OUR TEAM
Mags Dillon (he/they) joined the PiA team as Executive Director in 2013 following three years as a PiA Fellow at the Lao Rugby Federation in Vientiane, Laos. At PiA, Mags is responsible for the execution of PiA’s mission and strategic plan; ensuring the success of PiA’s programs; developing and strengthening institutional relationships within the United States and overseas; overseeing the success of advancement activities; finance, administration, and operations; human resources; and supporting the Board of Trustees to fulfill its fiduciary duties.
At Lao Rugby, Mags served as Operations Manager and Technical Advisor – coaching youth rugby, managing national teams, helping to launch a sport-for-development project in rural communities in northeastern Laos, and overseeing the operations of the Federation. He also served on the Asia Rugby Football Union (now Asia Rugby) Council and on its Executive Committee. Prior to PiA, Mags conducted research in Germany through a fellowship with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), taught English and American culture on a teaching fellowship through the Fulbright Commission in Austria, and worked in marketing at a small business in Michigan.
Mags graduated from Princeton University with a degree in German and is pursuing an M.B.A. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Princeton-in-Beijing and on the Princeton Rugby Endowment Board of Governors, which he chaired from 2015-2020. Mags loves learning languages, birdwatching, and playing ice hockey.
Danielle (she/her) has served as Princeton in Asia’s Advancement Officer since November 2022. She holds a BA in History from the University of Florida and an MA in Museum Studies from the George Washington University. Danielle has held various roles in fundraising, communications, and project management for organizations including the Princeton University Art Museum, the Dallas Museum of Art, the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, and the European Patients’ Forum in Brussels, Belgium. She is passionate about exploring the world around her and is thoroughly committed to Princeton in Asia’s mission and international focus on cross-cultural understanding. In her free time, Danielle enjoys reading, music, world cinema, all things food, NYC history, and planning her next travel adventures with her husband and two kids.
After completing undergraduate and master’s degrees at the University at Buffalo, Molly (she/her) began her career teaching English in Hong Kong. She then pursued a Ph.D. in History at Rutgers University, and spent several years teaching Global, European, and Asian history before moving into the field of international exchange. She is particularly interested in how we understand (and fail to understand) one another across ever-shifting ideas of cultural likeness and alterity, and how we might build stronger, more equitable present-day relationships by being attentive to the historical legacies of imperialism and inequality. Molly is enthusiastic about the transformative potential of immersive global learning and is passionate about extending such experiences to a more diverse audience. In addition to overseeing program infrastructure at PiA, Molly manages fellowships in East and Southeast Asia. She enjoys baking and hiking, and has two cats.
Matt (he/him) joined the PiA team in 2020 and manages fellowships in Central Asia and South Asia. He holds a BA in History from UC Santa Barbara, where he uncovered a passion for studying the impact of colonialism on communal identity in South Asia. In 2019, Matt embarked on a PiA fellowship at the Tushita Foundation in Jaipur, India, where he taught English, music, and world cultures. In his free time, Matt enjoys playing bass guitar and going to concerts. He looks forward to continue living and learning in India in the future.
Robin (she/her) completed her bachelor’s degree in Slavic Languages and Literatures at Princeton University. She hoped to live abroad after graduation, which led her to pursue a PiA fellowship in Almaty, Kazakhstan. During her two years in Almaty, she spent her weekdays teaching at KIMEP University and her weekends exploring Kazakhstan’s mountains. Upon completion of her fellowship, Robin was thrilled to join the PiA staff as a Program Director, managing PiA programs in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, and Nepal. In 2020, she transitioned onto the Advancement team, where she worked on development, communications, and Alumni relations as PiA’s Advancement Officer. In 2022, she returned to the Program Team and was promoted to Senior Program Director, where she manages programs in Thailand, Laos, and Japan.
Abie is a rising humanitarian leader from Indonesia working towards the global protection for migrants and the sexual and gender minority community. Through the support of the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia, Abie begins his Atlas Corps journey as an Atlas Corps Fellow with PiA working primarily with the Program Team.
Suela Thomas (she/her) joined Princeton in Asia as Director of Advancement in 2023. In this role, she leads efforts in fundraising and alumni engagement, channeling her passion for philanthropy and community building. Her prior development experience includes work with Stevens Institute of Technology, Pratt Institute, Columbia University Press, and the University of Arizona. She also served as Director of Marketing at the International Studies Association. Originally from Albania, Suela came to the United states to attend the University of Arizona, where she earned a BA in Journalism and a Master of Public Administration. She is currently pursuing an MBA at Stevens Institute of Technology with a focus on sustainability management. Suela is dedicated to advancing PiA’s vision to promote cross-cultural exchange and understanding. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and exploring new places.
