UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jody Pritt will become the assistant vice provost for International Student Advising within Penn State Global. The Assistant Vice Provost for ISSA is responsible for overseeing visa processing and legal compliance for roughly 10,000 international students, scholars, and faculty across the University.

“The assistant vice provost plays a critical role in supporting the international goals of the University,” said Roger Brindley, vice provost for Global. “The international communities of students, scholars, and faculty at Penn State enrich our classrooms, campus life, and our broader communities through their multiple perspectives and worldviews, and their presence here is overseen by the immigration expertise of ISSA.” 

Pritt comes to Penn State having served as the director of international student and scholar services at Georgia State University. Her career trajectory in international education began when she taught English in Zhengzhou, China, in 2002 after receiving her bachelor’s degree in international affairs from Marshall University, where she also earned her master’s degree in student affairs counseling. More recently, she earned her doctor of education degree in educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her dissertation examined the life-long and transformative impacts resulting from international study using a phenomenological case study to investigate the reflections of Omanis who studied in the United States.

“Dr. Pritt’s experience, expertise, and commitment to providing a caring environment for the international community at Georgia State and previous institutions will be a significant asset in this new role at Penn State,” said Sabine Klahr, associate vice provost for Global, who chaired the search committee. “We are thrilled to have found such a qualified candidate who is also an ideal fit for Penn State.”

Prior to her position at GSU, Pritt held leadership roles in international student and scholar support units at various institutions including Missouri State University, the University of South Carolina, and Drury University. In 2022, she was named the Harold Josephson Awardee for Professional Promise in International Education from the Association of International Education Administrators and in 2020, she received the Marjorie Peace Lenn International Student Mobility Research Award from the American International Recruitment Council. She has held various volunteer leadership positions in the international education field including the NAFSA: Association of International Education Region VII Chair and the 2022 Regional Chair Cohort Coach. In 2012, she received a Fulbright grant to South Korea to participate in the U.S.-Korea International Education Administrator Program.

Pritt is replacing Masume Assaf, who has advised international students at Penn State for over 35 years.

“I am confident, and the Penn State community should be too, in Dr. Pritt’s leadership because she has been highly invested in the success of international students and scholars,” said Assaf. “Our international community is in good hands.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining Penn State, one of the premier institutions in the country for hosting
international students and scholars,” said Pritt. “My goal is to make sure every international student and scholar feels cared for, supported and set up for success at the University.”

Pritt will assume the role of assistant vice provost effective March 1.