AGS Pays Tribute to Long-Time Retiring Officer

On December 17, the American Graduate School in Paris staff, faculty, students and alumni held a celebration in the honor of Muriel Claudel, registrar and student services officer, who is retiring after over a decade of service at AGS. Muriel has helped every single student who enrolled in the school through the processes associated with their visa, residence permit, health insurance, government aid for housing, internship applications, work permits, and other types of assistance provided by AGS to students moving to Paris from around the world to attend its programs. Called by many "the Goddess of French administration", Muriel Claudel knew every single rule, detail and trick associated with the arcane procedures and showed endless patience navigating through the meanders of the French administration.

Muriel Claudel joined the American Graduate School in Paris staff in September 2003. She found in AGS a multicultural working environment allowing her to fulfill her international aspirations after having lived in various countries including Iran, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. At the time Muriel was hired, AGS was just approaching its second decade of existence since it had been founded in 1994, and the school was still a small crew of enthusiastic professors in a single office, with a strong vision of academic excellence. Muriel has seen it grow into the well-established institution it is today, and has witnessed the start and emergence of the partnership with Arcadia University which now lies at the core of AGS's activities. Nikki Christensen, President of Arcadia University, and Lorna Stern, Vice-President and Executive Director of The College of Global Studies at Arcadia, joined the occasion to share the tribute paid to Muriel.

(See photo - left to right: Eileen Servidio, President of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at AGS, Lorna Stern, Arcadia University's Vice-President and Executive Director of The College of Global Studies, Muriel Claudel, Jennifer Wright, Study Abroad Programs Coordinator at AGS, Alexis Delabre, Chairman of the Board of AGS, Nikki Christensen, President of Arcadia University)

As she addressed the students and alumni, Muriel Claudel said "I love differences, and I have enjoyed working with every one of you as you are all different and unique." We wish Muriel the best as she is starting this new chapter in her life, and we feel confident that she will find new ways to express the openness and thirst for diversity that made her years at AGS such a perfect match.

AGS is committed to maintaining the high level of student services after Muriel's departure and has hired James Ocran, from Ghana, who graduated from the school last June with a Master's degree in International Relations and Diplomacy.