Masume Assaf retires after more than 40 years at Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Masume Assaf, assistant vice provost for International Student and Scholar Advising in Penn State Global, retired on Feb. 3 after 42 years at the University. Assaf joined Penn State in 1981 in the Intensive English Communication Program and joined the Office of International Students as what was then referred to as a foreign student adviser in 1984 and has been with the office through its many transitions in name, staff and mission.

“Masume Assaf has been a staple in serving quite literally tens of thousands of our international students at Penn State over the decades,” said Roger Brindley, vice provost for Penn State Global. “As an original writer of immigration training documents for international educators in higher education, she has left an indelible mark not only on many lives at Penn State, but across the entire field of international education.”

Over the years, Assaf became the assistant director, then the associate director, and finally the director of International Students and Scholars. In 2022, her title was updated to assistant vice provost.

Throughout her time, she supported Penn State’s growth in international student enrollment to a top 20 host institution in the United States, now home to more than 10,000 international students and scholars. She spearheaded multiple overhauls of Penn State’s immigration processing systems throughout the years and became a highly respected figure in her field.

Along with a colleague, now at Carnegie Mellon University, Assaf wrote the handbook on F-1 visa regulations that was used by NAFSA, the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange, as the standard for training international educators.

“I think it’s vital to know and understand the regulations and to apply them ethically and judiciously,” Assaf said. “Know your resources to get that information.”

Assaf’s position will be filled by Jody Pritt, as announced in Penn State News last month. Pritt will be joining the office in March.

Assaf has no immediate plans in her retirement.

“It’s a bittersweet moment for me,” said Assaf. “I’m ready to retire, but I’ll miss the environment, the people, and the opportunities that came with working with this office.”