International Orientation Leaders (IOL)

Fall 2023 IOLS

Meet our Fall 2023 Orientation Leaders who are ready to welcome incoming international students at the University of Maryland! Review their bio to learn more about them. This exclusive group of leaders was chosen to facilitate the transition and welcome of new international students to the UMD community.

Aaditya Shete he/him/his	Hi! I'm Aaditya, a HCIM graduate student. I am originally from India. I did my bachelors in Computer Science and have previously worked in the tech industry. I love exploring new places, cultures, meeting new people, and trying out different cuisine's. Looking forward to seeing you all! Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.
Aakash Raman he/him/his	Hello, everyone, my name is Aakash Raman and I am pursuing my Masters of Engineering in Cybersecurity. I did my Undergraduate in Information Security at VIT, Vellore, India but have stayed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the past 19 years, pretty much my entire schooling and childhood was living in a foreign country. My main goal as an IOL is to welcome new students to the diverse UMD Community and have met and made so many friends from different cultures and countries here. I want all the new students to feel welcomed and loved by this fantastic group of individuals and would try my best to help them achieve this. I love to travel, and love to sing different pop songs! Overall, I am a very extroverted person and would love to meet each and every one of you here at UMD!
Animesh Nandan he/him/his	Hello, my name is Animesh Nandan and I am a Master of Science (MS) candidate in Information Management at the University of Maryland, College Park, where I expect to graduate in May 2024. I completed my undergraduate degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering and worked at Tata Consultancy Services for a year before joining UMD in fall 2022. I have experience working as a Grading Assistant and as a Digital Navigator at the University. I also worked as an Assistant System Engineer at Tata Consultancy Services before joining the master's program. Other than academic and work, I enjoy cooking, watching shows and movies and visiting places around.
Ankur Mahesh Chavan he/him/his	Hello, I'm Ankur Chavan, a graduate student at the University of Maryland pursuing a Master of Engineering in Robotics. I completed my Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University in India. I have a strong interest in data and AI, and I also enjoy reading about political and current affairs. I am passionate about meeting new people from diverse backgrounds and taking the initiative to help others whenever possible. As a Graduate Program Representative at the Graduate School Government, I advocate for the best interests of graduate students at UMD and collaborate with fellow representatives to vote on student-related resolutions and acts. In addition, I am an active member of the DESI Club, where we celebrate Indian festivals together. As an international student myself, I understand the challenges that new incoming students face, and I am excited to help them by sharing my experience. Feel free to contact me at achavan1@umd.edu if you have any questions.
Austin Light he/him/his	My name is Austin Light and I started at UMD in the spring 2023 semester. I am in the letters and sciences program, but have applied to the psychology program for the fall. Currently I'm an undergraduate student and should be graduating from UMD in the spring of 2024. I am from Maryland, but don't live nearby so I live on campus in one of the dorms. I was lucky enough to live with some international students this spring and it has been a great experience that has made me want to become an orientation leader.
Jiwon Park she/her/hers	Hi! I'm Jiwon Park. I'm an undergraduate student at UMD, currently studying Computer Science. I'm originally from South Korea, and I love to meet people from different backgrounds. My experience with the IOL when I first arrived at UMD was great, so now I'd like to pay it forward by sharing my experiences and providing support to new students. I'm looking forward to meeting you all, and welcome to UMD!
Mohamed Elnoor he/him/his	My name is Mohamed Elnoor. I'm a PhD student majoring in Electrical Engineering. I'm originally from Sudan and I love travelling. I'm looking forward to meeting you :) Welcome to UMD!!
Nguyen Nguyen he/him/his	Hello everyone, My name is Nguyen, and I am a Vietnamese undergraduate student studying electrical engineering at the University of Maryland. Prior to attending UMD, I lived and studied in Washington State for a period of time. I have no regrets about making the move to the east coast to continue and pursue my academic journey. I am pretty sure that there are plenty of opportunities and experiences ahead still waiting for me and you guys to explore what the UMD and DMV areas have to offer. In my free time, I enjoy going to the gym, swimming, hiking, listening to music, hanging out with friends, and playing yo-yo to destress.
Nikita Patil she/her/hers	I'm Nikita Patil, pursuing master's in Cybersecurity. I have completed my bachelor's in computer science. I'm from India and love meeting new people.
Opeyemi Ogedengbe she/her/hers	I am Opeyemi Ogedengbe, a Ph.D. student in Nutrition Sciences. I am from Nigeria and completed my Bachelor's and Master's studies from Nigeria. I love meeting people to unwind and have fun, as graduate school can be intense. I look forward to meeting and welcoming you all on the campus. Please feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn.
Rajashree Hazarika she/her/hers	As an international student hailing from India, I am Rajashree Hazarika and I'm currently pursuing a graduate degree in project management with a background in mechanical engineering at UMD. With my love for Asian food and a keen interest in criminal psychology, I'm always on the lookout for new culinary experiences and opportunities to learn more about the human mind. As someone who's always up for a challenge, I'm excited to see where my academic and personal journey takes me in the coming years.
