Nick Gozik will start his new role as dean of global education at Elon University on Jan. 25 after a two year search following former dean Woody Pelton’s retirement.
Gozik comes to Elon after eight years as director of international programs at Boston College. He said he hopes to continue expanding and improving global engagement and international programs in his new role at the university.
“I will bring a strong commitment to undergraduate education with a focus on reflection and experiential learning,” Gozik wrote in an email to Elon News Network. “I will also be bringing a desire to foster dialogue and cross-unit collaboration to ensure that internationalization is well integrated into all aspects of Elon life.”
Rhonda Waller, executive director of global engagement, served on the 13-member search committee which brought Gozik to campus. Over the course of two years, the search committee conducted a series of phone and online interviews with potential candidates and held in-person presentations, where candidates were invited on-campus to discuss their mission to improve Elon’s global education. After the on-campus interviews concluded, the search committee met and recommended Gozik to serve as the next dean.
Gozik’s push to strengthen global education at Boston College through his work in the Office of International Programs interconnects with Elon’s strategic goal of deepening engaged learning for all students. Waller said Gozik brings a wealth of experience to Elon and has worked with several universities to push for the expansion of international and study abroad programs.
“He really gravitates towards our mission and vision,” Waller said. “I think Dr. Gozik is arriving at Elon at a wonderful time for him to get to know us but also to lead us toward this vision of deepening that we are all dreaming about and we hope to reach by 2030.”
During his time at Boston College, Gozik developed an online course called Reflections on Being Abroad which interlaces students’ own study abroad experiences with their observations of world cultures through studying history and current lifestyle. He has hosted conferences and meetings about international studies, including Boston College’s International Education Week, a collegiate conference dedicated to increasing awareness of international education about the world’s cultures.
Gozik has also helped to broaden diversity and inclusion efforts in Boston College’s international travel and study abroad programs. He worked with benefactors of the McGillycuddy-Logue Center, Boston College’s center for undergraduate global studies, to provide a $10 million dollar donation used to award travel grants of more than $100,000 each year to the college’s high-need students.
Gozik said he believes students should have equal access to study abroad opportunities and hopes to establish new programs to help with this in his new role at Elon.
“I strongly believe that all students on a campus should have the same ability to engage with all aspects of campus life, including global programming,” Gozik wrote. “It is equally important to build skills through high impact practices (HIPs), including education abroad, in order to be fully prepared for today’s global workforce.”