Current Members Bios and Aspirations
Undergraduates
Sofía Bernier (Co-Chair)
Chile
Undergrad
SAS
Sofía Bernier is currently the undergraduate chair of the International Student Advisory Board. Sofía was born and raised in what she likes to call Eden: Chile. She is currently a junior in the college majoring in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics with a minor in Psychology. As an international student at Penn, Sofía wants to improve the sense of community that exists within the international demographic. When she is not reading or tutoring at a school in West Philly, Sofía enjoys cooking up some tasty food and sharing it with her friends. This alone is a good reason to get to know her better! Please do not hesitate to reach out to her if you have any questions or suggestions regarding the international community at Penn.
Akshay Subramanian
India
Undergrad
Wharton
Born in Mumbai and raised in Dubai, Akshay is a senior in Wharton, studying Finance and Accounting. He joined ISAB as a freshman to make use of the opportunity to not only help redress issues faced by fellow international students but also interact with an eclectic group of people from across the world. Akshay is an avid follower of tennis, cricket, Formula 1 and soccer and considers the US a bastion of barbarism for cricket fans. In his free time, he also enjoys watching the British car show, Top Gear. In addition to being a part of ISAB, Akshay is also a columnist for the Penn International Affairs Association and works at the Student Federal Credit Union.
Alexander Kraik
Canada
Undergrad
SAS
Born in Toronto, Canada, Alex is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a descendent of those who fled political revolutions in Russia and China. Alex intends to major in international relations before pursuing legal studies.
Frederick Abiprabowo
Indonesia
Undergrad
Wharton
Fred is currently a senior in Engineering and Wharton, majoring in (semi-deep breath!) Computer Science, Finance, and Operations and Information Management. Born, bred, and buttered in Jakarta, he is an avid fan of badminton and surfing--two of Indonesia's most celebrated sports--though he can't play either. He did try to simulate the latter on snow in Colorado, only to find himself having difficulty sitting down the day after. Fortunately, it has been proven that the earth is round, and this fact greatly facilitates his insatiable penchant for traveling. Lastly, finding spare time has always been an uphill battle for Fred, but when he does, he usually uses it very productively: babbling in foreign languages, learning Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and the Flames" on the guitar to no avail, and making weird sounds with his mouth (warning: this may or may not involve saliva).
Frederick Jiacheng Ding
Canada
Undergrad
SEAS
Frederick Ding is an undergrad in bioengineering from Toronto, Canada. He has been on ISAB since freshman year and is enthusiastic about minority representation on campus. When he’s not in class, doing coursework, or helping freshmen in the Quad, Frederick can probably be found holding student government meetings as part of the Nominations & Elections Committee (NEC), which includes among its missions the appointment of minority groups to governance structures in the university. Before coming to Penn, Frederick has lived in China, Germany, Nova Scotia, downtown Toronto, and then suburban Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada—and he still carries fond memories of each of these places. Whatever career he ends up in (hopefully medicine!), he aspires to work and live in a metropolitan city that embraces diversity and integrates the best of all its cultures.
Hyun-Soo Lim
Canada/Korea
Undergrad
SAS
While Hyun-Soo was attending a public elementary school in Bundang, Korea, she was known as “that television quiz show winner with a leggo haircut”. Since English was her absolute favorite class, she begged her parents to move to North America, and got her wish in 2006 when she started calling Edmonton, Canada home. She studied at McGill University in Montreal for 2 years, before transferring to Penn as a junior in fall 2012. She is an East Asian Area Studies major, with a double minor in International Relations and International Development. At Penn, she is a competing member of the Forensics Team, sings with PennSori A Cappella, and leads the Golden Key Honor Society. She speaks Korean, English, and French, and hopes to be fluent in Chinese soon. Hyun-Soo loves chocolate, 2NE1, and Skype. After graduation, she would like to practice in Human Rights and International Law.
Juan Bernardo Alvarez
Ecuador
Undergrad
SAS
Juan Alvarez is a junior from Quito, Ecuador studying Diplomatic History and Latin American studies. He recently got back from a semester abroad in Cuba where he conducted research on Latin American politics. In addition to being a Penn World Scholar, Juan has worked on social development projects on four different continents and plans to study International Law. Juan is also a member of the Dean's Advisory Board and an Ask Big Questions Fellow.
Julio German Arias Castillo
Panama
Undergrad
Wharton
Julio Germán Arias Castillo is a junior in the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. Born and raised in Panama, he has put his best to contribute to the University of Pennsylvania through leadership, community service, and academic achievement. Throughout his time at Penn, Julio Germán has served in the executive boards of the Wharton Latino Undergraduate Association and the Wharton Business Law Association. Moreover, he is an active member of the Cipactli Latino Honor Society and the International Student Advisory Board. Julio is currently studying abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Nevertheless, he is looking forward to his next semesters at Penn -- to keep working to help bring tangible change to international students and the Penn community at large. Apart from his activities on campus, Julio enjoys singing, learning new languages, and reading about Latin American history and politics.
