Lynn Okagaki, deputy provost for academic affairs at the University of Delaware, announced today that the search committee for the director of the Institute for Global Studies has selected finalists for the position.

About the Finalists

Joseph DeCrosta is the director of international programs at Duquesne University in Pennsylvania. He directs the University’s efforts in study abroad development, international recruitment and admissions activities, immigration advisement operations and international student services and programming. DeCrosta received his Ph.D. in communication and rhetoric from Duquesne University.

Ben Levy currently serves as the senior international officer at Ramapo College in New Jersey, where he leads the institution’s efforts in comprehensive internationalization, including study abroad programs, international partnership development, curriculum integration and international risk and crisis management, among others. Levy is in the process of earning a Ph.D. in higher education internationalization from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and previously graduated with a master’s degree in sustainable development from the School for International Training.

Portia Williams is the executive director of international affairs and an assistant professor of international education at the Teachers College, Columbia University. Through this role, she has helped establish the college’s first Office of International Affairs, including the ongoing development and maintenance of a vision for international engagement and corresponding policy and staffing infrastructure. She is also responsible for overseeing international partnership agreements at the college. Williams received her Ed.D. in international educational development and policy studies from the Teachers College, Columbia University.

Meet the Candidates

Candidates have been invited to visit the University of Delaware, where they will tour campus, meet with key stakeholders and present at an open public forum. Each forum will take place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. with

• Ben Levy on Friday, April 14, in Trabant Theater;

• Joseph DeCrosta on Friday, April 21, in the Morris Library Class of 1941 Lecture Room; and

• Portia Williams on Friday, April 28, in Trabant Theater.

Recordings of each public forum will be available online for those who are not able to attend in person.

After each public presentation has concluded, members of the University community can submit their feedback online. The feedback form will close at 5 p.m., Monday, May 1.

About the position

IGS provides leadership and support for programs and experiences that contribute to the education of informed, skilled, open-minded citizens of the world. Perhaps best known for its study abroad program, the office also facilitates collaboration between the University and partner institutions abroad, awards scholarships and grants to faculty and students for a number of global opportunities and administers internationally recognized Department of State sponsored leadership Institutes for visitors from around the globe.

IGS sponsors campuswide events and programs, including an annual Global Month celebration during November and a country celebration each spring, and partners with Enrollment Management to coordinate the first-of-its-kind UD World Scholars program.

“At the helm of IGS operations, the director will play a key role in the continuation of the University’s internationalization efforts,” said Lynn Okagaki, deputy provost for academic affairs. “We look forward to seeing how this person will build on the University’s existing strengths in international education and utilize their years of expertise in the field to enhance intercultural learning, expand international programs and prepare our students as global citizens in visionary ways.”

Chairing the search for the director position is Rick Andrews, director of accreditation, policy and cross-institutional programs in the Lerner College of Business & Economics. Serving on the committee are Susan Hall, deputy dean of the College of Health Sciences; Bahira Trask, chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies; Doug Buttrey, associate chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Dan Bottomley, associate director for global partnerships and programs; Matt Drexler, study abroad coordinator; and Ravi Ammigan, director of OISS and interim director of IGS.