Global Affairs Vice Provost and Dean Regulska to Retire

After more than a decade of advancing global education and engagement and strengthening UC Davis’s connections around the world, Joanna Regulska will retire on Nov. 1 from her role as vice provost and dean of Global Affairs. 

“Since joining UC Davis in 2015, Joanna has been a visionary leader whose work has transformed how UC Davis engages with the world,” said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan. “She has expanded opportunities for students, strengthened support for faculty, built partnerships with universities around the world and helped elevate UC Davis as a leader in addressing global challenges. Her leadership, determination and energy for making a difference for the benefit of society are unsurpassed.”

“Serving as vice provost and dean of Global Affairs has been one of the greatest privileges and joys of my professional life,” Regulska said. “I am profoundly grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey. Your support, encouragement and shared commitment to a bold vision for global engagement made it possible for us to accomplish more together than I ever imagined. Every milestone we achieved reflects the creativity, dedication and passion of our faculty, staff, students, alumni and partners. Together, we have built something truly special, and I am excited to see UC Davis continue to expand its global impact in the years ahead.”

The campus will conduct an internal search within UC Davis for Regulska’s successor. Michael Lazzara, associate vice provost of Academic Programs and Partnerships in Global Affairs, will serve as interim vice provost and dean beginning Oct. 1 to allow for overlap and a smooth transition. The search is expected to launch in September. 

Regulska has many notable achievements and contributions over her 11 years leading Global Affairs. Working alongside faculty, staff, donors and campus partners, she launched Global Education for All, supporting global learning opportunities for thousands of students every year. She partnered with colleges, schools and units to provide faculty with Seed Grants for International Activities and Grants for Advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, helping establish international research collaborations and launch innovative projects worldwide. Regulska championed efforts to recognize globally engaged scholarship through initiatives such as the Chancellor’s Awards for International Engagement and the Excellence in Teaching for Global Learning Awards.

A strong advocate for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, Regulska spearheaded the development of the campus’s SDG Voluntary University Review, placing UC Davis among the first universities in the United States to assess its contributions to all 17 goals. Building on that work, she helped launch a Voluntary Local Review in partnership with the city of Sacramento, creating a model for collaboration between universities and local governments in advancing sustainability, equity and community well-being.

In addition to developing strategic relationships with institutions and organizations around the world, Regulska led the development of UC Davis’ first Global Strategic Plan, bringing together faculty, staff and students from across the university to create a shared vision for global engagement. She championed engagement with Universitas 21 and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, or APRU, creating new opportunities for collaboration around the world among faculty, students and partners. Through APRU, she co-led the Asia Pacific Women in Leadership mentoring program, supporting the advancement of women leaders across the region.

During Regulska’s tenure, UC Davis has earned several of the highest honors in international education, including the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ Comprehensive Internationalization Award, NAFSA’s Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization and the Association of International Education Administrators’ Innovative Excellence in Internationalization Award. Regulska has also been recognized for her efforts with the Institute of International Education’s inaugural Senior International Officer of the Year Award and the Charles Klasek Award for Outstanding Service to International Education. She was also named a founding member of the National Academy for International Education.

Regulska strengthened services and resources for international students and scholars, expanded programs that foster belonging and connection and created new resources for those facing extraordinary challenges, including the Global Community Emergency Fund. UC Davis also became a host institution for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders and strengthened its participation in the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program. These two programs brought hundreds of emerging leaders from dozens of countries to UC Davis, creating lasting relationships and opportunities for collaboration.

A distinguished professor in the Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, Regulska is internationally recognized for her scholarship on transnational women’s political agency, political activism, violence against women and democratic governance in Central and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. She is the author or co-author of nine books and more than 100 scholarly articles and book chapters. Her scholarly contributions were recognized with the 2022 Outstanding Achievement Award from the Association for Women in Slavic Studies.

“Joanna has done more than open doors for students and faculty seeking to engage in research, education and service beyond our campus — she has helped build bridges to opportunities around the world,” Croughan said. “The global partnerships and support systems she has put into place will serve members of our campus community for years to come. I could not be more grateful for the enthusiasm and the infectious passion that she brings to everything she does. She will be greatly missed.”