I am pleased to announce that Ravi Shankar has been appointed Associate Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives, effective December 1, 2025.
Ravi currently serves in a senior leadership role in the Office for Global Engagement and previously served as Interim Vice Provost for Global Engagement from November 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. In that role, he led the University’s global strategy, strengthening international research partnerships, faculty exchange, global learning, student mobility, and support for international students. Prior to this appointment, he served as Assistant Vice Provost for International Services and Support at the University of Rochester.
Before joining the University, Ravi was Director of International Student and Scholar Services at Northwestern University, where he contributed to senior-level global initiatives. He brings more than 30 years of experience in international education across a range of institutional contexts.
Ravi is a past President and Chair of the Board of NAFSA (2019–2020) and currently serves on the Public Policy Committee of the Association of International Education Administration (AIEA).
Please join me in congratulating Ravi on this well-deserved appointment.
Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela, PhD
Vice Provost, Global Engagement
Professor, Warner School of Education