Recognizing Diana Chigas, Senior International Officer and Associate Provost

06/15/2023 Tufts University- Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Medford, MA
GMAP students at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy on the Tufts University Medford Campus, Thursday, June 15, 2023. Photo by Jake Belcher

After nearly seven years of service, Diana Chigas, senior international officer and associate provost, will be stepping down from her role in the Office of the Provost to return to her faculty appointment at the Fletcher School, effective August 1.  

“Diana has been an incredible asset to Tufts University, dedicating her time and expertise to furthering our global engagement efforts,” said Cigdem Talgar, vice provost for education. “While she will be missed in the Office of the Provost, I am glad that she will continue her global impact through her research, scholarship, and teaching.”  

In September 2016, Diana was appointed Tufts’ inaugural senior international officer (SIO) and associate provost by former Provost David Harris to centralize Tufts’ global initiatives, increase access to global programming, and develop a university-wide global strategy.  

As senior international officer, Diana worked across schools and central units to expand global education and experiential learning opportunities for all students and faculty. Diana successfully integrated independent international student and scholar offices into the unified Tufts International Center, which has improved visa and programmatic support for international students and scholars. She also launched a breadth of successful global programming, including the Global Research Assistant Program (GRAP), Global Integrated Learning and Design (GILD), Global Perspectives photo contest, and Global Tufts Month.  

“I am grateful for Diana’s significant contributions to Tufts’ global impact,” said Caroline Genco, provost and senior vice president ad interim. “She has laid a strong foundation as we continue to increase our global engagement and prepare students to find solutions to global challenges.”    

Diana has co-led Tufts’ responses to global crises, including the 2016 “travel ban” and restrictive immigration policies by organizing community forums, facilitating travel, and   establishing emergency protocols. When COVID-19 was first declared a global health emergency, she helped ensure educational continuity for international students during the transition to online learning. Most recently, in response to ongoing crises, in 2022, she established the Scholars at Risk program, which has brought five exceptional scholars from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Russia to Tufts to safely continue their work.  

“It has been a privilege to advance Tufts’ global mission and to work with faculty, staff, and students across the university who are doing amazing work—both on campus and across the world.  At the same time, my own research—understanding how corruption fuels conflict and how to address corruption effectively—has become increasingly relevant in confronting global challenges,” Chigas said. “I look forward to dedicating myself to this work and supporting Tufts’ continuing global impact from a different role.”