Luis Edouard Stubbe
Germany
Undergrad
Wharton
Luis Stubbe is an undergraduate sophomore in the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business, pursuing a degree in Economics from the Wharton School and a degree in International Studies from the College of Arts and Sciences. Of Swiss, Spanish, and Belgian background, he grew up and was schooled in Frankfurt, Germany, before coming to Philadelphia. At Penn, Luis works as a Research Assistant at the Graduate School of Education, tutors for the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, and is a member of the Community Service committee of Muse, the Wharton marketing club. Luis’ hobbies include skiing, soccer, and reading. He is also a big fan of Brazil, and plans to study abroad in Rio de Janeiro next year.
Opemipo Akisanya
Nigeria/Britain
Undergrad
SAS (Exchange)
Opemipo is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and hopes to become a lawyer. He is a British-Nigerian on an exchange year from the University of York, which he considers the best decision he has made in his undergraduate study. He is keen to serve the international student community through his role as a Chair on ISAB’s Outreach Committee. As the only exchange student on ISAB, he hopes to help highlight their views and concerns. He enjoys writing sporadic comment pieces and “poetry”. He has a mild news obsession but also loves a good book. He loves supporting Manchester United, watching Formula 1 and listening to good music but he readily admits to being vocally deficient. He is passionate about his Christian faith; his family and his girlfriend. He would love to travel more often but he is far too poor.
Pianpian Nancy Liu
South Africa
Undergrad
Wharton
Nancy was born and raised in China, but moved to South Africa at the age of 10 and lived there ever since (not really because she recently relocated back to China). She's been to every continent except for Europe, saving it for her graduation trip. She loves music, fashion, travelling and non-profits. However, she loves food above all and enjoys digging for new and interesting eateries. She can speak Chinese and English fluently, but can only speak conversational Afrikaans and Spanish.
Sandra Nannozi
Uganda
Undergrad
Wharton/Nursing
Sandra Nannozi is a proud Ugandan. She is a freshman in the Nursing and Healthcare Management program here at Penn. She hopes to use her degree to improve the healthcare system in Uganda. When Sandra was applying to Penn, one of the major things that sparked her interest was the opportunity she would have to interact with such a diverse, multi-cultural community. She is proud to say that in the three months that she has been at Penn so far, she has interacted with an amazingly diverse group of people, both from the United States and abroad, and learnt about their cultures, while she, in turn has taught them about hers. Being a member of ISAB has enabled her to find out more about the standing of international students at Penn and think of ways that she can make the lives of future international students better.
Thamolwan Surakiatchanukul
Thailand
Undergrad
SAS
Wan (Thamolwan) is from Bangkok, Thailand, and is a dual degree student in biochemistry and finance. As a continuation from her involvement in the International Student Society at Phillips Exeter Academy, she joined ISAB her freshman year and has since worked to bridge cultural gaps among Penn students. As a non-native English speaker, she truly understands the cultural and academic difficulty that international students face and is honored to have been elected twice to lead the Academic Integration subcommittee. Apart from ISAB, she conducts robotic surgery research at Penn Engineering’s Haptics Group as well as a biomedical project on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. As an executive editor of Synapse, Penn’s undergraduate medical journal, she recently hosted an editing session for thirty writers and associate editors over Insomnia cookies. In her free time, she enjoys cooking with Alpha Phi Omega’s fellows as well as exploring French, Italian, and Japanese cuisines in Center City.
Thandolwethu Ally
South Africa
Undergrad
SAS
Thando Ally, an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, currently studies Philosophy, Politics and Economics. His concentration focuses on the analysis of human behavior in social and business transactions. He attributes his interest in human cognition to his childhood passion for helping people and businesses gain a profound understanding of their changing position and roles in society. Thando grew up in Kwazulu-Natal South Africa, and spent all of his primary and secondary years of schooling in inland Kwazulu-Natal. Upon graduating from high school, Thando went to the University of Cape Town (UCT) for a semester to pursue his interest in human cognition by studying towards an MBChB. After a lucrative offer to redefine his interests at the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Arts and Sciences, Thando Ally flourished in the UPenn community. Currently, he promotes his passion as a member of ISAB, The Inspiration, The Daily Pennsylvanian, and Alpha Kappa Psi – Professional Business Fraternity.
Graduates
Kwadwo Tettey (Co-Chair)
Ghana
Grad
SEAS
Kwadwo is originally from Ghana but grew up in Gaborone Botswana. He has been an active member of ISAB since Fall 2011. During his first year on the board, he served as co-chair of the Public Safety and Housing subcommittee. This year, he serves as the graduate co-chair of ISAB. In 2008, Kwadwo completed his B.S & M.S.E degrees in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. He is currently a fifth year PhD candidate in the department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering here at Penn. During his free time, Kwadwo enjoys playing squash, exploring Philadelphia and surrounding areas as well as trying out food from all over the world.
