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Office Staff
International Student & Scholar Services Staff
Susan Ellis Dougherty
Director
Susan-Ellis Dougherty is an experienced international education professional having worked in the field for over 25 years. As Director of International Student and Scholar Services at the University of Maryland College Park, she works across the campus to implement programs, policies and procedures for the university’s 7000 plus international students, scholars, faculty and staff. She is an active member in NAFSA: Association of International Educators as a trainer for its many professional development workshops. Sue holds a master’s in education from Johns Hopkins University. Sue works to create opportunities for people from the U.S., and around the world, to be successful in today’s knowledge-based, global economy.
IT & Operations Staff
Lisa Peterson, Associate Director, IT and Operations
Brad Calvin, IT Coordinator
Marvella Soumare, Office Supervisor
Student Advising Staff
Jody Heckman-Bose (PDSO/ARO)
Associate Director Student Services
Jody is the PDSO, primary designated school officer, for International Student & Scholar Services. She has an insatiable appetite for travel and has visited 26 countries around the world. Her longest time abroad was spent in Nepal where she lived and conducted research on the topic of "Women Pursuing Higher Education in a Developing Nation."
Katrina Knudsen (DSO/ARO)
Manager, International Student Services
Schedule an Appointment with Katrina: Virtual || In-Person
Katrina is an advisor to F-1 and J-1 international students. She has a master's degree in Higher Education Administration and worked as an advisor to Ph.D. students at the University of Maryland prior to joining ISSS. Katrina has lived in Japan and Costa Rica and has also traveled to various places in Europe. She enjoys cooking and sampling international cuisine as well as learning about new languages and cultures.
Aviana Symon (DSO/ARO)
Senior Advisor, International Student Services
Schedule an Appointment with Aviana: Virtual || In-Person
Aviana became a member of the ISSS team in 2014 as an advisor to F-1 and J-1 international students. She has studied in France and has traveled to the U.K., Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Morocco, Australia, and New Zealand, and hopes to travel more extensively in the future. Her studies and travels sparked an interest in the field of international education, and she has previously advised international students in the Midwest prior to joining ISSS. Aviana likes dancing, hiking, horseback riding, and exploring new places in her free time.
Bijoya Chakraborty (DSO/ARO)
International Student Advisor
Schedule an Appointment with Bijoya: Virtual Only
Guennadi Bratichko (DSO)
Senior Advisor, International Student Services
Schedule an Appointment with Guennadi: Virtual || In-Person
Michael Waggoner (DSO)
International Student Advisor
Schedule an Appointment with Michael: Virtual || In-Person
Xinyu "Kuan" Zhai (DSO)
International Student Advisor
Schedule an Appointment with Xinyu: Virtual || In-Person
Pre-Arrival Team
Sarah Kim (DSO/ARO), Pre-Arrival Manager || Schedule with Sarah
Margret Katsakhyan (DSO), International Student Advisor || Schedule with Maggie
Makkie Haller (DSO), International Student Advisor || Schedule with Makkie
Faculty/Scholar Advising Staff
Connie Jesse
Assistant Director, Faculty/Scholar Immigration
Connie Jesse joined International Student & Scholar Services in 2003 and currently serves as the Assistant Director for Faculty and Scholar Immigration. She advises departments on immigration matters regarding employment, and works with international faculty and scholars on maintaining their status. She has her Master's Degree in International Education and Human Development from George Washington University. Her international experiences include living, working and researching in Peru, Mexico, Egypt, South Africa, Namibia, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, Russia, Ecuador, as well as vacationing in seven other countries.
Emily Markes, International Scholar and Faculty Advisor || Schedule with Emily
Emily joined International Student and Scholar Services in January 2020 after working with international scholars at Cornell University. Prior to working in the international education field, she taught Spanish to elementary, middle, and high school students in Maryland, New York, San Francisco, and Antigua (West Indies). She has traveled extensively in Latin America, studied in Argentina and Spain, worked for a non-profit organization in Peru, and taught English in Japan for a year. She has a Bachelor's degree in Spanish and a Master's degree in Education from UMD-College Park. In her free time, Emily enjoys playing tennis, biking, swimming, and learning about new cultures and languages.
Yetnayet (Mimi) Lemma, International Scholar and Faculty Advisor || Schedule with Mimi
Mimi Lemma has been serving as an International Faculty and Scholar Advisor at the University of Maryland since 2013. Previously, she worked as an International Faculty Advisor at Rutgers University for four years and as a paralegal at an immigration law firm. She earned a paralegal certificate from Villanova University. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. Mimi is well-traveled having visited Ethiopia, Kenya, Austria, and Hungary. When she is not processing applications, she is spending time with family and friends.
Beth Floyd, International Scholar and Faculty Program Specialist
Beth Floyd recently joined the International Faculty and Scholar advising team at ISSS. She comes to our team from the Department of Sociology where she served as a Graduate Coordinator since 2016. She has 6.5 years of experience working on campus providing administrative and program support to students in the program. Ms. Floyd has her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from McDaniel College. While she has not had the opportunity to travel as much as her colleagues she thoroughly enjoys learning about other cultures and traditions, art, and cuisine. When she is not assisting the team with preparing H-1B I-129 petitions, she can be found spending as much time as possible with her friends and family, soaking in all the love around her.
Ash Reynolds, (They/Them/Theirs) International Scholar and Faculty Program Specialist
Ash Reynolds joined the Faculty and Scholar team in October 2019 after completing their master’s in International Education Policy at the University of Maryland College Park. Ash has worked in education in China, the Dominican Republic, and South Africa, where they were a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching in Limpopo for two years. Additionally, Ash studied abroad in London during their undergraduate education. In their spare time, Ash enjoys baking, building with Legos, writing poetry, watching TV, and cuddling with their rescue dog.
ISSS Graduate Assistants
Cameron Busacca (Integration Programming)
Melissa Drobish (Scholar Advising)
Molly Schreier (Student Advising)