Lauren Silva (she/her) is the Coordinator for International Student and Scholar Services. She first joined the JMU campus community in 2021 in the College of Education as the Front Desk Administrative Assistant for the Education Support Center. She left the position to pursue her master's degree in Global Studies at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, with a research focus on the interaction of language and knowledge. Lauren earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Seattle University (WA), with a double major in History and Cultural Anthropology and a minor in Asian Studies. She loves learning about history, culture, and language. Lauren speaks basic Japanese but is always willing (and wanting!) to learn more conversational Japanese.

Given her own experience as an international student both as a graduate student and in her undergraduate study abroad program, Lauren is excited to support international students and faculty on their journeys at JMU.