Provost Appoints Leadership to Spearhead Duke’s Global Strategy

Provost Alec D. Gallimore has charged Krishna Udayakumar, David Bowersox, and Valerie Hausman to lead the implementation of Duke’s new global engagement strategy, which will provide strategic direction for the university’s global academic activities and partnerships and an enhanced model for coordinating global program support across the university.                                                                                                                 

Building on the university’s long history of international engagement, the new global leadership team will identify key priorities and opportunities for research, education, and partnerships to optimize Duke’s impact on a worldwide scale. 

In their new roles, Udayakumar will have responsibility for advancing the new global strategy and partnerships, Bowersox will lead administration of a new global support model, and Hausman will oversee global program structures to ensure their effective and efficient administration.

“I am thrilled to have three high-caliber leaders spearheading Duke’s new global strategy,” Gallimore said. “Krishna, David, and Valerie each bring exceptional strengths and a deep understanding of Duke’s global priorities. I have no doubt that these appointments will serve to elevate Duke’s standing as a leader in global academic engagement and strengthen support for our faculty, staff, and students as they seek to address the most pressing global challenges.” 

Gallimore noted that the new strategy will be defined by “intentional engagement with the world,” reinforcing Duke’s existing commitments to interdisciplinary collaboration, experiential learning, and open inquiry and dialogue. In addition, a new support model will coordinate delivery of global services by the university to make it easier for members of the Duke community to engage with international partners and institutions.

Duke’s new global strategy was guided by the recommendations of the faculty-led Global Priorities Committee (GPC), which will advise the provost on strategy, development and oversight of global engagement and priorities. The committee’s recent report identifies key metrics of success for Duke’s global engagement and activities. It also proposes initial thematic and geographic priorities to inform new programs and partnerships, while outlining a model to strengthen support for all globally engaged students and faculty. 

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Udayakumar, who currently chairs the committee, will serve as chief global strategist, leading Duke’s global strategy and innovation activities and working closely with international partners to define how Duke is engaging and investing in opportunities across the globe. 

He is the founding director of the Duke Global Health Innovation Center, which focuses on generating evidence and support for health innovations and policy reforms globally.  He is also Executive Director of Innovations in Healthcare, a non-profit co-founded by Duke, McKinsey & Company, and the World Economic Forum. Udayakumar’s scholarship has been published in leading academic journals, and he serves as a professor of the practice of global health at Duke and a core faculty member of the Duke Margolis Institute for Health Policy. 

“I’m humbled to help guide the future of Duke’s global engagement by partnering with passionate faculty, staff, and students across the university,” said Udayakumar. “At a time of rapid change in the U.S. and around the world, Duke has the potential to showcase a forward-looking approach to global partnerships that amplifies our mission and our impact at home and abroad.”

While the GPC works to ensure the alignment of Duke’s global programs with the university’s key priorities and strengths, a lean Global Programs Support (GPS) unit will help faculty, staff, and students navigate critical support services across the university through improved coordination across existing structures. 

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The GPS will report to Bowersox, vice provost for finance and administration, who will lead the implementation of the new global support model and provide administrative oversight in line with Duke’s global priorities. 

Bowersox serves on the provost’s senior leadership team and oversees finance, human resources, financial aid, institutional research, and administration for the schools and college, academic service units, institutes, and centers at Duke. A seasoned administrative leader, he previously served as vice dean of finance and administration for the Duke School of Nursing for four years and the school’s senior financial leader for more than 20 years. His experience in the financial sector also includes roles as the chief financial officer for Texas Children’s Hospital Home Care, director of finance for a publicly traded company, and regional financial and revenue director for the nation’s largest home medical equipment and oxygen supply company.

“Those who engage in global initiatives at Duke should receive the highest possible level of service and support.” Bowersox said. “The new GPS will help navigate the complex regulations and processes inherent in global activities to help us achieve Duke’s global ambitions while serving as the university’s ‘front door’ to the world.”

Hausman, associate vice provost for Duke Kunshan University (DKU) and Duke University programming and strategy, will serve as associate vice provost for global administration. She has led Duke’s partnership with DKU for more than seven years and will continue to direct the Duke Office of DKU Relations, the central coordinating office between Duke and DKU in China. 

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Hausman previously served as associate dean for global executive education at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, overseeing the school’s executive education portfolio and managing a long-term strategic partnership with Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. Earlier, she coordinated the school’s global strategy, working with teams in the U.K., Russia, India, China, and Dubai to establish a strong institutional presence in each region. Her broader professional background spans academia and the private sector, with roles at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, Deloitte Consulting, Goldman Sachs, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

In her new appointment, Hausman will oversee and provide strategic direction for the new Global Programs Support (GPS) team while continuing to lead Duke’s Office of DKU Relations. 

“Global education and engagement are more important now than ever,” she said. “As the world grows increasingly complex, I am confident our new structure will strengthen Duke’s vital work both locally and globally. I look forward to working collaboratively across the university to advance strategic programs, initiatives, and partnerships worldwide.”