A Utah State University dean has been tapped to take a leadership role that places increased emphasis on global engagement for students at USU.  

 

Mary S. Hubbard, dean of the College of Science, will shift jobs to become the university’s new vice provost for Global Engagement beginning Oct. 1.  

 

“I look forward to this new challenge and the opportunity to build and strengthen our university’s global ties,” Hubbard said. “It gives me a unique chance to broaden my interaction with faculty across the university in all areas and disciplines relating to our international interests.” 

 

USU Executive Vice President and Provost Raymond T. Coward said the university is in the third year of a five-year plan to expand international education opportunities for USU students. He said USU President Stan L. Albrecht has three specific goals in mind:

 

- expand the number of study abroad opportunities for USU students

 

- expand the number of international students who study on the Logan campus

 

- increase the internationalization of USU by enabling faculty to build more global content into their curriculum

 

Coward said that although this is not a new position, the change from part-time to full-time signals the president’s strong commitment to bolster USU’s international affiliations. 

 

“This new emphasis deserves and demands the attention of a full-time steward,” Coward said. “We are fortunate to have a high-caliber academic leader such as Dean Hubbard be willing to accept this new responsibility. She brings to the position the leadership depth and academic experience necessary to help move us to the next level in the international arena.”

 

Albrecht said this new appointment will help better position the university for new collaborations and student opportunities in an expanding global marketplace.

 

“This appointment allows us to move forward with implementing one of the major initiatives announced at the time of my selection as president,” Albrecht said. “Dr. Hubbard will play an important role as we increase our focus in this vital effort.”

 

Hubbard will also oversee the study abroad program, the Office of International Students and Scholars and the university’s international scholarship programs with countries such as the Dominican Republic, Armenia and Saudi Arabia.

 

Hubbard is not new to international studies and programs. This past summer she led a USU delegation of students and faculty to explore future study abroad opportunities in affiliation with the Gorongosa National Park in the Republic of Mozambique. During her tenure at Kansas State University, where she headed up the Department of Geology, she contributed to two target programs of excellence at the university – the Center for the Understanding of Origins and the African Studies Center. Her field research included extensive work in Senegal, New Zealand, France, Pakistan, Nepal and Norway. Her doctorial research included the Himalayas of Nepal. She also completed a post doctoral fellowship that included studies in Pakistan, Switzerland and France.

 

“The world is shrinking,” Hubbard said. “It is no longer uncommon for faculty and students to be involved in collaborations across the globe. There is a growing recognition among our faculty of how much our graduates will benefit from an enhanced global perspective.”

 

Hubbard said she would also like to help grow the variety of offerings available through the university’s current study abroad program. In addition to the more traditional choices, she said she would like to explore ways to create other short-term and discipline-specific experiences for students. Another goal will be to find new ways to work with existing USU campus groups such as Aggies for Africa.

 

“I think there is huge potential at Utah State,” she said. “And that includes capitalizing on student and faculty from overseas who come to USU. I would like to help connect these scholars with our own faculty and staff. It can be a lonely experience for somebody from the outside. I would want to help them in their studies.”

 

Hubbard, who has been dean of the College of Science since July 2007, said that although she is moving into this new endeavor, it does not mean she is giving up her passion for science. She said she will carry that passion with her into her new responsibilities. At the same time, she looks forward to expanding her interests in new fields such as the humanities, the arts and education.

 

A native of the Chicago area, Hubbard earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Colorado and completed her doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

 

Coward said that after consulting with the academic leadership, faculty and staff in the College of Science, he expects to name an interim dean sometime in the next two weeks. He also expressed special appreciation to Ed Reeve who has been serving as interim Vice Provost for International Programs.

 

“Ed has done a marvelous job,” Coward said. “Under his leadership our international programs have made important progress.”

 

 

Writer: John DeVilbiss, 435-797-1358, john.devilbiss@usu.edu

Contacts: Dr. Mary Hubbard, 435-797-3515, mary.hubbard@usu.edu