Professor Ibra Sene awarded GLCA Academic Leadership Fellowship

Ibra Sene, associate professor of history and global & international studies at The College of Wooster, was selected to be part of the inaugural cohort of Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) Academic Leadership Fellows. The GLCA launched the program in 2025, selecting 10 fellows from across all GLCA institutions via a competitive application process to serve through the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years.

“The office of academic affairs is excited by the selection of Professor Sene for this fellowship and the holistic support it provides him to build in his capacity as a leader in global work at Wooster,” said Sarah Sobeck, dean for faculty development.

All fellows advance an initiative on their home campuses and hold a titled administrative position throughout the length of the fellowship. Sene’s fellowship administrative position will be associate dean for global initiatives.

“Many Wooster faculty work (teaching, research, scholarship, and academic service) is globally oriented,” Sene said. “A primary focus of this fellowship is to help leverage existing (and potential) partnerships, especially in the Global South, to unlock the many opportunities that they could offer to our faculty and students. This is a serious undertaking, but I am ready and excited to take on the challenge.”

In his new position, Sene plans to accomplish the following: create a model for building partnerships with outside institutions for student and faculty-led initiatives, increase connections to institutions in the Global South, and help advance Wooster’s campus-wide internationalization efforts. He will also participate in professional and leadership development and meet regularly with his cohort to share the successes and challenges of their chosen projects.

Sene has established partnerships with colleagues at Université Cheikh Anta Diop (Senegal), University of the Gambia, Université des Sciences Humaines de Bamako (Mali), Ashesi University (Ghana), Al Akhawayn University (Morocco), Forman Christian College (Pakistan), and American University in Cairo (Egypt). He is in his second year of service on the GLCA BIPOC Faculty Leadership Council.

At Wooster, Sene has worked on various global engagement initiatives, including working with the Framing Our Future working group on Global Partnerships, the Global Engagement Office Advisory Committee and serving as a member of the GLIS Curriculum Committee.

Posted in Faculty, News on January 21, 2026.