Dean Allan Cole announced that Dr. Noël Busch-Armendariz, University Presidential Professor and Director of the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA), will serve as the next Associate Dean for Global Engagement for the Steve Hicks School of Social Work.
Dr. Busch-Armendariz brings 30 years of international experience to this role. She has lived and worked in Albania, Dubai, Ireland, Lebanon, Romania, Scotland, and South Korea, and traveled extensively across the world. Dr. Busch-Armendariz has taught or supervised social work students in these countries and in Ghana and Mexico.
She will work with Tanya Voss, Assistant Dean for Global Engagement, to strengthen partnerships and collaborations in social work spanning from Africa and Europe to South America to Southeast Asia. They will also expand opportunities for students and faculty to participate in additional settings that enrich applied leaning and research experiences through exposure to other cultures and worldviews.
Currently, Dr. Busch-Armendariz leads a program in Ireland, which partners with the nonprofit Corrymeela with the goal of understanding and gaining proficiency in reconciliation processes. It was one of just four programs to receive UT’s President’s Award for Global Learning this past academic year.
“Global engagement has been a part of our signature education landscape for more than 20 years. I look forward to seeing this work strengthen and grow by virtue of Dr. Busch-Armendariz’s leadership,” said Dean Cole. “I also remain grateful for Dr. Rubén Parra-Cardona and Assistant Dean Voss for leading in our Global Engagement program for the last several years, which has included expansion in research and curricular opportunities, as well as in programmatic offerings with exceptional global partners. I am confident that Professors Busch-Armendariz and Voss will help advance this important work in service of our mission and values, which includes a steadfast commitment to leading the way toward solving our most critical social problems and promoting human flourishing.”