UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State is seeking nominations and candidates for the next vice provost for Penn State Global, with responsibilities including global support, international students and scholars, education abroad and global engagement. This search is internal to Penn State.
Sabine Klahr, associate vice provost for Global, has been serving as the interim vice provost since March 1, 2024, after the departure of former vice provost Roger Brindley.
Reporting to Penn State's executive vice president and provost, the vice provost for Global will provide executive leadership in shaping the University's strategic international agenda, working closely with senior academic and administrative leadership to develop new initiatives and global partnerships. The role oversees key areas that contribute to expanding the international experiences of students, faculty and staff.
The selected candidate will be responsible for securing external and internal funding to support international programs and will represent Penn State to global stakeholders, including the University’s expansive international alumni network. As a 2025 Simon Award recipient for comprehensive internationalization, Penn State ranks among the top 1% of universities worldwide. With 23 Pennsylvania-based campuses and an online World Campus serving nearly 90,000 students, including approximately 10,000 international students, the next leader of Penn State Global must be attuned to the nuances and needs of the various campus communities and cultivate plans that are sensitive to and inclusive of these differences to best impact not only local constituents, but communities all over the world.
The successful candidate for this position will have a clear and compelling vision for further developing and implementing Penn State’s international mission and engagement strategy. The successful candidate will be a globally aware, innovative and experienced leader and manager capable of motivating and collaborating with diverse teams to develop and execute plans to enhance the overall success of international education and engagement University-wide. The successful candidate should have a demonstrated record of accomplishment in leadership positions with successively increasing portfolios of responsibility and possess excellent business and interpersonal skills and fundraising capabilities. Further, candidates should have demonstrable experience working with and supporting students, faculty and alumni from diverse national origins. Candidates who have an earned doctorate or other terminal degree and a record of scholarly achievement sufficient to merit a tenured appointment at the rank of professor are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates from academic and/or non-academic environments who may not qualify for a tenured appointment at the rank of professor but who have significant international engagement and leadership experience are also encouraged to apply.
The search committee will accept confidential applications and nominations until the position is filled. To apply for this position, submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae and contact information for four references via the University’s employment website. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue for 30 days. For best consideration, applications should be submitted by March 20.
The search committee, chaired by Kimberly Lawless, dean of the College of Education, is as follows:
- Fawaz Al Sabhi, undergraduate student in finance, Smeal College of Business
- Brian Brubaker, assistant vice provost for global learning, Penn State Global
- Abigail Diehl, associate vice provost for faculty affairs, Office of Faculty Affairs
- Debra A. Dreisbach, assistant teaching professor and program coordinator, Criminal Justice program, Penn State Lehigh Valley
- Riki Hay, regional global engagement coordinator for global learning, Penn State Global, Penn State Behrend
- Mauricio Jimenez, global safety director, Penn State Global Safety
- Rupinder Kaur, assistant research professor, Department of Biology, Eberly College of Science
- Carey McDougall, regional chancellor, Penn State Beaver and Penn State Shenango
- Jody Pritt, assistant vice provost for international student and scholar advising, Penn State Global