Samantha McCabe (she/her/hers)

Samantha McCabe serves as the Director of International Student Services at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She began in the office ten years ago as an international student advisor and co-coordinator of International Reach, a cultural speaker’s program, during which time she focused on curriculum development, international student advocacy, and community engagement. Her tenure as assistant director for SEVIS compliance focused on the implementation of a new immigration compliance software and ISS policy review to enhance international students’ academic experiences at UW–Madison.

Now serving as ISS director, Samantha has built upon these experiences to create intentional spaces for international student belonging, advance global engagement opportunities, and elevate voices of international students to build a more inclusive campus community. Her work is driven by her commitment to educate and empower international students to make informed decisions to realize their academic, career, and personal goals while in the U.S. and beyond, while simultaneously educating and empowering the campus community to build a more accessible and inclusive learning and living environment. Samantha has been recognized for her work in the field of international education as the recipient of the 2024 Wisconsin Association of International Educators (WAIE) Hong Rost Leadership Award and the 2024 Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion in International Education Trailblazer Award from Diversity Abroad.

Prior to UW–Madison, Samantha worked as an international admissions counselor at Grambling State University, an ESL teacher in Brazil, and a job developer for refugees in her home state of Ohio. She earned her BA in international relations and African studies from Beloit College and her MS in educational leadership and policy analysis with a specialization in global higher education from UW–Madison.