Q&A with Colleen Callahan-Panday

Colleen Callahan-Panday is director of the Office of International Student and Scholars.

WPI has a vibrant international student community in both the undergraduate and graduate programs, with more than 80 different countries represented on campus. Given recent changes in federal regulations, however, early data show that nearly 20% fewer international students traveled to the United States in August 2025 than in the prior year. Organizations such as NAFSA: Association of International Educators projected a potential 30–40% decline in new international student enrollment, the most significant declines since the pandemic closed borders and embassies in fall 2020.

This has a tangible impact on local communities, where international students contribute millions of dollars in tuition and living expenses. For example, in academic year 2023–24, Massachusetts hosted 82,306 international students, the fourth-largest population in the U.S., with students spending an estimated $3.9 billion in our economy.

Our challenge now is to make the case to international students and their families that WPI, Worcester, and Massachusetts are welcoming and inclusive communities, despite national policies that may be painting a less-welcoming picture.

Several new government policies have put unprecedented pressure on the community, including a travel ban for 19 countries, a pause on visa issuance during the peak season for new student appointments, changes to how and where students are eligible to apply for visas, increased vetting and scrutiny of noncitizen students’ online presence, and fairly monumental proposed changes to long-standing immigration programs, such as duration of status (which governs the amount of time a student on a visa can be in the U.S.) and the H-1B work visa program.

However, our students are resilient despite these challenges, with many deeply involved in our clubs and organizations, leadership positions on campus, and cutting-edge research in labs. We welcomed new students during International Student Orientation in August and expect to have more join us in January 2026.

International students bring fresh perspectives and different lived experiences to classroom discussions and problem-solving. Their presence and contributions help domestic students foster a global outlook necessary to understand the interconnected nature of the global economy and workforce. Living and learning at a university helps many young people begin building their professional networks, and international colleagues help grow those networks beyond the borders of Massachusetts and the United States.

Additionally, many international students excel at adapting to new situations and learning in new environments. Often, they are navigating learning and living in a second or third language and understanding new cultural norms, while also adjusting to life as an undergraduate or graduate student. Students with these strong resiliency skills help to build a robust community and contribute to making WPI a dynamic campus environment.

The International Student and Scholars Office, also known on campus as the International House, is the central hub for immigration advising and support, particularly for our F-1 and J-1 student visa holders. Our team of four advisors keeps abreast of the changing regulatory environment and provides updates and alerts to students, faculty, and staff when a change impacts our community.

The International House staff is readily available to connect with and advise students, with daily drop-in hours and both in-person and online appointments. Our staff helps students during all aspects of the student lifecycle—from the admissions process and applying for visas to preparing for the journey to the U.S., navigating the WPI campus, and managing government work permits up to three years post-graduation.

International students also enjoy the many support services and resources available to all WPI students.

We all needed to think creatively during the pandemic to help support students in an unprecedented situation. That nimbleness was good practice for the challenging immigration environment we are in today.

For example, in summer 2025, visa issuances were suddenly and unexpectedly paused during the peak appointment season, and some incoming students couldn’t schedule appointments until long after the fall semester had begun. A team of faculty and staff brainstormed options for them to take courses online or defer their enrollment, and we now anticipate onboarding some of those international graduate students in person in January.

It’s gratifying to have supportive faculty and staff colleagues, and institutional leadership, who understand that—at our core—WPI people are problem-solvers, and these challenges are obstacles we endeavor to tackle.

Let’s all continue to encourage and support international students and their enrollment and contributions to WPI to strengthen our world for tomorrow. Recognize the extra effort they’ve made, and the extra distance they’ve come, to be here at WPI. Reach out, be a friend, be a mentor, be a guide, and welcome them as individuals and as a critical part of our community.

International students have been a part of WPI’s history for more than 100 years. I always like to tell new students that our beloved mascot Gompei the Goat is named after one of our first international students from Japan, Gompei Kuwada, Class of 1890, who good-naturedly took care of WPI’s live goat mascot before graduating. And now President Wang, originally an international student herself, leads our great institution. Students from around the world are an important part of the WPI story, and we hope they continue to be an important part of our story for generations to come.