Dr. Vanessa de Veritch Woodside appointed Executive Director of the Office of Global Affairs

Dr. de Veritch Woodside is an Associate Professor of Spanish Language and Cultures. Since joining the School of IAS In 2012, she has demonstrated a commitment to equitable access to global learning and other high-impact practices, interdisciplinarity, and equity-minded program leadership, including serving as the inaugural SIAS Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion. Her teaching and scholarship complement the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) mission, focusing on the study of languages, literatures, and cultures, community-engaged work with local immigrants and refugees, and high-impact practices supporting student success. She’s an award-winning author who has been invited to present her work at national and international conferences, secured UWT’s first National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant, and won the 2018 Distinguished Community Engagement Award in Human Rights from the Office of Community Partnerships. She has served as the faculty advisor for various Registered Student Organizations, including UWT Monarchs United in support of undocumented students and the Latinx Student Union. Dr. de Veritch Woodside has already had a strong start in this role, serving on the OGA Advisory Board since 2018 and as the interim Executive Director of OGA since May 2023.

OGA is a critical office in Academic Success Programs that works collaboratively to foster cultural humility and build globally interconnected communities by promoting high-impact global learning opportunities on and off-campus, building international partnerships, and supporting international students, scholars, and research at the University of Washington Tacoma through Study Abroad and exchanges, International Student and Scholar Services, and various on-campus programs such as non-credit language lessons, Global Ambassadors, and virtual exchanges through COIL. In addition, OGA supports Student Fellowships and Scholarships for all UWT students and alumni. The ED serves as the strategic leader of this dynamic unit and is UW Tacoma’s Senior International Officer.