About
Mission
ISAB seeks to advocate for international student needs, voice international student concerns, and improve the international student experience by promoting a more welcoming campus environment for international students.
History/Background
ISAB, established in 2014, is a joint initiative between University of Iowa Student Government, Graduate & Professional Student Government, International Programs, and the Division of Student Life.
Board Functions
To fulfill the mission, ISAB serves the following functions:
Advocacy - Raises concerns from international students collectively, formally and informally, and provides recommendations to assist university departments to better serve international students, while raising awareness about the issues of the international student community.
Providing Student Resources - Comprises resources and information from the international student perspectives and disseminates resources to the international student community and beyond.
Relationship Building - Building relationships with individual students, international student organizations, as well as other organizations on campus to hear their stories, needs, and concerns.
Applying to ISAB
2025-2026 ISAB Commitment:
See ISAB's bylaws for structure.
Must be available for two full-day retreats.
Retreat dates: Saturday, August 30, 2025 & Saturday, January 24, 2026
- Graduate board members must attend bi-weekly graduate board meeting (1 hour)
- Undergraduate board members must attend weekly undergraduate board meeting (1 hour)
- Members are expected to devote roughly 10 hours per month (for meetings, outreach, projects, email or in-person communication, etc.)
- Maintain communication between board meetings
- If members are interested in implementing new initiatives, additional meeting will be needed
Learn about the leadership positions and ISAB’s structure:
See ISAB's bylaws for list of graduate and undergraduate leadership positions.
2025-2026 Recruitment Timeline:
- Monday, February 24: Application opens
- Sunday, March 16: Application closes
- Week of March 31: Interview
- Week of April 14: Board position offers
- Saturday, April 26: Transition meeting & 2025-2026 leadership positions election
- Attend an informational session to learn more about ISAB:
- Friday, February 28, 2025 | 6 – 7 p.m. | Zoom
- Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | 6 – 7 p.m. | 346 IMU
ISAB FAQs
What events does ISAB do?
ISAB does not put on events since it is an advisory board, not an event planning organization. However, ISAB participates in some events that are planned by other organizations or campus departments to represent international students and support the cause of the event.
What are some examples of the work ISAB does?
- ISAB updates the pre-arrival handbook for international students.
- ISAB members meet with campus partners and stakeholders, such as the Dean of International Programs, student governments, and Campus Safety to provide feedback based on international student experiences. For example, the ISAB undergraduate board provided feedback to international student orientation in fall 2024.
- ISAB meets with campus departments that have a project they hope to get international students’ input or feedback on. For example, University Counseling Service met with ISAB to get feedback on the HOPE Box project before implementation.
I am applying for ISAB this semester, can I also apply for a leadership position at the same time?
Yes! All members, including newly selected members, are eligible to run for leadership positions. Leadership positions are elected by members during the transition meeting in April. All applicants and returning members will receive election questions after the application closes. You can start preparing materials for the election based on the position that you are interested in running for as soon as you receive the questions.
What do ISAB liaisons do, and how can I become a liaison?
- ISAB has two different types of liaisons: one that is elected by another organization to sit on the ISAB board, and one that is nominated by ISAB to serve on other boards and/or committees.
- If you are interested in positions that are elected by other organizations, please connect with the organization directly to learn about their process.
- If you are interested in the liaison positions that are nominated by ISAB or selected from ISAB, please talk to an ISAB member who is currently serving in that role, ISAB’s presidents, or an advisor to learn more.
Members
Graduate Board
Koushani Biswas
Akash Choudhuri
Akalanka Ekanayake, Cabinet Director
Nanle J Gusen, Grad Board President
Nuzhat Nuari Khan Rivu
Manisha Keim
Nandita Nair, Grad Board Communication Director
Jasmin Msuya, Grad Board Vice President
Ritah Mudhungu
Cynthia Okafor
Undergraduate Board
Fascha Aryasa, Undergrad Board President
Monserrath Borja, Undergrad Board Vice President
Bageshree D Joshi, Undergrad Board Communication Director
Kahyun Kang, Social Media Director, USG International Constituency Senator, liaison to ISAB
Ariadna Orbe Vivero
Nitan Tantawichian
Jiahao Xu
ISAB in the News
Meet Fascha Aryasa: The UI data science major turning international education into real-world impact
A global vision with local impact: How PhD candidate Jeff Lai is shaping change at Iowa and beyond
Announcing the 2024 Global Student Award winners
Other Resources
What ISAB has done
- ISAB 10th Anniversary Celebration Presentation (PDF)
- 10 Years of International Student Advisory Board at UI
- ISAB 2022 - 2023
- ISAB Reunion (2021 January)
- ISAB 2021-2022
- ISAB 2020 - 2021
- ISAB 2019 - 2020
- ISAB 2018 - 2019
- ISAB 2017 - 2018
- Presentations/awareness about housing rights
- Video response to racism towards international students (2016)
ISAB Bylaws
- ISAB Bylaws (updated Spring 2025)
Connect with ISAB