International Student Advisory Council

The International Student Advisory Council (ISAC) brings together a diverse representation of international students at Stony Brook University to communicate the needs and challenges of international students. Councilmembers are volunteer student leaders who work on projects with the Office of Global Affairs to improve international student support and engagement at Stony Brook.

Applications are now open for the 2024/25 Acadmic Year!

APPLY NOW!

• ABOUT ISAC

  What is isac?
  

  The International Student Advisory Council (ISAC) supports the international student success efforts of the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) and serves as a direct line of communication between the international student population and Stony Brook administration in order to improve the international student experience on campus. 

  General Expectations
  International Student Advisory Council members will:

  • • Provide guidance, ideas, and advice to OGA on student engagement, communication strategies, event planning, etc.
    • Share international student stories and communicate feedback and concerns
    • Advocate for international student issues with the Office of Global Affairs
    • Develop and implement activities for International Education Week and one Spring semester event for international students
    • Engage with the international student community at OGA events

  Preferred Qualifications
  

  • • Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills
    • Demonstrate passion for Stony Brook and advocating for your fellow international students
    • Be reliable, responsible, and flexible
    • Actively participate and show enthusiasm at events

  Benefits

  • • Build up your resume by demonstrating leadership skills
    • Develop critical thinking, effective reasoning, creativity, and other cognitive competencies
    • Improve communication, technical capabilities, professionalism, collaboration, and other practical skills
    • Network with University staff and students
• BECOME A MEMBER

  Join ISAC!

  ISAC consists of 9 international student council members from a variety of backgrounds: 4 appointed positions, and 5 elected positions.

  Appointed Positions
  Appointed positions are selected from Stony Brook’s four international and student government groups, and may be elected or appointed by their organization. Positions last for a minimum of one academic year, or as long as the student remains in their role.

  • • Graduate Student Organization (GSO) Representative
    • Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Representative
    • International Student Organization (ISO) Representative
    • International Peer Mentoring Program (IPM) Representative

  Elected Positions
  All international students are welcome to apply for one of the 5 elected positions to ISAC. Positions will be selected by the consensus of current and outgoing ISAC members. The maximum term length is 2 years.

  Eligibility Requirements

  • • Undergraduate students must be Sophomore standing or higher (except the IPM Representative)
    • Graduate students must have completed a minimum of 1 semester at SBU
    • Good academic standing (3.0 GPA or better)
    • Commit to a minimum of one academic year on the Council
    • Attend monthly meetings during the Fall and Spring semesters (may be more frequent before ISAC events)

  How to Apply
  Applications are currently closed. Please check back in Spring for the 2024/25 Academic Year.  

   

  Contact the Office of International Student Success at iss@stonybrook.edu for more information.

• CURRENT MEMBERS

  meet the isac Team!
  

  • Bindu Bhargava Chintam
    

    Bhargav (he/him/his) is a second-year Master's student in the Computer Science department at Stony Brook. His academic interests are centered around the field of natural language processing and lexical analysis. Outside of academia, Bhargav is an avid gamer, enjoys long rides on his motorbike, and loves going on treks.

    Bhargav serves the GSO as President to help advance the political interests of graduate students including: advocating for international students, and facilitating better access to research funding.

    Bhargav
  • Hein Zarni Aung
    

    International Peer Mentoring Program Representative

    Zarni is an international freshman hailing from Yangon, Myanmar, with an AOI in Computer Science. He loves starting the day early and catching the sunrise in the morning. In his free time, he likes to work on and check off his bucket list of stereotypical American activities. He also has an unhealthy obsession with Arctic Monkeys' debut album.

    Hein Zarni Aung
  • Minjoo Jeong
    

    International Peer Mentoring Program Representative

    Minjoo is a diverse music enthusiast with a penchant for K-pop, pop, Jazz, and various other genres. She is passionate about Korean cuisine and enjoys experimenting with new recipes from around the world. She enjoys cycling, spending time outdoors, and learning new languages. She is happy to help if you need advice on making new friends, navigating academic challenges, or anything else.

    Minjoo Jeong
  • Paula Legarra
    

    International Peer Mentoring Program Representative

    Paula Legarra is a Psychology major at Stony Brook University. She loves hanging out with her friends and exploring new places with them, is a very social person and always loves a good adventure. She also enjoys listening to music, running, hiking, trying new foods, and traveling. As a fun fact, she has traveled to 34 different countries so far, and can't wait to explore more of the world!

    Paula Legarra
  • Shibani Selvakumar
    

    Hello Everyone! I'm Shibani, an international student from India pursuing her Masters in Computer Engineering. I love meeting people from diverse backgrounds and engaging in conversations ranging from the mundane to the philosophical. I love reading, watching TV shows, documentaries, traveling, arts & crafts and biking! I am an avid explorer and always open to new experiences.

    Shibani Selvakumar