International Student Council
Mission
The International Student Council (ISC) comprises international student representatives who provide valuable insight and feedback to ISSS and other campus units. Members play a key role in building strong relationships with UMD international students and organizations to better understand their experiences, challenges, and needs.
This solutions-oriented group empowers members to identify and develop effective strategies to overcome challenges and enhance the international student experience. Participation in the ISC offers a meaningful opportunity for leadership development, allowing students to make a lasting impact while building a more connected, inclusive, and vibrant international community at UMD. It also helps members build intercultural competence while fostering a sense of belonging and a supportive campus environment.
Meet the 2026-2027 ISC Members
Annu Sharma
Annu is a Master’s student in the Data Science program in CMNS. Originally from Rajasthan, India, they hold a Bachelor of Engineering and a Master of Science from BITS Pilani. They are dedicated to supporting international students, with a focus on creating safe and welcoming spaces for queer international students.
Chigozie Udeogu
Chigozie is a Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is originally from Nigeria and completed his master’s in South Korea. He is equally excited to serve as president of the International Student Council, leveraging this role to advocate for and promote supportive initiatives for international students.
Elaine Wu
Elaine Wu is a Ph.D. student in Bioengineering. Before joining UMD, she served as President of the International Student Association at Texas A&M University. Elaine enjoys meeting people from diverse cultural backgrounds and learning languages.
Eralp Toker
Eralp is an undergraduate computer science major determined to ensure that every international Terp not only thrives during their studies at UMD but also feels prepared and confident for life beyond graduation. Eralp was born in Turkey and studied high school in Germany.
Hieu Hoang
Hieu is an undergraduate from Vietnam studying Supply Chain Management at the Smith School. As a member of the ISC, he aims to help other international students navigate campus life and connect with the amazing people here.
Junbin Yang
Junbin is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Kinesiology at the School of Public Health, where he earned his M.A. in 2022. Junbin is currently working on his dissertation project, which examines contemporary popular culture using international football as both a conceptual framework and an empirical case study.
Matheus Cali
Matheus is an undergraduate student double-majoring in Finance and Operations Management & Business Analytics (OMBA). Originally from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, he aims to help international students feel at home in Maryland. Outside of academics, he enjoys playing and watching sports such as soccer, basketball, and American football, hanging out with friends, watching TV shows, and listening to music.
Norma Peña-Flores
Norma, originally from Honduras and Mexico, is a Ph.D. student in the Neuroscience and Cognitive program. She received a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Navarra and a B.S. in Physics from Florida International University. As a longtime international student, she joined the ISC to help strengthen the international student community at UMD.
Omarichachukwu 'Oma' Obiorah
Oma is an undergraduate student majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Robotics and Autonomous Systems. She is from Nigeria and loves meeting new people and learning about different cultures. She is also very passionate about sustainability and about using technology to improve the quality of life for all people.
Rishi Rajesh Mehta
Rishi is an international graduate student from India pursuing a Master’s of Engineering in Robotics. For him, moving to a new country for graduate school has been an exciting journey full of learning, growth, new experiences, and challenges. He wants new international students to know that they are not alone and that the ISC is here to support them.
Yanming Zhang
Yanming is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science. He is from China and hopes to help international students at UMD feel a sense of belonging on campus.
Yipeng Lu
Yipeng Lu is a first-year mechanical engineering student who loves building things and solving real-world problems. He is originally from China but moved to Baltimore for high school. Outside of engineering, he loves playing basketball and badminton, watching TV shows, and eating good food with friends.