Penn State faculty member appointed guest professor at University of Luxembourg

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — David Baker, professor of sociology, education, and demography in Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts and College of Education, was recently appointed as a guest professor of educational science at the University of Luxembourg.

The three-year appointment will allow Baker to further his research on the impact of universities on global science through collaborations with University of Luxembourg faculty members and graduate students. He also will serve on several doctoral committees and advise university faculty on program development in the sociology of education.

“Reflective of Luxembourg’s culture, this relatively new European university is multilingual and enhances its faculty capacity with international guest appointments,” Baker said. “I already have been doing collaborative research with colleagues there, so this is a really nice opportunity to deepen that.”

In addition to expanding his research, Baker hopes to sponsor a visiting University of Luxembourg graduate student at Penn State.

Since most of Baker’s research collaboration with his Luxembourg colleagues occurs online, he will continue his usual teaching and residential duties at Penn State. He will travel to the University of Luxembourg two or three times a year, with his first visit planned for this November.

“David’s appointment as a guest professor at the University of Luxembourg is a well-deserved honor for him and a great opportunity for Penn State to extend its global reach,” said Eric Baumer, professor and head of the Penn State Department of Sociology and Criminology. “It is also a win-win for our department, as we continue to benefit from his usual excellence in teaching and research while gaining another set of international connections and potential opportunities for our students. Such opportunities are central to our expanding student enrichment goals.”

“I’m thrilled to see David with this appointment build on his international prominence as a scholar of comparative education,” said Kevin Kinser, professor and head of the Penn State Department of Education Policy Studies. “As a faculty member in the Comparative and International Education Program, David is also furthering connections between our department and the network of universities in the European Higher Education Area.”

“It’s a real honor to receive this appointment,” Baker said. “I am looking forward to learning, conducting research with the excellent faculty in Luxembourg, and bringing my findings and knowledge back to Penn State to share with my students and peers.”