Rohit Reddy Pakhala he/him/his	Hello, I’m Rohit, from Hyderabad, India. I’m a Robotics graduate student. Welcome to the University of Maryland! Hoping your stay here will be fun and make you achieve your goals. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Saikumar Reddy Yeduguri he/him/his	Hello everyone, my name is Saikumar and I am excited to be one of your international orientation leaders. As an international student from India, I understand the unique challenges that come with studying in a new country. I am currently a graduate student majoring in Cybersecurity and I have had the opportunity to meet students from all around the world during my time here. I am passionate about helping new students acclimate to their new surroundings and want to make your transition as smooth as possible. Whether you need advice on academics, cultural differences, or simply a friend to talk to, I'm here to help. I'm looking forward to meeting all of you and making your first few weeks on campus a memorable experience. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me!
Saleel Anthrathodiyil he/him/his	I am Saleel Anthrathodiyil. I consider myself as a people person. I love to meet new people and chat and to listen to their wonderful stories. I am doing masters in Fire Protection Engineering and working as a full time graduate assistant.
Sanath Rajagopal he/him/his	I'm Sanath from Bangalore, India. I'm currently pursuing my masters in Cybersecurity at UMD. Outside of my professional life, I enjoy reading fiction and playing video games. I also love cycling and trying new foods from different places.
Sarin Mathew she/her/hers	Hello and welcome to UMD! My name is Sarin Ann Mathew and I am a Robotics graduate student from Kerala, India. I enjoy reading and baking. I am thrilled to meet you all and hear your experiences!
Shashank Singh he/him/his	Greetings...!! I'm Shashank Pratap Singh, originally from Lucknow, India. Currently I'm an undergrad sophomore (Class of 2026) majoring in Computer Science with minor in Technology Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation Minor. Apart from academics, I've keen interest in exploring new things. I've been a professional Badminton Player in the past. I'm part of the UMD MUN club and Robotics at Maryland (RAM). Excited to welcome you guys to the Terp Family. GO TERPS...!!!
Shaunak Bhanarkar he/him/his	Hi, I am Shaunak. I am pursuing a graduate degree in HCI at UMD. I am originally from India, where I completed by undergraduate degree in Computer Science and worked for 2 years in software development and product design before coming to the US.
Shreyas Mehta he/him/his	Hello! My name is Shreyas Mehta and I am a graduate student studying MS in Marketing Analytics at the University of Maryland. Coming to a new country can be challenging and you may have lots of questions before and after transitioning to the US but don’t worry we all are here for you. See you all soon! Feel free to reach out to me via my email: shreyasm@umd.edu.
Shrushti Shah she/her/hers	I'm Shrushti Shah, I'm a graduate student pursuing MS in Business Analytics at the Smith School. I love talking to people, and I'll be there - whenever you need me! :)
Siddhi Umesh Shidruk she/her/hers	Hello Upcoming Terps, I am Siddhi Umesh cybersecurity grad student at UMD. I joined UMD in Fall 2022, and it has been an exciting and fun journey until now :) Welcome to TERP community, UMD has a lot to offer to you, hope your dreams are achieved at UMD. Apart from that, I love cars, dogs and pizza, and love driving around the beautiful UMD campus. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. Go Terps!!!!1
Srikanth Parvathala he/him/his	Srikanth is a first-year graduate student majoring in Information Management with a focus on Data Science & Analytics. He is also a teaching assistant for the Database Design and Modelling course at the iSchool. Prior to this, he worked as a SQL Database Administrator for 2.7 years, where he managed relational databases and migrated on-premises databases to cloud databases. He led a team of four and delivered a migration project within the agreed SLA, reducing process time and increasing revenue for the team. During his leisure time, he enjoys playing badminton, watching tennis and cricket, listening to talks by tech leaders, and sometimes cooking. His favorite tourist cities to visit are Istanbul, Paris, and Chicago.
Yogesh Boricha he/him/his	Greetings, I am Yogesh Boricha, a current student pursuing Masters in Information Management from UMD's iSchool. Originally from Mumbai, India, I completed my Bachelor's of Technology from the University of Mumbai in 2022. I have a keen interest in discovering new cultures and meeting people from diverse backgrounds. During my leisure time, I relish visiting scenic destinations and indulging in the art of music. I look forward to connecting with fellow students and imparting my knowledge and experience with them. I hope to create a welcoming environment for all new students and help make their transition to university life a smoother and more memorable experience.
Yudong Zhu he/him/his	Hello all! I'm Yudong Zhu, a third-year student pursuing a double major in Economics and Sociology, and I have been pre-admitted to the Master of International Relations program. As an international student hailing from Mainland China, I have held the position of Vice President of the Chinese Student and Scholar Association (CSSA). Presently, I'm working with the Division of Student Affairs, specifically within the Office of Event & Guest Service. In addition to my academic and professional pursuits, I am an avid photographer and serve as the treasurer of our Photography Club. If you share a passion for photography, please don't hesitate to reach out and connect with me!