Staff
Elizabeth (Betta) Risa
Immigration Specialist
Office of International Services
708 William Pitt Union
412-624-7126*
Fax: 412-624-7105
evr3@pitt.edu
* For appointments, please call the OIS Receptionist at 412-624-7120.
Betta is an Immigration Specialist in the Office of International Services (OIS) at the University of Pittsburgh. In that position, Betta is responsible for managing all immigration casework for, and providing related immigration services to, a portfolio of University schools and/or departments. The immigration caswork includes a broad spectrum of cases, ranging from cases involving international student issues to applications for employment-based US Lawful Permanent Resident status. Specifically, Betta is responsible for:
- Processing complex immigration casework for international students, international faculty, and international staff, requiring interface with various academic and administrative units throughout the University;
- Functioning as Designated School Official and Alternate Responsible Officer, recognized by the US Department of Homeland Security and US Department of State, and authorized to access the federal government's Student & Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS);
- Functioning as liaison between OIS and other University schools/departments/divisions, community organizations, and US and foreign government agencies;
- Responding to internal and external inquiries regarding immigration matters;
- Representing OIS internally to various academic and administrative units, and externally to various local, state, and federal government agencies, as well as other educational institutions and organizations; and
- Advising and assisting international students and scholars with regard
to complex immigration regulations, as well as personal, social, and/or
academic concerns.
To view a chart listing all school assignments for all Immigration Specialists in OIS, see our OIS Immigration Services School/Department Assignments chart, which has been updated with new assignments.
Biography
Prior to starting her position at Pitt in August 2003, Betta was employed
at Purdue University as the Assistant Director of Programming in the International
Students and Scholars Office where she was integral to the cultural acclimation
and success of one of the largest international populations among public
universities.
Betta has also worked as the Director of the Hart Global Living and Learning
Center at Oswego State University of New York, where she lived and worked
with individuals from all over the world.
She received a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in French Language and Culture and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in International Mass Communications from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in History.
Betta has lived and studied extensively abroad in Ireland, Norway, Germany and France. She is fluent in French, Norwegian and English.
Professional Affiliations
- NAFSA: Association of International Educators
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators
- Association of College Personal Administrators
Selected Appointments/Elected Positions
- Campus Appeals Board, Purdue University
- Faculty Fellow, Purdue University
Selected Awards/Honors/Recognitions
- 2003 NAFSA National Presenter
- 2002 NAFSA Region XII Presenter
- NAFSA Region XII Travel Grant
- 2001 NAFSA Region VI Presenter
- 2001 NAFSA Conference Volunteer, Philadelphia, PA
- Civility and Citizenship Task Force, Oswego State University
- Graduate Resident Mentor Search Committee, Chair, Oswego State University
- Academic Programming Committee, Oswego State University
- Hart Global Living and Learning Center Policy Committee, Oswego State University
- Alcohol and Other Drugs Task Force, Oswego State University