Howell named director of International Academic Programs

Robert B. Howell, professor of German, has been named director of International Academic Programs, within the Division of International Studies, following a national search.

“Rob is a skilled and sensitive administrator and an excellent advocate of study abroad,” says Gilles Bousquet, dean of International Studies. “He knows that study abroad is an essential component of a university education and one of the keys to building global competence. He will ensure that this academic experience is accessible to as many of our students as possible.”

Howell, who is chair of the Department of German, has been serving as interim director of IAP since January 2006. He replaces Joan Raducha, who left the post to take on new responsibilities as associate dean of International Studies. Raducha was director for 10 years, serving with distinction and creating innovative and nationally recognized study-abroad programs.

As director of IAP, Howell will manage the largest study-abroad office on campus, sending close to 1,000 students around the globe annually in more than 85 international programs. He will remain a faculty member in the Department of German, in addition to his responsibilities as director of IAP.

Howell has been on the UW–Madison faculty since 1984, teaching courses in both German and Dutch. He has received numerous awards for research and teaching. Since 1996, he has been the academic director of the Academic Year in Freiburg (AYF), a program offered by a consortium including Michigan State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Michigan and UW–Madison, which is the lead administrator. He was the resident director of AYF in 1998-99 and 1992-93.

Howell earned his Ph.D. in Germanic linguistics from Cornell University.