Who's Who

New Appointments - Office for International Students and Scholars

Peter Briggs was appointed director of the MSU Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) in October 2001 after 20 years at the University of Oregon, where he served as international student adviser and most recently as director of international recruitment. Briggs received his master's in educational policy and management from the University of Oregon and his bachelor's in history from the University of Washington. He has published on international student issues and has held a number of national offices in NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Arriving at MSU just weeks after September 11, Briggs found himself in crisis mode as a result of the many aftermath issues affecting MSU's nearly 4,000 international students and scholars. His expertise in the area of intercultural communication has been particularly relevant in this regard. Among his priorities for OISS are increased attention to the internationalization of the campus through support of student programming, strengthening community programming with Community Volunteers for International Programs (CVIP), and making better use of technology in advising and supporting MSU's international students and scholars.

Briggs replaces David Horner, who headed OISS for 18 years and is currently on special assignment related to defining MSU's international student recruitment goals.