Cole Fiala joined the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy team after serving as an intern in the summer of 2015. He spent the year prior in Florence, Italy, working on his M.A. in Museum Studies through Marist College and the University of Florence. He also spent a year of his undergraduate career in Italy while completing his B.A. in Art History and International Studies with Loyola University Chicago. Between his education, Cole worked as a fine arts dealer on a cruise ship and interned as a public art researcher for a nonprofit start-up in Chicago. As the Senior Cultural Programs Associate, Cole supports MCCD with exhibition development and cultural programming. He is proficient in Italian and Spanish.