Meet the Staff of ISS
Pamela Dutta
Associate Director for International Student and Scholar Success
413.545.2716
Pamela Dutta recently joined the International Programs Office (IPO) in January 2018 as the Associate Director for International Student and Scholar Success. Prior to joining the IPO team, Dutta worked with UMass Student Legal Services Office since 2005. This new position has a joint reporting role to Student Affairs and Campus Life's (SACL) advocacy, inclusion and support programs. In her new role, Dutta will allow IPO and the Student Affairs & Campus Life (SACL) division to be even more integrated in their collective commitment to the inclusion and success of the UMass international student and scholar community. Pamela will allow IPO and SACL to be even more integrated in their collective commitment to the inclusion and success of the international student and scholar community.
She is uniquely situated to collaborate with the Center for Women and Community, Student Veterans Resource Center, Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Stonewall Center, Center for Multicultural Advancement and Student Success, Men and Masculinities Center, Upward Bound and Student Bridges, to better support the diverse needs of our international students.
Dutta earned her Bachelors of Arts with University Without Walls from UMass Amherst in 2005. She earned her Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from UMass Amherst School of Public Policy in 2017.
Mahsa Farid Mohajer is a PhD student in Building and Construction Technology program, in the Environmental Conservation Department. She started working as a graduate assistant at the International Program Office from September 2017 and works with the incoming graduate exchange students. As an international student, she is thrilled to work in an office that values international students and works with students from all over the world.
Naoko joined the UMass Amherst community first as an International Student and has worked in other offices across campus prior to landing at IPO in 2002, as a SEVIS Coordinator and now in the role of Assistant Director of Operations for the International Student and Scholar Services. Her primary duties are overseeing immigration record and compliance and ensuring smooth operation of the advising unit. She also advises students and scholars on immigration issues.
Outside of work, Naoko volunteers her time serving on committees for her two sons. She is a member of the Amherst Hockey Association and serves as Timekeeper Coordinator and is also the Team Manager for the Western Mass Vipers 14U. She devotes most of her weekends at ice rinks watching them play hockey.
Kenneth Reade
Director, International Student and Scholars Services
413.545.2710
Ken Reade has worked in the field of international education since 1989 and he remains active both regionally and nationally in a number of areas affecting international education and immigration regulatory practice. Ken has been a longtime advocate of federal immigration reform policies and in 2013, Reade was named “Advocate of the Year” by the field’s leading professional organization NAFSA: Association of International Educators. He has also served as NAFSA’s Region XI (Northeastern United States) Chair, as well as a variety of other positions within the association and is a frequent presenter at regional and national NAFSA conferences. In 2010 he received the region’s “Distinguished Service Award.” Ken joined the IPO at UMass in August, 2014 and previously served in the Office of Visa and Immigration Services at Dartmouth College since 2001. His other previous international education experiences included positions in London, UK with Central College Abroad, Pacific University (Oregon) and the University of Illinois Chicago. As a native Oregonian, Ken appreciates the natural beauty of Western Massachusetts and resides in Northampton, MA with his wife Susan, two daughters and a friendly Yellow Lab named Lucy. Ken is also a passionate soccer fan and welcomes any and all discussion of the world’s “beautiful game” with the UMass international population!
Beryl Tang
International Student & Scholar Administrative Assistant
413.545.2710
Beryl Tang is the pre-advisor to the international student and scholars. Beryl supervises the ISS student workers who staff the ISS advising center.
Richard advises international students regarding immigration, financial, academic and personal matters. He is also responsible for coordinating the IPO Buddies Program and processes international student employment authorization through Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT). Richard is originally from Hong Kong and first came to the US in 1980 as an international student at Springfield College, in Springfield, MA. Throughout his 25-years working experience in higher education (Hong Kong & USA), he has been a faculty member, department chair, acting director of international center and international student and scholar advisor. He is interested in research utilizing interviewing methodology on various topics of international education such as: intercultural competence, measuring the effectiveness of recruitment, the significance of foreign-born international educators, first language usage of foreign-born international educators, recruiting and advising of international student athletes. Richard is the Director of Coaching (soccer) in his hometown in Longmeadow, MA and also plays soccer regularly.
