Staff

Dr. Anatoli Rapoport – Program Director

Anatoli Rapoport is Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Purdue University College of Education. Before he received Ph. D. in Social Studies Education, he had worked as classroom teacher and school administrator. Since 2003, Anatoli has been active in international educational programs. He organized and coordinated programs for teachers (Partners in Education, Civic Mosaics, Teachers to Teachers, Teaching Excellence and Achievement) and students (Educational Maymester in Russia, Educational Maymester in Northern Europe). He was Program Director of Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship at Purdue University (BFTF-Purdue) in 2013-2015.

Dr. Jeff Spanke – Program Administrator

“Hello! My name is Jeff Spanke, and I am thrilled to return to BFTF this summer. For the last three years, I have worked as an assistant professor of English Education at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, but before that, my family and I lived in West Lafayette for nearly 14 years. Having earned three degrees from Purdue University, I think it’s safe to say that I am very much a Boilermaker at heart. Since graduating fifth grade, I’ve also worked as an English teacher, athletic mentor, fitness instructor, parking garage attendant, semi-professional lawn mower, and totally underpaid baby-sitter. Oh, and I do theatre, too! I’m an avid lover of reading, writing, exercise, movies, Netflix, and listening to podcasts during my 100-mile daily commute. I’m looking forward to working with all of you soon; welcome and congratulations!”

Jeremy Bloyd – Homestay Coordinator

Jeremy Bloyd is a Tippecanoe County, Indiana native who began his career in education after graduating from Purdue University in 1999.  Jeremy has worked in various teaching positions for the Tippecanoe School Corporation but has been the Work-Based Learning Coordinator at McCutcheon High School for the last 16 years.  Jeremy and his wife, Stephanie, have two children, and all have enjoyed participating in homestay experiences with the BFTF program.  Beginning with the 2022 BFTF program, Jeremy trained with the previous homestay coordinator, his colleague, mentor, and friend, Sarah Powley.

(In the photo – Jeremy with his family and BFTF Fellows)

Dr. Asta Balkute – Administrator/Mentor

Dr. Asta Balkute has been part of the BFTF family since 2013. Born and raised in Lithuania, she currently resides in the capital of Vilnius where she is the upper school principal at Vilnius International School. She has also served as the Head of Youth Services and Affairs Division at Vilnius City Administration and associate professor and IB external school evaluator. Her expertise is in civic education, youth empowerment, and development of teacher knowledge development. Balkute earned her PhD in social studies education at Purdue University in 2011 and served as assistant director at Purdue’s James F. Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship until 2015. While at Purdue, she taught undergraduate courses in social studies methods and an introductory course in education. She has been involved in various international exchange programs at Purdue and in Europe and has provided numerous professional development workshops on civic education. Prior to her Purdue experiences, she worked with teachers in civic education in Finland, Slovenia, Latvia, and other European countries. She has developed and implements public policies for youth empowerment and youth engagement and has worked with over 200 youth organizations in Lithuania and around the world. Her research interests include the construction of civic identity, youth active participation, and needs of marginalized youth population. Fun fact: Dr. Balkute loves children‘s literature and has published a children‘s book and consulted a publishing company about publishing four other children‘s books, all related to social studies and civic education.

Luka Ignac – Mentor

Luka Ignac is an Assistant Director for the Transatlantic Security Initiative (TSI) within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council. With a background as a former Assistant Director and young global professional at the Europe Center, Luka brings expertise in EU-NATO cooperation, NATO partnerships, and the transformation of European defense.

Luka is a frequent commentator on transatlantic security, and has provided analysis for the CNBC, Euronews, N1, and Voice of America. He is also a member of the Wilson Center’s Transatlantic Writers Group.

Before joining the Atlantic Council, Luka gained experience with the BMW Government and External Affairs team, the Croatian embassy in Washington, DC, UC Louvain’s Center for Comparative and Political Science, and the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics.

Luka holds a graduate degree from Georgetown University, where he was an inaugural Donald F. McHenry Global Public Service fellow and a Huffington fellow with the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. Additionally, he is an alum of BFTF, State Department Exchange Programs, One Young World, and the Clinton Global Initiative University.

A native of Zagreb, Croatia, Luka graduated summa cum laude from DePauw University with a BA in political science and French.

Sarah Ryan – Mentor

Sarah is a senior at Purdue University pursuing a degree in Social Studies Education. She is originally from Monticello, Indiana. This is her first year with BFTF, but she has a great deal of experience working with high school students. Regardless, she is very excited for the entire experience! In her free time she likes to read, play cards, and watch any show that will make her laugh.