International Student Advisory Council

The International Student Advisory Council (ISAC) brings together a diverse representation of international students at Stony Brook University to communicate the needs and challenges of international students. Councilmembers are volunteer student leaders who work on projects with the Office of Global Affairs to improve international student support and engagement at Stony Brook.

Applications are now open for the 2024/25 Acadmic Year!

APPLY NOW!

• ABOUT ISAC

  What is isac?
  

  The International Student Advisory Council (ISAC) supports the international student success efforts of the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) and serves as a direct line of communication between the international student population and Stony Brook administration in order to improve the international student experience on campus. 

  General Expectations
  International Student Advisory Council members will:

  • • Provide guidance, ideas, and advice to OGA on student engagement, communication strategies, event planning, etc.
    • Share international student stories and communicate feedback and concerns
    • Advocate for international student issues with the Office of Global Affairs
    • Develop and implement activities for International Student Campus Lifetime
    • Engage with the international student community at OGA events

  Preferred Qualifications
  

  • • Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills
    • Demonstrate passion for Stony Brook and advocating for your fellow international students
    • Be reliable, responsible, and flexible
    • Actively participate and show enthusiasm at events

  Benefits

  • • Build up your resume by demonstrating leadership skills
    • Develop critical thinking, effective reasoning, creativity, and other cognitive competencies
    • Improve communication, technical capabilities, professionalism, collaboration, and other practical skills
    • Network with University staff and students
• BECOME A MEMBER

  Join ISAC!

  ISAC consists of 9 international student council members from a variety of backgrounds: 5 appointed positions, and 4 elected positions.

  Appointed Positions
  Appointed positions are selected from Stony Brook’s four international and student government groups, and may be elected or appointed by their organization. Positions last for a minimum of one academic year, or as long as the student remains in their role.

  • • Graduate Student Organization (GSO) Representative
    • Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Representative
    • International Student Organization (ISO) Representative
    • International Peer Mentoring Program (IPM) Representative
    • International Academic Programs (IAP) Representative

  Elected Positions
  All international students are welcome to apply for one of the 4 elected positions to ISAC. Positions will be selected by the consensus of current and outgoing ISAC members, and the International Student Success Office staff. The maximum term length is 2 years.

  Eligibility Requirements

  • • Undergraduate students must be Sophomore standing or higher (except the IPM and IAP Representatives)
    • Graduate students must have completed a minimum of 1 semester at SBU
    • Good academic standing (3.0 GPA or better)
    • Commit to a minimum of one academic year on the Council
    • Attend monthly meetings during the Fall and Spring semesters (may be more frequent before ISAC events)

  How to Apply
  Applications are open for the 2024/25 Academic Year.

  APPLY NOW!

  Contact the Office of International Student Success at iss@stonybrook.edu for more information.

• CURRENT MEMBERS

  meet the isac Team!
  

  •  
     

    International Student Organization (ISO) Representative

     

  • Sara Medved
    

    Sara (she/her) was born and raised on the Canary Islands, in Spain. At SBU, she's a member of the Women's Tennis Team while pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Applied Math. She enjoys all types of outdoor sports like hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, and especially skiing... and a fun fact about her is that she speaks five languages: English, Spanish, German, Dutch, Slovene. You can catch her for a chat at any of the upcoming ISAC Fall 2023 events. Whether you want to talk about travel destinations, sports, good food, or books, Sara is always up for a conversation!
    Email Sara
  • Krisha Patel
    

    Krisha is an international student from Mumbai, India, majoring in Computer Science. She is also an International Peer Mentor.  She likes to paint, sketch, do calligraphy and other artsy things. During her free time, she likes to binge watch K-dramas, watch content by her favourite K-pop idols, listen to music, read comics, and is learning a new language.
    Email Krisha
  • Hein Zarni Aung
    

    International Peer Mentoring Program Representative

    Zarni is an international freshman hailing from Yangon, Myanmar, with an AOI in Computer Science. He loves starting the day early and catching the sunrise in the morning. In his free time, he likes to work on and check off his bucket list of stereotypical American activities. He also has an unhealthy obsession with Arctic Monkeys' debut album.

    Hein Zarni Aung
  • Kristina Samushiya
    

    Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Representative

    Kristina (she/her) was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. She is a junior majoring in Applied Math and Statistics, a USG Senator, and an RA for 2YLC. In her free time, Kristina likes going to the gym, watching anime, biking, hiking, and learning new languages. She loves listening to music from all over the world, like reggaeton, k-pop, afrobeats, j-rock, and italian music. As an immigrant, Kristina is passionate about supporting international students and making them feel at home at Stony Brook. She is very excited to work with ISAC and meet international students.

    Email Kristina
  • Gaëlle Aminata Colin
    

    Graduate Student Organization (GSO) Representative

    Gaëlle Aminata Colin is currently the Graduate Student Organization International Student Advocate. She is also a PhD student in the Sociology department and works on black feminism, race in Europe, and food justice. As an international student, Gaëlle is dedicated to supporting international students. She hopes to help students connect with each other and build community to get the best out of their graduate education.

    Email Gaëlle
  • Ziming Zhang
    

    International Academic Programs (IAP) Representative

    Zhang Ziming is an international student from China, majoring in Applied Mathematics and Statistics. He likes to play the piano, practice calligraphy, and play Rubik's Cube, but in his free time, he prefers watching anime and movies. In addition, he is also willing to participate in social volunteer activities and do meaningful things for the society.

    Email Ziming