- Direct the Office of International Student Affairs;
- Supervise SEVIS compliance and regulatory advising with F and J students and scholars;
- Facilitate programming and outreach for International and Global Nomad students;
- Counsel and refer regarding cultural adjustment difficulties;
- Advise the International Student Organization (ISO)
Karen leads the OISA team and works collaboratively with other offices to develop programs and services to support our international population. Karen serves as the Principal Designated School Official (PDSO) and Responsible Officer (RO) for Grinnell College, providing oversight for the institution's SEVIS compliance for students and scholars. She also serves as a 'on call' Dea within the division of Student Affairs.
She is available by appointment and advises international students on immigration and other regulatory challenges - as well as cross-cultural adjustment issues, personal challenges, financial difficulties, and programming and outreach with a global dimension.
Karen grew up in LeMars, Iowa. Her interest in International Education was ignited through study abroad with D.I.S. in Copenhagen, an internship at the Fulbright Advising Center in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, and a graduate assistantship with the International Center at UI. Karen is active in NAFSA, and she spent 12 years as Director of International Student Affairs at The College of Wooster, Ohio, before returning to Iowa. She enjoys work and life in Grinnell, with her husband, Jonathan, and two children, Dane and Barrett.
