About VISIT

Staff

Dahlia French, Esq., Director
dahlia.french@vanderbilt.edu 

Dahlia joined the VISIT team in June 2008. An attorney, Dahlia has practiced law in the field of immigration and naturalization law since 1993. While in private practice she provided immigration services to institutions of higher education, medical doctors and researchers. She left private practice in 2005 to serve as Immigration Compliance Officer for the University of Virginia. 

Born in England and raised in Canada, Dahlia has lived in the USA since 1990. She received her undergraduate education from the University of Toronto (1990- Political Science & American Studies), her Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law (1993), and completed additional LL.M coursework at George Washington University (1994-1996). Dahlia has experience in a variety of areas of immigration law including family immigration, employment & business immigration, international tax, I-9 compliance, international students & scholars, asylum and deportations. She enjoys reading, traveling, music and international cuisine. 

Shannon Baker, Senior Immigration Advisor
shannon.m.baker@vanderbilt.edu

Shannon joined the VISIT team as an Immigration Advisor in June 2007. Originally from a small town just outside of Buffalo, New York, Shannon received her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the Rochester Institute of Technology in May 2004. In August 2004, Shannon moved to Atlanta, Georgia to pursue her Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice at Georgia State University. During that time she traveled to Dubrovnik, Croatia to attend a two week International Victimology Seminar, interacting with students and professionals from around the world who studied and practiced in criminal justice and victimology. After earning her Master's degree in May 2006, Shannon was employed as a Sr. Immigration Assistant with a law firm in Atlanta for 13 months. In this role, she gained valuable knowledge preparing H-1Bs, TNs, and other nonimmigrant as well as permanent residency petitions. 

In addition to Croatia, Shannon has also traveled abroad to Australia, Bosnia, Canada, Italy, Peru, Slovenia, the Dominican Republic & Puerto Rico. In her free time, Shannon enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, yoga, trying new international cuisine and spending time with family and friends.

Alicia Dinoso-Sharpnack, Senior International Tax Advisor
alicia.dinoso-sharpnack@vanderbilt.edu 

With decades of experience in payroll and payroll taxes, and after much encouragement from her daughter, Alicia relocated to Franklin in July 2003 to be closer to her grandchildren. She joined Vanderbilt in 2003, first in a VTS position providing assistance with open enrollment for benefits and payroll, and later as a member of HR Processing. Alicia joined the VISIT team in May 2006 as an HR Representative and, in May 2008, became HR Tax Research Analyst.

Born in Manila, Philippines, Alicia came to the United States with her parents and brother and sisters when she was four and a half years old. She completed her education in California with a degree in Accounting and has held positions in the private sector as an Assistant to the President for an electrical firm and accounting manager for a tractor division. Before leaving California, Alicia was employed with Orange Unified School District for eleven years. Alicia’s favorite past time is traveling, spending time with grandchildren and reading a good book.

Margaret Hettinger, Immigration Advisor
margaret.l.hettinger@vanderbilt.edu 

Maggie joined the VISIT team as an Immigration Advisor in August 2010. Originally from Brentwood, Tennessee (just south of Nashville), Maggie received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Economics from the University of Virginia in May 2008. Following graduation, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts and worked as a Business Immigration Analyst with a law firm, in which position she gained experience preparing and filing H-1B, E-3, TN, and other non-immigrant visa petitions, as well as immigrant petitions. 

Maggie studied abroad in London, England and very much enjoys travelling internationally. She has visited Scotland, Ireland, France, Canada, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and Jamaica. In her free time, Maggie enjoys reading, writing, jogging, and baking (with mixed success).

Elizabeth Shadbolt, International Tax Advisor
elizabeth.shadbolt@vanderbilt.edu 

Liz joined the VISIT team in 2010 after spending 4 years at Vanderbilt in the Department of French and Italian. Originally from Ohio, Liz holds a Master’s degree in Anthropology from the Ohio State University. After graduate school, Liz lived in China and taught culture and language at the Sun Yat Sen University of Medical Sciences in Guangzhou. She also spent many years working in refugee resettlement and is very interested in issues of cultural adaptation and integration. In Nashville, Liz has worked with several non-profit organizations on immigration issues over the past decade. 

Many years ago, Liz was an exchange student in Germany and has travelled in China, Europe, and Mexico. Today, her travels are limited but she enjoys getting others ready for their adventures at Vanderbilt.

Ying Rollins, Administrative Assistant II
ying.rollins@vanderbilt.edu 

Ying relocated to Nashville from Beijing in 2003, and joined VISIT staff in 2005. Ying came to VISIT with a strong background in finance and is the contact for administrative questions related to the office budget, internal accounting and bookkeeping. In addition, Ying provides integral support in H-1B, O-1, TN, permanent residency cases and the international personnel tax files. She is also responsible for maintaining the joint VISIT website. 

Ying enjoys cycling and yoga. She also enjoys cooking and experimenting with international cuisines. Ying is fluent in Mandarin.