In an email from Dean Valentini, the university has just announced that Michael Pippenger, Dean of the Office of Global Programs, will be departing for a position at the University of Notre Dame. Pippenger originally came to Columbia College in 2006 as the Dean of Fellowship Programs, and later became the Dean of Undergraduate Global Programs in 2011. During his time at Columbia, his work focused on globalizing the Columbia experience as well as overseeing advising for fellowships.

More recently, the Office of Undergraduate Global Programs has been criticized for its alleged lack of support for students during the application process for prestigious fellowships, such as Rhodes Scholarships. The former head of the Fellowship Office, Paul Bohlmann, left Columbia in 2014, and Pippenger acknowledged in a 2014 meeting with CCSC that the office had been “chaotic” since then.

In his new role at Notre Dame, Peppinger will be doing similar work to continue the globalization of the university and to expose students to international experiences.

You can read the university’s full statement below or on Columbia’s website:

Columbia Dean of Undergraduate Global Programs appointed Vice President for Internationalization at the University of Notre Dame

Michael E. Pippenger, Columbia University’s Dean of Undergraduate Global Programs and Assistant Vice President for International Education, has been appointed Vice President and Associate Provost for Internationalization at the University of Notre Dame.

Pippenger will lead Notre Dame International, the university’s global initiative, overseeing efforts to broaden the Notre Dame’s international culture, programs, reach and reputation through expanded international research, collaborative projects and strategic relationships with global partners.

“This is an exciting career advancement for Michael, and an opportunity made possible by his success at Columbia,” said James J. Valentini, Dean of Columbia College and Vice President for Undergraduate Education. “We are deeply grateful for all that he has done to support global education for Columbia College, and indeed for the students and faculty in all four of our undergraduate Schools, and for his work in advancing the global mission of the University. While we will be sad to see Michael depart, and will be losing a great colleague, we wish him well in his new role at Notre Dame.”

Pippenger came to Columbia in 2006 as Columbia College’s first dean of Fellowship Programs, and in six years, helped students win four Rhodes Scholarships, six Marshall Scholarships and 60 Fulbright grants. In 2011, he was appointed Dean of Undergraduate Global Programs, heading the new Office of Global Programs and Fellowships. In this role, Pippenger has worked closely with faculty to develop new study abroad programs, collaborated closely with partner institutions that provide opportunities to our students, and advised students in Columbia College, General Studies and The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science on global opportunities, scholarships and fellowships. Under Michael’s leadership, Columbia has developed 14 new global programs and students have won numerous prestigious fellowships, including Rhodes, Mitchell, Goldwater and Truman Scholarships.

Michael was instrumental in the development of the Presidential Global Fellows program, now entering its third year, which gives rising sophomores the opportunity to explore the University’s global network and bring their experiences back to campus to enrich the lives of their classmates. He has also facilitated the implementation of our grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to develop new academic programs with a global perspective.

“Michael is a recognized leader in the international area whose collaborative approach with faculty and administrators at Columbia and at many other universities throughout the world helped guide Columbia’s ambitious international strategy,” said University of Notre Dame Provost Thomas G. Burish. “Among many things, he is drawn here by our new Keough School of Global Affairs and sees it as a major opportunity to expand Notre Dame’s global reach and impact. He is strongly committed to Notre Dame’s distinctive Catholic identity, and understands how it can provide a unique resource for Notre Dame’s future international efforts.”

Before coming to Columbia, Pippenger was director of scholarship programs at New York University College of Arts and Science, where he ran all major national and international scholarship completions. Previously, he served as senior program officer and world area manager of the Asia/Pacific Fulbright Program at the Institute of International Education.
Early in his career, he worked in admissions at Haverford College and Carleton College, his alma mater, before returning to his native Indiana to earn his master’s and doctoral degrees in English Literature from Indiana University.

“For ten years, it has been my privilege to work with Columbia’s bright, diverse student body and its world-renowned faculty in our communal efforts to expand opportunities for undergraduates through global programs and fellowships. In that time, I have been inspired and impressed by countless individuals who have made my life richer,” Pippenger said. “While my experiences here have prepared me for an exciting opportunity at Notre Dame, it is with sadness that I leave the Columbia students, faculty, alumni and colleagues—on campus and in programs around the world—with whom it’s been my great honor and pleasure to serve.”

Edit, 2:51pm: In a previous version of this article, we said Paul Bohlmann left Columbia in 2012. He actually left in 2014. We regret the error.