August 7, 2026
10:00AM - 4:00PM CST

International Student Services Committee Annual Mini-Conference [virtual]

Building Together: Centering Advocacy, Community, and Adaptability

virtual

In an ever-evolving landscape where opportunities and challenges intersect for international students, this conference aims to serve as a beacon for those dedicated to supporting their career aspirations. All sessions of this mini-conference are open to all members of NCDA! 

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Free to all NCDA members! Sign up today: https://bit.ly/ISSC-MC-26  

Attendees can earn up to 5 Continuing Education (CE) credits by attending all conference sessions. Not a member? Join today and attend the conference for FREE. 

ISSC 2026 Conference Theme: Building Together: Centering Advocacy, Community, and Adaptability

This year’s virtual conference centers on empowering career development practitioners to lead with advocacy, creativity, and strategic insight as they support the career journeys of international students in U.S. higher education. The theme highlights the critical role career development practitioners can play in championing equitable hiring practices, articulating the global value of U.S. degrees, and supporting international students through shifting policy landscapes.

At this event, participants will explore strategies to help international students cultivate adaptability, multi‑pathway career readiness, networking skill development, entrepreneurial thinking, and confidence. The conference also emphasizes the importance of building strong institutional relationships. With many institutions operating with limited resources, community‑building, and cross‑campus partnerships will be spotlighted as drivers of student‑centered support. Together, these conversations aim to equip career development practitioners with the leadership mindset and practical strategies needed to help international students thrive in a rapidly changing global career landscape.

10:00-10:15 am - Opening Remarks by the Chairs of the 2026 NCDA ISSC Virtual Mini-Conference 

• Dr. Pankaj Desai  |  Senior Assistant Director for Inclusion Initiatives | The Career Center | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Abby Senuty | Director of Career Resources | Skagit Valley College

10:15-11:00 am - Session 1 - Building Campus-Wide Advocacy: Creating Cross-Campus Champions for International Student Career Success

• Kwan Segal, SPHR | Founderb and CEO | ICAway 
• Michael Elliott, PhD | Director of ISSS (International Student and Scholar Services) | University at Albany, SUNY

11:00-12:00 pm - Session 2 - Mini-Sessions

• Mini-Session #1 | The Unseen Workplace: A Framework for Supporting Geographically Mobile Students in Career Transition 
  
  • Diana Lee | Director | Estuary Limited 
     
• Mini-Session #2 | Building Global Career Success Together at Babson Community 
  
  • Hao He | Associate Director | Babson College Center of Career Development 
  • Bryan Kanney | Associate Director | Babson College Center of Career Development

• Mini-Session #3 | Using First Destination Survey Data to Advocate for International Student Success
  
  • Dr. Shiyu Sun | Assistant Director, International Student Career Development | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
  • Dr. Tracy Wu | Assistant Director, Career Outcomes Assessment | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

• Mini-Session #4 | The International Student Job Search: Case Competition Edition 
  
  • Rebecca Hale | Assistant Director of Career Coaching | University of Cincinnati, College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies, Bearcat Promise Career Studio
  • Keya Nandi | Graduate Assistant | University of Cincinnati, Carl H. Lindner College of Business

12:00-12:10 pm - ISSC Membership Chat

• ISSC Co-Chairs - Maggie Luo and Dr. Pankaj Desai

1:00-1:45 pm - Session 3 - | Building Job Search Teams to Support International Students Through Community

• Rosie Shen | Senior Career Coordinator | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

2:00-2:45 pm - Session 4 - Navigating Change: The Latest U.S. Immigration Developments Impacting Higher Education

• Attorney Aaron Blumberg | Partner | Fragomen LLP

3:00-3:45 pm -  Session 5 -   | Beyond cultural awareness: Empowering international student career development through the Launch-Bridge-Coach (LBC) framework

• Dr. Esther Ra | Associate Director, Career Services-Nursing, Education, and Social Policy & Practice | University of Pennsylvania 
• Vicky Lee | PhD Student and Graduate Research Assistant | George Washington University 

3:45-4:00 pm – Closing Remarks from the NCDA ISSC Professional Development and Community Connections Team 

• Jane Sitter and Shihling Chui-Dwyer

If you have questions, please reach out to Abby Senuty and Dr. Pankaj Desai, ISSC Virtual Mini-Conference Co-Chairs, at abby.senuty@skagit.edu and dr.desai.pankaj@gmail.com.