Introducing Scott Taylor: New Dean of the Pardee School
On August 31, 2022, the Boston University Provost and Chief Academic Officer Jean Morrison announced that Dr. Scott Taylor was selected as the next Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies. Today, the Pardee School offers a warm welcome to Dean Taylor as he begins his tenure as the school’s new leader.
Taylor is among our nation’s most respected scholars in African politics and political economy, with a particular focus on business-state relations, private sector development, governance, and political and economic reform. Prior to coming to BU, he was a Professor and Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, the top-ranked professional school in international affairs. Taylor spent over two decades as a member of the Georgetown University faculty, including 13 years as director of the school’s African Studies Program.
“I’m so excited to be at Pardee at a critical time, for the nation and the world,” says Taylor. “We face enormous global challenges; Pardee graduates will be among the key change makers in politics and security, regional issues, development, economic reform, and the management of our shared environment. This is also a pivotal moment for the Pardee School, as it enters its second decade. It is a privilege to serve as Pardee’s second dean, alongside the School’s outstanding faculty, staff, and students.”
In discussing his priorities for the Pardee School, Taylor states, “I look forward to building on the strategic plan developed by Dean Najam and colleagues, which of course is wide-ranging and appropriately ambitious. Among my priorities are to enhance excellence in the undergraduate program and continue to strengthen our graduate programs, and augment our already impressive foundations in area studies. But that is only a sampling. The larger goal is to cement the Pardee School’s place among the leading schools of international affairs, not just nationally but globally. This of course includes attracting diverse faculty and students, which is essential for a school of this stature.”
Taylor’s first day in the office was September 1, 2022. In addition to his decanal title, he will hold an appointment as a Professor of International Relations at the Pardee School.
“We welcome Professor Taylor to the Pardee School, who is a perfect person for us at the perfect time,” says Kevin Gallagher, Professor of Global Development Policy, and Director of the Global Development Policy Center (GDP Center). Gallagher served as the school’s Interim Dean following Dean Emeritus Adil Najam‘s departure from the role at the end of the 2021-22 academic year. “His scholarly work leads by example in its deep roots in area studies, interdisciplinary nature, and policy orientation. His leadership positions at one of the top-ranked schools in our field will also be very welcome as we collectively work to take the Pardee School to the next level here at BU.”