International Students and Scholars announces new director positions
June 15, 2015
The Office of International Students and Scholars' director position has been restructured into two new director positions: director of admissions and recruitment and director of immigrant and nonimmigrant services.
International Students and Scholars, which is a part of International Programs, coordinates efforts related to recruitment, admissions, non-immigrant and immigrant services, and general international student and scholar advising for the Purdue campus. This administrative change was effective June 1.
The Office of International Students and Scholars serves more than 9,000 students and nearly1,000 faculty from 123 countries. Purdue has the second-largest number of international students among U.S. public universities.
"These new positions reflect the growth and significance of this office during an era with greater interest in Purdue from international students," says Michael Brzezinski, dean of international programs. "As part of these changes, the area of admissions and recruitment will have an even greater focus on attracting a more diverse international student freshman class with highly proficient English language skills."
Bryant Priester has been named the director of admissions and recruitment. He has served as the assistant director for international recruitment since 2012, and he started at Purdue in 2009 as an international admissions counselor.
"When I started in the office six years ago, we processed 5,000 applications a year, and this year we processed 13,000," Priester says. "Our office is much larger and more sophisticated in handling the increasing applications, and we are making strides in improving the diversity -- geographically, culturally and among students' academic interests. But we need to do more and that is what we intend to do."
The position for the non-immigrant and immigrant services area, which has not yet been filled, will oversee the various SEVIS, Student Exchange Visitor Information System, processes and procedures that assist Purdue students and scholars to maintain legal status and obtain various benefits such as employment authorization, extension of stay and travel endorsements. It also will oversee the processes related to the hiring of international faculty and international researchers.
Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu
