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President Brown and I are very pleased to announce that following a national-level search, we have selected Dr. Scott Taylor as the next dean of the Frederick S. Pardee
School of Global Studies, effective September 1, 2022.
Dr. Taylor is among our nation’s most respected scholars in African politics and political economy, with particular focus on business-state relations, private sector development,
governance, and political and economic reform. He comes to BU from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, where has spent over two decades as a member of faculty, including 13 years as director of the school’s African Studies Program and most
recently as vice dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Dr. Taylor has been an effective leader and community-builder during his time at Georgetown, working to actively engage alumni and donors to enable long-term growth, foster
new interdisciplinary learning opportunities for students, and build a culture for faculty and students centered around access and inclusion. While director of the African Studies Program, Dr. Taylor oversaw the expansion of the curriculum to include the addition
of new courses on major issues of contemporary import (including security, religion, and the environment), the development of a graduate certificate in African studies, and the creation of annual, immersive student trips to Rwanda and Kenya, which he continues
to lead. As vice dean, he has led engagement across eight graduate degree programs, 14 programs and institutes, and eight undergraduate majors and implemented important measures to enhance diversity in school climate, curriculum, and recruitment of faculty,
staff, and students.
Dr. Taylor’s contributions as a scholar have been equally impressive. He has published extensively in top political science and area studies journals, authored four acclaimed
books examining politics, economic reforms, and culture in sub-Saharan Africa, and been a featured speaker at dozens of international conferences and institutions. He is on the board of the directors of the National Endowment for Democracy and has served as
consultant for numerous organizations, including USAID, the UK’s Department for International Development, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and the Carter Center. He has lived in Zambia and Zimbabwe, serving as an election observer in both countries,
as well as in Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Mozambique, and Nigeria. Dr. Taylor holds an MA and PhD in political science from Emory University, as well as an AB in government and a certificate in environmental studies from Dartmouth College.
In wide-ranging discussions with Dr. Taylor about his background, management style, and goals for the Pardee School, it was clear from the outset that his strong record
of building academic and experiential programs and bringing together faculty from different disciplines; his bold vision for putting diversity at the center of research, teaching, and public engagement; his ease at engaging with faculty, staff, and students;
and his extensive connections and experience working with Washington-area think tanks, NGOs, foreign governments, and international institutions make him an exciting and dynamic candidate to guide the school’s future growth. Dr. Taylor’s first day in the office
will be September 6, 2022. In addition to his decanal title, he will hold an appointment as a professor in the Pardee School of Global Studies.
I would like to thank the members of the Pardee School Dean Search Advisory Committee (listed below) who’ve worked diligently over the past eight months to solicit and
review nominations and provide guidance on this important appointment. I’d also like to give special thanks to Professor Kevin Gallagher for his service as interim dean of the Pardee School over the summer months.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Taylor as the next dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies. From its inception just eight years ago,
the Pardee School has developed into the world-class faculty and institution we envisioned. We are excited to begin this next chapter in the young school’s history and to further its commitment to globally-significant international affairs scholarship that
advances the human condition.
Search Advisory Committee for the Dean
of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies
Chair:
Muhammad Zaman, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering
Members:
Betty Anderson, Professor and Associate Chair of History, College of Arts & Sciences
Mariette DiChristina, Dean, College of Communication
Brian Jack, Professor of Family Medicine, School of Medicine
Timothy Longman, Professor of International Relations and Political Science; Director,
Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies
David Mayers, Professor of History and Political Science, College of Arts & Sciences
Kaija Schilde, Associate Professor of International Relations, Frederick S. Pardee School
of Global Studies
Michael Woldemariam, Associate Professor of International Relations and Political Science;
Director, African Studies Center, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies
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