University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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staff Listing

Julie Misa
Director
Julie is responsible for the leadership and overall management of the office of International Student and Scholar Services.

Carol Buss
Director, Faculty and Staff
Carol oversees all office operations regarding to International Faculty, Staff and Scholars.

Martin McFarlane
Associate Director
Martin oversees the student side of the office. He also advises international students and is the office's student immigration regulations contact.

Stephanie Dvorachek
Assistant Director
Stephanie takes daily appointments with international students, co-coordinates new student check-in, and organizes undergraduate programming.

Afroza Faruque
Assistant Director
Afroza meets with students, organizes programming for our undergraduate population, helps plan interntational student check-in and is liason to the Career Center and Counseling Center. She also serves as webmaster for this website.

Erin Schiller
Assistant Director
Erin holds advising sessions with students, coordinates new student check-in together with Stephanie and Afroza, updates publications and is in charge of programming for international spouses. She is the office liaison to Housing, the IHC and McKinley.

Sondra Schreiber
Assistant Director
Sondra takes appointments with international students and focuses her programming and outreach efforts on Graduate students. She coordinates workshops for faculty and staff and is the ISSS contact for sponsored J-1 students such as Fulbrighters.

Nicole Vernon
Assistant Director
Nicole is available for appointments with international students. She also organizes undergraduate programming and coordinates the ISSS Volunteer Group.

Jessica Young
Assistant Director
Jessica takes appointments with students, and focuses on cultural and social programming.

David Zhao
Assistant Director
David takes appointments with students, works on undergraduate programming, and liaisons with student organizations and leaders on campus.

Briaunna Ponder
Assistant Director
Briaunna shares advising responsibility with Cheryl for international faculty and staff on J visas.  She also advises students and organizes New Student Orientation.

Cheryl Hinkel
Assistant Director
Cheryl advises both international faculty and staff on H visas and international scholars on J visas.

Jessica Wade
Assistant Director
Jessica works with Cheryl to advise both international faculty and staff on H visas and international scholars on J visas.

Patrice Benjamin
Advising Assistant
Patrice works afternoons at ISSS. She is responsible for F-1 OPT workshops, and assists with various walk-in questions from students and scholars.

Michelle Cresswell
Advising Assistant
Michelle works mornings at ISSS, assisting with walk-in immigration questions at the front desk. She also helps facilitate J-1 scholar orientation and check in sessions and is responsible for F-1 OPT workshops.

Alexander Hall
Data Management Specialist
Alex manages the ISSS database and is responsible for all statistics and demographic information.

Laverne Anderson
Office Manager
Laverne is responsible for overall administrative functions and correspondence related to ISSS.

Helen Agans
Office Support Assistant
Helen works at the ISSS front desk and answers student/scholar questions, takes phone calls, and schedules appointments with advisors.

Datial Jones
Office Support Assistant
Datial is often the first point of contact for international students and scholars visiting ISSS. He schedules appointments and assists students and scholars with forms and requests.

Carmella Williams
Office Support Assistant (Trainee)
Carmella assists students and scholars, schedules appointments and answers incoming phone calls.

Heather Binder
Office Support Associate - ISSS Faculty and Staff Office
Heather assists international scholars, faculty and staff, as well as campus units, with questions and documents.