Where We’ve Been
Across their careers, R&B founding educators have developed and led global and experiential learning programs that empower students and educators through transformative travel in various countries.
Who We are
With rich and extensive teaching experience, they have honed their craft at some of the nation’s esteemed independent schools. After decades of guiding students, they recognize the importance of educational travel that goes deeper - experiences rooted in ethical research, cultural respect, and collaboration with local experts.
Our programs are intentionally designed to balance academic rigor with meaningful field engagement, ensuring that each journey broadens perspectives while contributing positively to the communities with which we partner.
Who We are
Antonio Lee
Global Network & Partnership Advisor
A specialist in experiential pedagogy, Antonio Lee designs transformative international programs rooted in academic rigor and cultural reciprocity. He has institutionalized global protocols and forged strategic alliances across Argentina, China, France, India, Singapore, Taiwan, and Turkey, balancing exacting standards with ethical field engagement.
An alumnus of Columbia University and UC Berkeley, Antonio is certified in Spanish and Chinese. By embedding international affairs into the scaffolding of curriculum design, he fosters the sophisticated cross-cultural collaboration essential to high-impact global programming and intellectual inquiry.
Robert Getz
Director of Field Studies
An experienced fisheries ecologist and geochemist, both in the lab and the field, with decades of classroom teaching experience in independent schools, Rob has designed, led, and assisted with global programs in various countries around the world including the Bahamas, Honduras, and the Galapagos. He was the first to take International high school students to the Rupununi area of Guyana, where he has worked on various projects over the years.
As an avid Scuba diver and instructor, and now owner of Gotham Divers, Rob highly values building community, connection, and adventure while maintaining safety and high ethical standards, especially within transformative field experiences.
Macarena Teixeira
Director of Enrollment
Macarena Teixeira is one of the founders of Research & Beyond and serves as its Director of Enrollment, leading the organization’s mission to expand access to rigorous, globally engaged learning. With over 15 years of experience as a Spanish educator and program leader in New York City’s top independent schools, she has built her career on connecting students to the world beyond the classroom. Born in Argentina and raised in Chile, Macarena brings a deeply international perspective shaped by both lived experience and professional practice.
Before entering education, she worked as a flight attendant for LAN Chile, traveling across South America and Europe—an experience that continues to inform her belief in the transformative power of global exposure. She holds an M.A.T. in Spanish from Rutgers University and a B.A. from Kennesaw State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude.
Maria Nebres
Director of Curriculum
Maria Concepción Nebres, originally from the Philippines and raised in Brazil, has traveled to over 25 international destinations as a student, educator, and traveler. For over 20 years, she has taught Spanish, advised students, and co-led a peer tutoring program in independent schools in NYS. In designing and leading trips to Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, and Spain, she has comprehensive experience supervising and implementing educational trips.
She also taught Spanish at NYU Professional Studies, participated in a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) summer program in Spain and the Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad in the Philippines. She holds a Master’s degree in Hispanic Linguistics from the University at Albany, and in Applied Linguistics from Universidad de Salamanca. Also, an EdM in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College, Columbia University.