Programs & Events

Stacy is the Assistant Director of International Student Engagement. In her role as part of the Programming team, she assists in developing programs designed to build community and support the overall success of Columbia’s international student population: objectives that she and the team achieve by delivering events aimed at fostering belonging, developing intercultural competence, and promoting leadership and global mindfulness.

Stacy holds an M.S. in College Student Personnel Administration from Illinois State University and a B.A. in International Studies, Communication & Rhetorical Studies, and Spanish from Illinois College. 

Stacy is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo and is a native French and Lingala speaker. Her favorite place to visit near campus is Gong Cha–– she loves boba tea!

Noah manages and coordinates a variety of programs and events designed to support professional and leadership development. This includes handling the logistics, operations, and marketing for initiatives such as orientation programs, workshops, and other social and cultural events. His focus is on creating enriching and effective programs that cater specifically to the needs of international students, faculty, and researchers.

Before joining ISSO, Noah managed the financial frameworks for over 40 Principal Investigators as a Financial Coordinator at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. This involved overseeing multimillion-dollar research grants, subawards, and procurement workflows to ensure fiscal integrity. Prior to this, he was an Administrative Coordinator in the Department of Music at Columbia University. In that role, he handled the department's financial administration, handling everything from purchase orders and vendor transactions to budget allocations.

What Noah loves about NYC is its incredible diversity. The city encourages its inhabitants to stay on top of global, cultural, and emerging trends and gives unique insights and convictions. At the same time, it challenges one to constantly examine their assumptions, especially when faced with contrasting perspectives. In New York City, it's not about being isolated; it's about finding a balance with others. This constant back-and-forth between personal conviction and living together is what truly makes the New York experience so rich. It's a city that celebrates individuality while also demanding community engagement, creating a truly transformative journey for those who live here.

If you need some coffee recommendations, he suggests Orens Coffee as the best, hands down! Also, he has a friendly reminder -- you just can't beat walking down Riverside Park.

James is the Assistant Director of International Student Professional Development Programming. In his role as part of the Programming team, he is responsible for cultivating the Global Leadership Advancing Student Success (GLASS) program. He does this by designing leadership and professional development training to complement international students’ academic studies and by fostering opportunities for connections and collaborations among the international student community.

James has been in the field of education for over 10 years. He has taught prospective international students both domestically and abroad, so he is well-versed in curating programs that support a diverse international student community. He holds a BA in International Studies from Yonsei University’s Underwood International College and an MA in International Educational Development from Columbia University’s Teachers College. 

James has close ties to East Asia, having lived and studied in South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong. His experiences abroad have allowed him a love for travel, learning new cultures and (of course!) trying new food. In his free time, he enjoys taking on DIY home-improvement projects, cheering on his favorite sports teams and exploring Central Park.

Chad is the Senior Associate Director for International Programs. In his role as head of the Programming team, he develops programs designed to build community and support the overall success of Columbia’s international population: objectives that he and the team achieve by delivering events aimed at fostering inclusion and belonging, developing intercultural humility, and promoting leadership and global mindfulness.

Chad holds over 20 years of experience in the field of international, global, and intercultural education. He is a teacher by training and has lived, studied, and worked in the U.S., Germany, Ukraine, and South Korea. These experiences have taught  him unique intercultural perspectives that can be seen in his work with ISSO.

In his free time, Chad enjoys reading in local coffee shops and participating in group fitness classes. 

Cait is a Program Development Specialist on the Programming Team at the ISSO. In her role, she assists in developing programs designed to build community and support the success of Columbia's international scholar population. Additionally, Cait coordinates efforts to bring the accompanying spouses, partners, and families of our international students and scholars together within our community.

Her studies include an M.S. Ed in International Educational Development from Penn Graduate School of Education and she majored in Japanese for her undergraduate degree (spending one year as an exchange student in Nagoya, Japan).

Cait began her career in English language instruction as a high school teacher in Jeonju, South Korea through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Before that, Cait worked as a Research Assistant in the U.S. - Japan Relations Program at Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

She loves working with the international community because there is always something new to learn and to teach. She understands how joyful and challenging it can be to start again in a brand new country and in a brand new language.

Her hobbies include baking, hiking, Korean skincare, and watching documentaries about sports (particularly sports she does not play).