Ithaca College has announced the appointment of international relations scholar Vincent Wei-Cheng Wang as the new dean of its School of Humanities and Sciences. Wang has served since 2012 as associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Richmond in Virginia. He will begin his new position in Ithaca this summer.
A member of the Department of Political Science faculty at Richmond since 1996, Wang focuses on political, technology and industrial policy and development in China and Taiwan.
As an administrator and faculty member, he has promoted globalization of the curriculum and international studies and has led numerous study abroad programs. In his roles as chair of the political science department and associate dean, he was instrumental in the successful recruitment and mentoring of minority faculty members. He is a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and has been a visiting professor and researcher in Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and Mexico.
“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Wang to Ithaca College and our School of Humanities and Sciences,” said Ben Rifkin, provost and vice president for educational affairs. “He brings an outstanding record of accomplishment as an administrator, teacher and scholar. Dr. Wang’s worldview and collaborative approach to curricular development and community engagement will be especially critical in this key leadership position.”
The School of Humanities and Sciences is Ithaca College’s largest school and its liberal arts and sciences core, with some 2,000 students and 360 full- and part-time faculty in 56 undergraduate and two graduate programs.
“I am excited about this opportunity to bring my knowledge and experience to Ithaca College at a pivotal time,” said Wang. “Being a first-generation college student myself, I firmly believe in the power of education. Ithaca has much to offer, and I am honored to join this community.”
Wang holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago, an M.A. in International Relations and Asian Studies from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. in political science from National Taiwan University.
He is the author of over 80 scholarly articles and book chapters on Asian political economy, security, international relations, East Asian-Latin American comparative development, Taiwan’s foreign policy and domestic politics, cross-strait relations, and Chinese foreign policy and domestic politics. He recently completed serving as president of the American Association for Chinese Studies and president of the International Studies Association-South.
Wang succeeds Leslie Lewis, who left the college in June to accept the position of provost and vice president of academic affairs at Goucher College. Associate dean Michael Richardson has been serving as the school’s interim dean.