Sara Thurston
Sara Thurston is the Director of the Northwestern University's Office of International Student & Scholar Services (OISS). Before joining Northwestern, Sara served as Director of International Student & Scholar Services at Kansas State University and has worked in international education throughout her career with prior employment at Roosevelt University, the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sara is an active member-leader in NAFSA: Association of International Educators, a nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. She has held numerous leadership positions including two terms on the NAFSA Board of Directors and currently serves as Conference Chair of the 2025 Annual Conference in San Diego, California. She was the 2013 Recipient of the NAFSA Region II Bruce Tracy Award for her professional and personal contributions to the fields of international education. She was also the 2015 recipient of the Home Higbee Award for Distinguished Service to NAFSA. Sara is originally from Wisconsin. She received her BA in Spanish and Art History and her MEd in Counseling and College Student Personnel at the University of Louisville. Her PhD is from Loyola University Chicago in Higher Education Administration and she received a Fulbright International Educational Administrator Award to South Korea in 2011.