Dr. Roopa Rawjee
ISS Director and Assistant Dean of Students
608-262-7890
Roopa was born in Mumbai, India and started her career as an English and Social Studies teacher at an all-girls school. She moved to Los Angeles, CA as an international student at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Her teaching skills and passion for education led to a position working with international students at CSUN and eventually to a career change. She graduated from CSUN and went on to earn her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from California Lutheran University. Roopa’s travels have taken her to Austria, Canada, China, England, Germany, Lebanon, Nepal, Scotland, Switzerland, and the U.A.E. She enjoys cooking, watching legal/murder mysteries, and long walks with her partner Desmond and their rescue dog Zelda. She is passionate about student success and retention, animal rescue, and women and children’s issues.
Samantha McCabe
Assistant Director and Advisor
608-265-5113
As Assistant Director for SEVIS Compliance, Sam provides oversight of F and J student/dependent compliance with Federal regulations through the Student & Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and overall database management of immigration records. She works with campus partners to identify ways in which we can better support academic and support service departments to provide more transparent and stream-lined services to our international student population. In addition, Sam serves as ISS liaison to the career service offices on campus.
Sam has traveled to many different countries, including South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Peru, Mexico, Honduras, the Bahamas, Canada, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand. She also lived for a time in Spain, Namibia, and Brazil. In her spare time, Sam serves on the leadership team of the Wisconsin Association of International Educators (WAIE). Outside of her volunteer duties, she enjoys playing indoor and outdoor volleyball, the many summer activities in Madison, and exploring different cultures and countries through food and social exchange.
Tetyana Schneider
Assistant Director and Advisor
608-262-3466
Tetyana is an Assistant Director and is responsible for Co-Curricular Education, Orientation, and Communications. She also advises international students on F and J non-immigrant visas. Originally from Ukraine where she taught English at Volyn State University in Lutsk, Tetyana earned her PhD in Education Leadership and Policy Analysis from UW-Madison. Tetyana is passionate about social justice and improving international students’ learning experiences. She also loves to teach and has been enhancing her teaching skills by applying active learning approaches and using technology in the classroom while being an instructor of a first-year seminar to international students (CP 125). She enjoys reading and would love to explore all 50 states in the U.S.
Sabrine Ali
BRIDGE Coordinator and Documentation Services Coordinator
608-890-4813
Sabrine is part Palestinian and part Panamanian. She grew up in Jordan and Panama for a few years before returning to the U.S. In keeping theme with her role as a BRIDGE Coordinator, she feels her life has been a constant “bridging” of cultures and identities, and feels very fortunate for the experiences she has had. She is passionate about creating welcoming and safe communities for domestic students and international students to engage in cross-cultural friendships. Sabrine loves her parrots (Susu and Leo) and cat (Zeya). She greatly enjoys spending time with her friends and family, cooking, playing board games, and of course, traveling. Her dream is to continue to visit the friends she has made around the world, and share the stories from her adventures.
Jacquie Bormett
University Service Associate
608-262-6883
Jacquie helps make sure that student addresses, majors, and other information is kept accurate and up-to-date in SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System). She also helps to process requests from students for new I-20 documents.
Caity Dawson
International Student Advisor
608-265-4523
Caity Dawson earned a master’s degree in French Studies through the Professional French Masters Program here at UW-Madison. She enjoys working with international students and supporting them in their success at UW-Madison and beyond. Caity has lived and worked in France and Montreal, Quebec, and loves speaking French. Her travels have taken her to several US national parks such as Yellowstone, the Badlands, Arches, the Canyonlands, and Great Sand Dunes National Park. She likes camping with her husband, running, reading, spending time outside, drinking tea and eating good food. She is originally from West Virginia.
Colleen Hutchinson
International Student Advisor
608-262-2721
Originally from upstate New York, Colleen’s travels have taken her to Canada, Mozambique, Brazil, Jamaica, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Iceland, the UK, Hungary, France, Germany, and Ireland – where she completed her master’s degree. Her hobbies include reading, traveling, and baking, and she is passionate about environmental preservation, education, and women’s rights.
Cameron Millard
Information Systems Network Support Technician Senior
608-265-2511
Cameron oversees International Student Services’ data management and information technology systems, including interface with SIS (Student Information System), ISSM (International Student and Scholar Management), and SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System).
Melissa Murray
International Student Advisor
608-262-2044
Melissa serves as an International Student Advisor and International Reach Program Coordinator. Originally from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, her travels have taken her to Canada, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Ukraine, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, and the UK. She completed both her bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Prior to joining the ISS team, she served as the International Student Advisor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Melissa loves getting to know international students and connecting them to opportunities to build their confidence and skills both in and out of the classroom. In her free time, she enjoys all things food related, especially if it involves spending time with friends and family or getting to know new people.
Erik Salminen
International Student Advisor
608-265-3426
Erik Salminen was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and has also lived in Jordan, Belgium, Indonesia, the UAE, and mainland China. In total, he has been to 34 countries and lived abroad for 22 years. Erik is proficient in Mandarin Chinese and some basic Japanese.
Kao Yong Thao
International Student Advisor
Kao Yong (pronounced Gao Zhong) Thao serves as an international student advisor and orientation coordinator at ISS. Kao Yong graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s in English and Gender & Women’s Studies. She then went on to pursue her master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Prior to joining the ISS team, Kao Yong was an academic advisor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and an AmeriCorps VISTA for the WI Department of Public Instruction. Originally born in Thailand, Kao Yong came to the United States with her family as refugees and has lived in Manitowoc, Wisconsin most of her life. She is passionate about promoting educational equity and creating spaces where students can be their whole selves. When Kao Yong is not working, she enjoys watching movies, cooking, trying new food, and spending time with family.