Barbara Rowe, a nationally recognized leader in the field of study abroad, has been named executive director of the Education Abroad section of the Penn State University Office of Global Programs, effective Aug. 1.
“Penn State is indeed fortunate to attract Dr. Rowe, a national leader in the field of Education Abroad with proven leadership experience in two institutions," said Michael Adewumi, vice provost for global programs at Penn State. "Barbara will help lead our Education Abroad enterprise to greater prominence and recognition.”
Rowe comes to Penn State from Yale University, where she served as assistant dean of Yale College for International Programs and Fellowships and as director of the Office of Fellowship Programs. Previously, she was director of the Office of International Education at Bucknell University. Earlier in her career, as assistant director of International Programs and a lecturer in the English department, she worked for W. LaMarr Kopp, the much-respected deputy vice president for Penn State’s International Programs, during the era when the University first combined its international student services functions and study abroad functions into a single University-wide office.
Rowe brings tremendous expertise and experience to the position, having served in many leadership roles, including as vice chair of the board of directors of the Forum on Education Abroad; on the editorial board of Frontiers, the Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad; as vice president and board member of the Pennsylvania Council for International Education; and as chair of the general conference for IES, the Institute for the International Education of Students.
One of Rowe’s recent accomplishments at Yale was her leadership in the Peking University-Yale University Joint Undergraduate Program, in which she was centrally involved from inception to third year evaluation. Other service to the Yale community includes participation on the Dean’s Faculty Advisory Committee for Initiatives in China, the advisory committee for the Office of International Affairs, numerous fellowship selection committees, the Provost’s University Advisory Committee on International Education, and the University Task Force on Student International Travel.
Rowe holds a doctorate and a master's degree, both in history, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a bachelor's degree cum laude from Juniata College.