Welcome Ali Soltanshahi – New Director of ISSS
Ali Soltanshahi joined the field of student affairs through his leadership role as President of the International Student Council at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and has been in the field of international education for over 15 years. He worked at SIUE as a retention & advising specialist and eventually moved to Iowa State University (ISU) in 2007 to serve as an advisor to international students & scholars before becoming the manager of student services. Ali is very excited to join the Vanderbilt family as the new director of ISSS on December 28, 2015.
Originally from Iran, Ali has lived in France and the U.S. most of his life and has developed a sensitivity for cross-cultural communication. He is very active with NAFSA’s Association of International Educators through presentations, trainings and research projects at the state, regional, and national levels. He currently serves on the NAFSA national team as the Regulatory Practice Coordinator with the ISSS Knowledge Community. Ali has a master’s degree in Education – Student Affairs from ISU, and a bachelor’s degree in Biology & French Literature from SIUE. He loves long walks in the mountains, percussion instruments from various parts of the world, and international cuisine!
