There are well over 4,000 international students at Iowa State University. Those students now, after two years, finally have a new director in the International Students and Scholars Office.

After two years of having an interim director, the ISSO now officially has their new director, Krista McCallum Beatty, in position for the start of fall semester.

McCallum Beatty is originally from Minnesota and earned her B.A from the University of Minnesota. She has over 20 years of experience working in the international education field.

Most recently, she has spent 14 years working full time at Ohio University in a similar position while also earning her PH.D.

“I actually started on May 24th and summer here was beautiful, but I kept wondering where the students were,” McCallum Beatty said. 

Supporting students is McCallum Beatty’s primary passion in the position. The ISSO is where international students can go for a variety of support services, such as immigration advising, new student orientation and programming trips.

“No two days are ever the same, there is a lot of oversight and responsibility but that means I can be involved in a lot of different aspects in this office,” McCallum Beatty said. 

A lot of this responsibility involves promoting the success of international students. 

International students at Iowa State come in with the same goals and passions as non-international students, one usually being to achieve an education so that they can secure a successful career and future. 

Since the summer, McCallum Beatty has been involved with small construction projects and getting to know her team.

“But now since the students are here, this fall in particular my goal is to get out and meet students, hear about what they have to say, and learn about their experiences,” McCallum Beatty said.

With student input she’ll be able to further plan what initiatives she can lead. 

Initially students will go to the ISSO to maintain their immigration status so that they may continue their education and take advantage of their opportunities.

In order to support this, one of the many things that McCallum Beatty does is listen to the international students, making sure they are aware of resources, and helping them reach goals. 

“If they have questions or concerns about something that happened in class or on campus, we’re often a starting point for them because they’re not sure who else to talk to,” McCallum Beatty said.

The ISSO serves as one of the most important resources for international students, and having leaders such as McCallum Beatty and her staff members work together to cater the needs of these students becomes a success factor for them. 

“This is the first time in my career where I have not advised students directly, and I miss students so much… I really do,” McCallum Beatty said.

One of her initiatives to positively impact international students and scholars is getting out there to meet them this fall.

“I am certainly not somebody who’s going to be the director and sit in the office and not interact with students because I’m here to serve and support the students,” McCallum Beatty said.

If you are interested in getting more information about the International Students and Scholars Office, their office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or visit https://www.isso.iastate.edu.