Yun Shi

Senior Director

Dr. Yun Shi is the founding director of International Education, established in 2014 with Student Affairs. She is passionate about internationalization on UIUC campus and focuses on enhancing the transformative learning experience to support international students and engage domestic students. She is a firm believer that International Education is for all! She has received Student Affairs Outstanding Staff Member - Academic Professional Award, ISSS Outstanding Staff Member Award, Outstanding Asian American faculty-staff Award, International Women’s Day Award, and Student Affairs Outstanding Program Award. She previously worked as Assistant Director of International Programs and the Asian Program Coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Yun earned a Ph.D. in education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, M.Ed. in education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and B.A. in English from Xi’an International Studies University in China. Prior to coming to the United States, Yun taught at a local university for 13 years in China, where she was born. Yun enjoys cooking with students from around the world. Her hobbies include reading, listening to podcasts while knitting and crocheting.

Rebecca Hodson

Associate Director

Greetings! My name is Rebecca and I am thrilled to be the new Associate Director of International Education! I am a “townie,” who came to Champaign by way of Oklahoma as a toddler for my father, a first-gen student, to complete a PhD program. I attended UIUC myself and received my Bachelor’s in History, minoring in Spanish in 2009 (studying abroad in Ecuador in 2008). I then went on to earn my Master of Science in Library and Information Science in 2013. After working as a community college librarian and Spanish GED instructor, I joined UIUC as staff in January 2015 to coordinate internship programs and offer career advising to students at the School of Information Sciences (iSchool). Early in my career I realized I love connecting with students, instructing, advising and coordinating programs that help them learn, succeed, and build community. In particular I have focused on finding ways to improve international students’ experiences when they come to study and live in our country. I look forward to making an impact on the lives of our students in this new role. I am also a mother of fraternal twins, so to keep up with them my husband and I try to stay active by spending time outdoors, watching soccer/futbol (Arsenal fan!) and occasionally playing the game, also cooking, music and movies. 

Sofia Melendez

Undergrad Marketing & Events Intern

My name is Sofia and I am a senior majoring in Marketing and Management with a minor in Spanish. I was born and raised in Chicago, always in neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville (go cubs!). I grew up as a native Spanish speaker thanks to my parents who immigrated to the US from Mexico and Ecuador respectively, which motivated me to pursue my minor in Spanish. Some of my hobbies include Spanish and Latin dance, being a part of various dance related RSO's on campus. I love to express my creativity through different projects and outlets whether it be choreographies or brainstorming new social media ideas.

Dulf Genis

Undergrad GLOBE Ambassador

I’m Dulf Vincent, a junior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, working towards dual degrees in Information Sciences and Data Science with a minor in Spanish. My college journey so far has been all about growth and exploration—I've had the chance to dive into different fields, from public service and policy work with city governments and the U.S. Department of Education to leading innovative projects as a Scrum Master and Data Scientist at the Ameren Innovation Center. Music and languages are close to my heart, and I love blending those passions with my work, always aiming to bring a human touch to everything I do.

Right now, I’m back on campus after a study abroad program in Granada, Spain, to finish my Spanish minor. This time away was a chance for me to reconnect with myself, learn more about Spanish culture, and grow my social circle even more or so into Europe and Africa. If you’re curious about my experiences or want to see what I’ve been up to, feel free to check out my website.

Dayana Rubio-Aguayo

Undergrad GLOBE Ambassador

My name is Dayana and I am a junior double majoring in Psychology and History. Since freshman year I've been exploring different interests through jobs on campus. Some I had were tutoring in elementary schools, coordinating school sites, being an orientation leader, and helping out at a bee lab. I hope to become a teacher after I graduate and want to work in middle school grades. For fun, I like to listen to music, draw, build puzzles or play volleyball with my friends.

Gates Daniel

Graduate Intern

My name is Gates and I'm a second-year grad student in the Information Sciences program. Before returning to university, I lived in Korea from 2020-2022 working as an English teacher in the countryside. My time there gave me a deep appreciation of other peoples' cultures and a respect for different worldviews. After university, I would very much like to return to working abroad if I can. If not, I'm more than happy to return to my home in Chicago where there are more than enough opportunities to work with people from all different walks of life.

But enough about my professional life, in my personal life I enjoy reading and listening to podcasts. Over the past year I've also reconnected with my childhood hobby of building and painting Warhammer models. While in Korea I also became a bit of an RPG addict, but we're working on curbing that one! I'm very excited to be a part of UIUC's international community.

Anish Sabnis

Graduate Intern

Hey my name is Anish and I'm a grad student studying Computer Engineering. I'm from the Chicago suburbs but have grown up in a few areas including Singapore and Switzerland! My plan after graduation is to begin my career in the technology industry and see where life takes me. Some of my hobbies are running, cycling, and basketball as well as collecting sneakers and reading! 

Burhan Rangwala

Graduate Intern

I'm Burhan, a graduate student in the Master of Finance Program. I was born and raised in Mumbai, India.

 I have a deep belief in the experiential purpose of life. My work spans government and non-government organizations across five industries, where I’ve focused on optimizing resource allocation to drive greater efficiency. I am particularly drawn to interdisciplinary projects that bring together diverse perspectives, cultures, and expertise, with a shared commitment to delivering meaningful outcomes.

I find joy in a fast-paced badminton game, and cooking where I can experiment with flavors.

A personal goal of mine is to swim in every sea across the globe! Feel free to reach out at burhanyr.super.site