Andrés Castro Samayao
El Salvador
Grad
GSE
Andrés Castro Samayoa (Merliot, El Salvador) is a Ph.D. student at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. Andrés's research interests focus on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer history on college campuses in the United States, as well as contemporary experiences of LGBTQ/Questioning international students. Andrés holds a B.A. in Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality from Harvard College and completed an M.Phil. in Multi-Disciplinary Gender Studies as a Gates Cambridge Scholar at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Andy Tan
Singapore
Grad
Annenberg
Andy is a doctoral candidate at the Annenberg school and specializes in health communication research. When he's not busy with his dissertation research, he enjoys visiting gardens in the Philadelphia suburbs, catching up on current affairs, and watching documentaries
Chunchun Tang
China
Grad
GSE
A native of Shenyang, China, Chunchun Tang is an IEDP (International Educational Development Program) candidate looking to be an educator with a global perspective. Having studied and worked in Michigan for the past five years, she enjoys the independent U.S. lifestyle while constantly missing her family, friends and the FOOD at home. During her undergraduate years, the English Literature major had a fair share of "quality time" with Shakespeare. She also loved getting adrenaline highs when delivering speeches on stage. In addition to work, Chunchun is an absolute movie junkie; her favorites include Gone with the Wind, Farewell My Concubine, American Gangster and Let the Bullets Fly. She also likes to help her friends pick up a few Chinese words and cultural tips.
Felicity Duncan
South Africa
Grad
Annenberg
Felicity is a PhD student at the Annenberg School for Communications. Originally from South Africa, she worked as a journalist for several years before pursuing her doctorate, and received a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she studied as a Fulbright scholar. Felicity enjoys pretty much everything about life in the USA except cable news talk shows and fast food and jogging. Her hobbies are all far too low-brow to be discussed in public.
Jawan Shir
Afghanistan
Grad
SAS
Jawan Shir is a Ph.D student in the South Asia Regional Studies Department. He is from Afghanistan, and studies the social and cultural history of Afghanistan. He likes reading, running, and watching comedy movies. After his PhD, Jawan Shir wants to return back to Afghanistan where he wants to become a teacher.
Michelle Riegman
Netherlands
Grad
SEAS
Michelle was born and raised in the Netherlands, but lived in New Jersey for four years during high school. She completed her undergraduate education at University College Utrecht and is now a first-year Master’s student in Biotechnology here at Penn. In her free time she enjoys running, going to concerts, and travelling as much as possible. She’s also a big fan of Philadelphia’s food and beer scenes, and is always on the lookout for something new to try. Her favorite things about Penn are the people and the free tea and coffee at the Grad Student Center.
Payal Jain
India
Grad
Perelman SOM
Payal is a first year PhD student in the Cell and Molecular Biology program at the Perelman School of Medicine. She is interested in pursuing brain cancer research to elucidate major pathways that lead to this devastating disease and, also develop therapeutic interventions. Payal is from New Delhi, India and has lived a large part of her life in the old and historic city of Kolkata. Having roots in a developing nation as diverse as India, she enjoys the company of culturally and socially diverse friend groups. She wants to lend a supportive hand and reach out to international students at Penn through ISAB. She enjoys cooking, reading fiction novels, watching Bollywood movies, dancing, traveling and eating good food!
Sajini Sasthri-Rajaptrage
Japan
Grad
Dental
Sajini is currently a third year dental student at the School of Dental Medicine. She was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Japan. She loves to travel – she has been to over 20 countries and since leaving Tokyo has lived in Los Angeles and London before coming to Philadelphia. In her free time she likes to go for a jog, go shopping, or prepare some baked goods at home – just remember to brush your teeth afterwards!
Satoko Nakayama
Japan
Grad
Wharton
Satoko is a first-year MBA student at Wharton Business School, majoring in Marketing and Operations Management. She was born in Japan and graduated with a BS in Food Science from the University of British Columbia in Canada. Prior to Wharton, she worked at a US-based management consulting firm in Japan for four years. As a member of the ISAB Outreach Committee, she hopes to identify and address the needs of international students using skills developed from consulting work. At Wharton, she is involved in organizing Wharton’s largest cultural trek, Japan Trek, and planning educational events for 300+ students through Wharton’s Wine Club. She also runs marathons and enjoys wine tasting in her leisure time.
Susit Dhakal
Nepal
Grad
SAS-Fels
Susit Dhakal is a first year master’s student from Nepal studying public finance. He is the co-chair of ISAB's Partnership and Expansion Committee.
Xiaotong Chen
China
Grad
GSE
Xiaotong Chen is a second year master student at Graduate School of Education. In partial fulfillment of her degree, she currently works at as an ESL teacher in Nationalities Services Center, Philadelphia. She enjoys teaching English in an adult immigrant community setting where diversified linguistic, educational and cultural practices converge and interact.
Yuen Kit Chau
Hong Kong
Grad
Wharton
Jacky is from Hong Kong, currently a 2nd year PhD student at Wharton School concentrating in accounting. He is interested in capital market, accounting choice and corporate governance related research. He also did his undergraduate study at Penn, majoring in PPE (philosophy, politics and economics) at College as well as concentrating in finance, statistics and OPIM (operations and information management) at Wharton. Prior to his PhD study, he worked as an investment banking analyst in Hong Kong, covering telecommunications, media and technology sector in Asia. He has a broad range of interests and enjoys sports, travelling and East Asian pop culture.