Find IFSO staff at McGill Hall Suite 2126 (second floor) of Muir College or contact us at (858) 246-1448.
Visit our "Contact Us" page for office hours, how to schedule an appointment with an advisor, directions to our office, email addresses, and additional information.
Director, International Faculty & Scholars Office
Associate Director, Global Education
Roark Miller oversees the operations of the International Faculty & Scholar Office. For over a decade he has been working in international education, advising international scholars and students on the full gamut of academic visa classifications; prior to coming to UC San
Assistant Director, International Faculty & Scholars Office
Immigration Advisor
As an Immigration Advisor, Sandra advises scholars and departments on employment based immigration categories. Sandra's favorite part of her job is meeting scholars from different parts of the world. Sandra has over 6 years of experience working in the immigration field. Sandra encourages schoalrs to ask questions when in doubt about their immigration status. Her experience in immigration helps her understand the complex regulations associated with visas. She graduated from UC San Diego with a B.A. in Politiacal Science and recently earned a J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Sandra loves being back at UC San Diego and exploring all the new additions to the campus. In her free time, Sandra enjoys reading, movies, and hiking.
Immigration Advisor
J-1 and H-1B for Scholars with the last name: A - H
Dalia Alshamas was born and raised in San Diego and received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from San Diego State University and a Master of Arts in Human Behavior from National University. Dalia has had over 10 years of experience working in Education; she has served as the Community Outreach Coordinator at a private university as well as a High School and Community Relations Liaison for a local Community College. As a scholar advisor, Dalia serves university departments and International scholars at UC San Diego. Dalia comes from a diverse background of Middle Eastern and German descent. She enjoys traveling and has lived in Germany and visited Costa Rica and Greece. She speaks Arabic, German, and Spanish and would love to learn another language. Dalia is always eager and excited to meet new people and learn more about different cultures. In her free time Dalia enjoys reading, movies, and swimming.
Senior Immigration Advisor
J-1 and H-1B for Scholars with the last name: I - P
Marie Manlapaz’s passion in immigration-related matters stem from witnessing her grandmother emigrate eleven children from the Philippines to the U.S. Marie has worked in the immigration field for over 10 years. She obtained her Bachelor’s in Sociology, with a minor in Asian American Studies at UC Davis. Prior to joining IFSO Marie was an Immigration Specialist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and also an International Student Advisor at UC Davis and UC San Diego. As an Immigration Advisor, Marie advises scholars and departments on H-1B employment related matters. She enjoys working with international scholars and their families from all over the world. She finds it rewarding to see others fulfill their professional, academic and personal goals. She understands it can be challenging to navigate the U.S.’s complex immigration regulations and wants scholars and departments to know that IFSO is here to assist them. She encourages scholars and their families to explore San Diego and the diverse culture California offers. In her free time, Marie enjoys going to the beach, rollerblading, hiking and salsa dancing.
Immigration Advisor
J-1 and H-1B for Scholars with the last name: Q - Z
Lucas Olson serves as an immigration advisor, providing services to international scholars and UCSD departments. He is originally from Michigan and grew up in a family that loved to travel as well as host international au pairs and exchange students. Since then, he has lived abroad for over 5 years in northern Europe, Russia, and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine. He has a B.A. in Political Science from Kalamazoo College, an M.Sc. in International Relations from the University of Amsterdam, and an M.A. in International Education Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. He has previously worked in international student and scholar services at Stanford University and San Diego State University. Outside of work, he enjoys camping, road trips, tennis, and volleyball.
Employment Based Intake and Compliance Coordinator
Nallely provides administrative support to departments, scholars, and the International Faculty & Scholars Office. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Law and Society from UC San Diego. After earning her Bachelor’s degree, her passion for helping others led her to work as a Paralegal in an immigration law firm. She returned to UC San Diego, where she gained student affairs and course management experience. Nallely looks forward to helping members of the Triton community with their immigration process. In her free time she enjoys practicing her Spanish, hiking, trying new food, and volunteering at the San Diego Food Bank.
