Dr. Martina Schiavo

Martina Schiavo, Ed.D. is the International Student Success Advisor at the Rinker Center for Global Affairs at Ball State University. In this role, she guides and supports international students across their academic, cultural, personal, and professional journeys. She is dedicated to providing guidance on academic expectations, culture shock, American culture, career plans, financial needs and help them with other questions and challenges international students encounter along the way. Her personal experience as a two-time international student both in France and the US and as an exchange student at Ball State from the University of Lorraine brings firsthand understanding to her advising work.

She fosters a sense of belonging and connection among international students as well as with campus and community by partnering with campus services and community partners. She supports students with the program Benny Buddies, a peer friendship program connecting international and American students through events and field trips to foster shared experiences and intercultural learning.

Martina earned a Doctor of Education in Adult and Community Education and a Master of Arts in TESOL and Linguistics from Ball State University as well as a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish with a concentration in intercultural communication from the University of Lorraine. Her research interests focus on international students’ cultural adjustment and the lived experiences of foreign-born international educators. She is quadrilingual and passionate about learning from different cultures.