Assistant Director of Study Abroad and has been at SCU since 2016. Since becoming Director, she has focused on increasing accessibility, budget restructuring, codifying health and safety processes, developing strategic partnerships, and creating new student programming. Prior to SCU, Sara was a Study Abroad Advisor at University of California, Santa Cruz. In addition to study abroad, Sara’s experience in higher education includes academic advising and career services. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an M.Ed. in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs from the University of Southern California. She served as Education Abroad Knowledge Chair for NAFSA Region 12 Northern District from 2015-2017.

Sara’s commitment to study abroad and international education come from her own impactful experiences as an undergraduate student. Sara is an API alum and went abroad her junior year to Galway, Ireland. She later returned to work in Dublin following graduation. One of things she enjoys most about her work in study abroad is getting to meet and collaborate with colleagues from all around the world to develop creative new programs and strategies to increase student opportunities abroad.