The Office of Global Affairs is pleased to announce that Gayle Christensen has agreed to serve as interim Vice Provost for Global Affairs beginning July 1, 2023, stepping in for Jeff Riedinger who is retiring from the UW next summer. The next UW Provost will conduct a search and select a new Vice Provost for Global Affairs.
As Associate Vice Provost for Global Affairs since 2016, Dr. Christensen manages global engagement and business operations and directs strategic priorities, working collaboratively with colleges, schools and centers across the UW to further their global efforts. She is also an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the College of Education and has taught graduate courses in leadership and globalization of higher education.
Prior to joining the UW in 2014, Dr. Christensen spent a decade working in international education. At the University of Pennsylvania, she served as the inaugural Executive Director for Penn Global. There, she developed a range of initiatives aimed at strengthening Penn’s global engagement.
As an expert in comparative education, Dr. Christensen has served as a consultant and researcher in the U.S. and abroad for organizations including the World Bank, Urban Institute and the Bertelsmann Foundation. Her recent research has focused on the study abroad as a high impact practice. Previously, her research focused on the global reach of Massive Open Online Courses and has appeared in such publications as Nature and The Atlantic and online at Slate. Her research has been featured across major media outlets including Harvard Business Review, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. She holds a master’s degree from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a master’s and doctoral degree from Stanford University.