Shannon Marquez will be the new dean of Undergraduate Global Engagement, Columbia College announced early this morning via press release.

With Marquez at its helm, Columbia’s Office of Global Programs and Fellowships will undergo major transitions this fall. Expected changes include a rebranding as the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement and “an expanded mission to enhance access, support existing programs and develop new opportunities to pursue global education.”

With a background in global environmental health and international programs, Marquez was most recently vice provost for international development and a professor of global and environmental health at Drexel University. She has also held faculty appointments at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Global Health, Temple University, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and the University of Iowa.

Dean of Columbia College James Valentini said, “Shannon’s broad range of leadership experience in academia and international development will facilitate the creation of the center’s vision and propel a path towards greater connection of global programs throughout the University to the three undergraduate schools.”

Marquez will begin her new role in early November and be fully transitioned by January 2019.

“Among many things, I was drawn to Columbia because of the renowned Core Curriculum at Columbia College, Columbia’s reputation as a global university and the innovative global initiatives that transcend disciplines and borders,” Marquez said. “I am very excited to engage with faculty, students, academic departments and other senior leaders on the expansion and enhancement of academic and co-curricular opportunities for global learning, and to help lead the effort to extend the global engagement strategy beyond traditional study abroad.”

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