Amanda Connolly began her role as the Executive Director of International Affairs on July 1, 2025. In her role, she oversees compliance for UT Health Science Center F-1 and J-1 programs, which allow our institution to host international students and scholars. She also oversees the immigration compliance for employees on UT Health Science Center-sponsored visas and those who UT Health Science Center is sponsoring for Permanent Residency. This means helping our students and scholars obtain and maintain their immigration status, and ensuring that the institution remains in compliance with all regulatory requirements to host international students, scholars, and sponsor employees needing visa support. Amanda also works across campus to ensure that offices have the information needed to be able to support their work with international students and scholars, and that the needs that are unique to international students and scholars are understood and met. She strives to make sure that our international students and scholars feel welcome and connected. 

Amanda grew up in New Mexico and Texas, and has lived in the South for most of her life. She has lived in seven states, and Memphis is the second city in Tennessee that she has lived in. Amanda holds a bachelor’s degrees in art history and philosophy and has been very involved with NAFSA (the Association of International Educators) for most of her career. She has served in various leadership positions within the organization and has trained colleagues on all regulatory aspects of international student and scholar advising.

Amanda started working as an International Student Advisor at Clemson University almost 20 years ago. She was given the opportunity to start and manage a program at Vanderbilt University designed to recruit and support international students into biomedical PhD programs, which allowed her to apply her immigration knowledge on the academic/department side of things.  This opportunity to work in a setting with researchers and physicians open the door to International Affairs in Higher Ed, and she moved to New England for a career advancement opportunity where she got experience at various types of institutions. Amanda was later recruited to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania to serve as the Director of International Students and Scholars. The opportunity to work at the UT Health Science Center was very exciting.

“I’m thrilled to be here!” said Connolly. “This position and institution combine the things I enjoy most about the work that I do. I love working with international students and scholars because they are some of the smartest, hardest working, most interesting people. The courage that it takes to move so far away from home for educational and professional opportunities continues to amaze me after all these years. In a Health Science Center, our students and scholars are so focused on the important work they do, and I enjoy being one of the many administrators who helps make that happen. The most rewarding part of my work is helping students and scholars feel more empowered on their immigration journey.  It’s an incredible honor to get to work with our brilliant students and scholars to help make their journey a bit easier and a little less scary.”

In her personal life, Amanda loves art, music, theater, and has never met a dog that she didn’t want to be friends with. “If you meet me in person after we have e-mailed or zoomed, you’ll be surprised by how tall I am.”

Contact:

Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs | 901.448.9503 | afsa@uthsc.edu
Hyman Administration Building | 62 South Dunlap Memphis, TN 38163

The mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is transforming lives through collaborative and inclusive education, research, scholarship, clinical care, and public service. With six colleges – Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy – at its main campus in Memphis, in addition to educational and clinical campuses at major hospitals in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville, and sites across the state, UT Health Science Center strives to fulfill its vision: Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities. For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu. You can find the University of Tennessee Health Science Center on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities.