Since 1984, the United States Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS-USA) International Exchange Program (IEP) has worked with partners around the world to provide hands-on training opportunities for emerging cultural heritage professionals. The IEP sends participants from the United States to internship placements abroad and welcomes international participants to placements in the United States in order to expose the next generation of heritage professionals to global best practices of historic preservation and heritage conservation. The IEP is a one-of-a-kind cultural heritage internship that changes lives by enabling hosts and interns to learn from one another and increase their impact in the heritage field. Welcome to the class of 2025!
Sabina Busch | USA
Internship: Fixus Mobilis (Cultural Infrastructure Centre) in Vilnius, Lithuania
Sabina Busch is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Architectural Engineering from the University of Kansas. She is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) in New York City, with a focus on sustainability and material reuse. Sabina will be joining Fixus Mobilis in Vilnius, Lithuania, for her IEP internship. As an intern, she will be working at Lithuanian heritage sites across the country, assisting with condition assessments and preventative maintenance. Sabina is looking forward to learning hands-on skills from historic preservation professionals in Lithuania, as well as engaging with the local culture. In addition to travelling to heritage sites across the country, Sabina hopes to spend her weekends exploring the cities and countryside of Lithuania.
Sam Crowley | USA
Internship: National Center for Preservation Technology and Training in Tiwanaku, Bolivia
Sam Crowley is a recent graduate of the Tulane University School of Architecture with a Master of Science in Historic Preservation. Before pursuing graduate school, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Louisiana and worked in economic development and city planning. Sam’s studies and experiences have shaped her passion for historic preservation, and she has been fortunate to exercise all that she has learned in many unique ways. While in the program at Tulane, Sam successfully listed an early 20th century school building on the National Register of Historic Places, and worked with the Historic Santa Fe Foundation to learn hands-on restoration of adobe buildings in Santa Fe, New Mexico. These experiences taught her how important it is to make preservation accessible so that all communities can play a meaningful role in shaping their built environment. To that end, Sam is excited to work with ICOMOS and the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training to further her knowledge of masonry conservation and contribute to the preservation of the Tiwanaku World Heritage Site in Bolivia.
Helen Crutcher | United Kingdom
Internship: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in Texas, USA
Originally from the UK and now based in Germany, Helen is pursuing a Dual Master’s Degree in World Heritage Studies and Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg (Germany) and Deakin University (Australia). She has gained diverse heritage experience on projects with several different organisations, including World Heritage Watch and European Heritage Volunteers. This summer, she will intern with the National Park Service at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and World Heritage Site in Texas, supporting the development of an Archaeological Overview and Assessment for the Park. Helen is excited to gain hands-on experience at a World Heritage site, connect with heritage professionals from around the world, and, of course, experience the culture and food of the southern USA.
Marnie Davies | Australia
Internship: Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks (Ohio History Connection) in Ohio, USA
Marnie Davies is from Newcastle on the east coast of Australia, where she received her Master of Architecture from the University of Newcastle and in 2023 graduated from the University of Sydney with a Graduate Diploma in Heritage Conservation. She will be interning with the Ohio History Connection to assist with their Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks Octagon Earthworks Documentation Project. Marnie is most looking forward to learning and undertaking new methods and approaches to heritage conservation whilst working on a UNESCO World Heritage listed site.
Bisrat Engida | Ethiopia
Internship: Fallingwater (Western Pennsylvania Conservancy) in Pennsylvania, USA
Bisrat Engida is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Architecture at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University. He recently graduated with Master’s degrees in World Heritage Studies from Brandenburg University of Technology (Germany) and Cultural Heritage from Deakin University (Australia). This summer Bisrat will be interning at Fallingwater through the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. He first became familiar with Fallingwater while he was in architecture school where the site was mentioned as an example of one of the most iconic residential buildings in the world. Bisrat is excited to be working on this architectural marvel, which also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage site. He is especially looking forward to learning how architectural heritage is conserved, interpreted, and managed in the U.S., and to experiencing how Fallingwater engages visitors in a cultural setting.
Audrey Gray | USA
Internship: Kosovo Council for Cultural Heritage in Prishtina, Kosovo
Audrey Gray is a Master’s student studying Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies within the Art History department at Rutgers University and is an active heritage practitioner. She received her BAH from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where she studied History and Anthropology before working in the Canadian heritage sector via private archaeology and later heritage advocacy. This summer, Audrey will be working with the Kosovo Council for Cultural Heritage in Prishtina, Kosovo. She looks forward to engaging with the diverse approaches to documenting and safeguarding cultural heritage within the region. Audrey is also looking forward to eating lots of Kosovar cuisine.
Subika Manandhar | Nepal
Internship: Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks (Ohio History Connection) in Ohio, USA
Subika Manandhar is an architect from Banepa, Nepal, currently pursuing her MSc in Urban Design and Conservation at Khwopa Engineering College. She is passionate about cultural heritage, sustainable design, and community-focused urban planning. As part of an international exchange program, she is interning at Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks in Ohio—an UNESCO World Heritage Site designated recently in 2023. Through this opportunity, she hopes to deepen her understanding of global conservation practices and apply them meaningfully in the context of Nepal.
Subika is excited to be part of this unique learning experience, especially at a site with such deep historical and cultural significance. She looks forward to engaging with professionals in the field, exploring new perspectives on conservation, and gaining insights that will inspire her future work. Earlier this year, she completed an internship in Italy, working closely with heritage sites and historic urban environments—an experience that further strengthened her passion for cultural preservation and thoughtful design. Outside of architecture, she enjoys pen and ink sketching and graphic design as creative extensions of her work.
Benis Che Nchang Epse Sema | Cameroon
Internship: National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington DC, USA
Benic Che Nchang Epse Sema is from Cameroon. She earned her Master of Science (MSc) degree in Cultural Diversity, Peace, and International Cooperation from the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC) ICESCO CHAIR and is a graduate from the University of Yaoundé I, the faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and department of Anthropology. Benis has extensive professional experience in culture and heritage, working in various organizations, including the Better Life Initiative (BLI) as the Director of Programmes in the Culture Department and later as Chief Operations Officer. She also received training at the international level through the multiple platforms and opportunities provided by the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), where she worked as Coordination Assistant of the World Heritage Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting for Africa Region assisting in the preparation steps of the World Heritage Periodic Reporting Exercise for National Focal Points and World Heritage Site Managers. She is currently the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) Project Officer at UNESCO Regional Office for Central Africa, covering the 10 countries of the sub-region on matters related to all forms of Heritage (natural and cultural) in times of conflict or disaster.
During her internship, Benis will be working with the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, DC and is looking forward to an experience that will be mutually productive and rewarding. She is sure that it will be an exciting summer of exchange, learning, and networking with other fellows for the future conservation and promotion of the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
Olivia Thornberry | USA
Internship: Center for Heritage Conservation in Ahmedabad, India
Olivia Thornberry is originally from the midwest, though she currently resides in Denver, Colorado. She attended the Ohio State University for her Bachelor’s degrees in History and Political Science, and also recently graduated from the American University of Rome with her Master’s of Arts in Sustainable Cultural Heritage in May of 2025. Her internship will be with the Center for Heritage Conservation in Ahmedabad, India, where she is excited to be working with historic building materials. Olivia is looking forward to meeting new people and working across cultures, and is especially excited to explore India’s first world heritage city and all it has to offer in her free time.