Russell Ganim

Russ Ganim is associate provost and dean of International Programs at the University of Iowa. He has held this position since January 2020, having previously served as the director of the Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Iowa.

Ganim is committed to rebuilding international education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, he has expanded Iowa’s international partnerships, encouraged development of both virtual and traditional study abroad programs, and renewed efforts to recruit international students.

To strengthen internationalization efforts on campus, Ganim has hosted or helped organize multiple lectures, symposia, and other media events that promote global awareness. Many of these initiatives have been designed to foster connections between international education and efforts to advance diversity, belonging, equity, and inclusion.

Ganim is a professor of French by training, but has served as an administrator for the past 20 years, dedicating much of his career to global engagement. He serves as the senior international officer for the UI.

Ganim’s primary interests are to support international student recruitment and support efforts on behalf of the institution, to increase study abroad access, and funding for all UI students, and to provide opportunities for UI faculty members to pursue research collaborations with global partners.

In Ganim’s role as chair of the Big Ten Academic Alliance senior international officer peer group, he is focused on professional development for staff as well as building BTAA collaborations in Sub Saharan Africa.