Moira has been part of the ISS scholar team since March 2019 and is currently the Assistant Director. She has a Chemical Engineering degree from Vanderbilt University and started her career working in Research and Development at Eli Lilly and Company. Moira has worked in several regulatory positions prior to joining Purdue.
Moira was born in Scotland and moved to the US when she was in high school. In her free time, she loves to travel, explore new places, go to sporting events, and spend time with her four adult children and dogs.
Danica joined the ISS Scholar team in February 2023, having received her bachelor’s degree in International Studies from IUPUI. Her international experiences there included studying abroad in Angers, France, Morocco, and working at an archaeological survey in Turkey. Prior to joining Purdue, Danica worked as a Personal Injury paralegal in Indianapolis.
In her free time, Danica enjoys spending time with her young daughter and partner as well as sewing, reading, traveling the world, and curling up on the couch with her Bengal cat to watch documentaries about archaeology and/or ancient cultures.
Chad serves as a Counselor for International Scholars. He loves the field of International Education and has been working in it for over sixteen years. Chad is a transplant to Indiana but has lived here many years and has strong roots in the state. Additionally, he has lived in Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Mississippi, Arizona, and Minnesota. Chad earned an associate’s degree in avionic systems technology from the Community College of the Air Force, a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, with a minor in religious studies, from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, and a master’s degree in anthropology from Purdue University.
Chad served in the United States Air Force and the United States Air National Guard and is now a retired veteran. He loves to travel and has been blessed to do so through his military time, his career in international education, and personal life. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends and enjoys a plethora of outdoor activities including hiking, camping, and canoeing.
Maria Matveenko joined ISS Scholar team in January 2024. She has a Bachelor's degree in History from Ivanovo State University (Ivanovo, Russia), and two Master's degrees in TESOL / Linguistics and Public Administration from West Virginia University, WV, USA.
Maria was born in Ivanovo, Russia. She moved to the US to pursue a Master’s Degree in TESOL. While working as a Graduate Assistant at ISSS at WVU, she became passionate about US Immigration Law, specifically Employment-Based Visas in Academia. Before joining the Purdue ISS team, Maria had worked as an International Advisor for Employment-based Visas (primarily H-1Bs and PRs) at the University of Minnesota (2018 - 2024), served as an Immigration Specialist as ISSS at West Virginia University (2017 - 2018). Prior to this, she assisted the Director of the International Relations Office at Ivanovo State Power Engineering University (Ivanovo, Russia) (2008 - 2013).
In her free time, Maria loves biking and playing tennis with her two daughters, traveling and visiting friends in different states, and reading the Agatha Christie’s detective stories.
Ashley has a BA in International Studies with a minor in Spanish from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. While at the University of Alabama, she found her passion for International Student and Scholar services as an ISS intern and joined the team after graduating. Ashley joined Purdue's International Scholar Services team as an Immigration Paralegal in November 2021. She now has over six years of experience in International Education. At Purdue, Ashley has a dual-focus, assisting with H-1B and Permanent Residence petitions.
Ashley works 100% remote, currently residing in the Sunshine State in the Tampa Bay Area, where she enjoys hiking, biking and exploring local hidden gems from local restaurants to charming beach towns. She loves to travel and recently had to put her Spanish minor to the test while on a trip to Bilbao and Barcelona, Spain.
Melissa Hay has been with the International Scholar Team since June of 2021. Prior to that, she worked in the Purdue Computer Science Department as an administrative assistant and liaison since March, 2019.
Melissa has four young adult children who keep her busy with their events. She also has two rescue pups: Murphy, a Cairn Terrier and Chloe, a mini goldendoodle. Melissa likes to spend her spare time, reading, watching live theater, listening to music and crocheting and knittng.