Employment Based Immigration Assistant
Danny provides administrative support for the H-1B and Permanent Residency staff as well as IFSO’s front desk. He attended Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts where he studied International Relations and minored in Spanish. The following year he moved to Spain to teach English. Originally from the greater Boston area, Danny comes to us with professional experience in data processing and experience working with international refugees and asylees helping them find employment in the U.S. Having lived in Barcelona for a year, he is also an avid Barcelona fan and enjoys eating pan con tomate, learning different languages, and experiencing diverse cultures. Danny enjoys his work and finds meaning in international relations. In his free time, Danny enjoys playing soccer, being outdoors, and trying different ethnic meals.
Front Desk Coordinator
As Front Desk Coordinator, Aia’s role mainly entails the management and coordination of the Front Desk, and supervision of the Front Desk Student Staff. Aia has been part of Global Education since 2015, where she was employed at International Students & Programs Office mainly supporting the processing of international student employment applications. Aia is also a UCSD alumna of SWANA origin with a degree in Literature/Writing. Prior to returning to Global Education and joining IFSO, she worked as a Paralegal at a Global Immigration law firm. A Southern Californian plagued with wanderlust, Aia enjoys exploring new places and traveling whenever possible. In her free time Aia enjoys connecting with folks, reading books of all genres, writing, attending poetry events, hanging out in bookstores, and going to the beach.
Office Manager
Victoria manages office operations and procedures, oversees correspondence, and supports the International Faculty and Scholars Office. She is also the contact for logistics and inquiries from our various business offices, affiliates, and outside organizations. She has been an administrator at UC San Diego for the past four years, and helped to manage and promote programs that were interdisciplinary. Prior to that, Victoria provided outreach in the nonprofit sector and promoted farmers’ stories, the importance of a local food supply, as well as a collaborative educational program that taught urban children about nutrition. She has a Master’s degree in Education, and an undergraduate degree in Studio Arts. She was also a professional folk dancer and had performed in various cultural festivals throughout California. In her free time, Victoria enjoys reading, leisurely walks, and learning about various cultures through folk dance.
Daisy is a fifth year in ERC with a Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience major and a Linguistics double major. More specifically her area of interest is Autism and helping families with family members who are on the spectrum. Through Linguistics, she has learned about speech sounds unique to specific regions of the world and enjoys engaging in multicultural conversations to learn more about this topic. By doing so, she wishes to implement her findings into her practice one day. After finishing her undergraduate studies, she wishes to pursue a master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology to help children with speech impediments due to psychological or cognitive disorders. San Diego has become her second home, but when she is not studying, or working on an art project, she likes to visit her family and friends in Los Angeles.
Emily is a sophomore in ERC with a linguistics major and a double minor in Middle Eastern studies and CSE. Although she has spent most of her life in Santa Clarita, Emily briefly lived in South Korea during her childhood and she is proud of her Korean heritage. Learning Arabic, Spanish, and Mandarin in both high school and college has helped her develop an appreciation for cultures across the world. Besides working at IFSO and being a full-time student, she is the Director of Special Events in Student Council of ERC, the secretary for Ellie’s Transfers and Commuters, and a conversation leader in English-in-Action. She also waitresses at a sushi restaurant when she’s back home. In San Diego, during her free time, Emily enjoys dancing with her friends, creating a ruckus at Geisel Library, and hunting for good food within a twenty mile radius of her place. Upon graduating, Emily hopes to go to graduate school, write a book, get fit, and pursue a career in government along the East Coast.
Jasmine is a third year Sociology with a concentration in Law and Society. Apart from working at IFSO she holds another position in Enrollment Management at Office of Admissions. When she is not working she enjoys going to the beach to see the sunsets and trying new food places. Once she graduates, she will be taking a 2-year gap to gain life experience. After that she hopes to attend grad school and find a career path that allows her to help people.