Chris Glass insists that nations and institutions of higher education must look beyond their own personal, economic interests. What will create a more globally equitable world? A more sustainable world? In his view, education holds the key.

Glass joins the Lynch School after nearly a decade at Old Dominion University, where he worked as an associate professor in the Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership. His defining and long-standing interest lies in the power of international education.

“College can be a transformative moment in people’s lives,” Glass says, recalling what initially drew him to the field. “I was very much interested in the relationship between context and outcome, both for domestic students and international students.” Glass’s work explores how academic institutions create an environment of belonging for international students. His passion stems from a desire to participate in conversations that promote open-mindedness and curiosity toward people of other cultures, perspectives, and political beliefs.

Glass puts his research into practice as executive vice president for design and strategic innovation at the Society of Transnational Academic Researchers (STAR), an organization that leverages transnational connections to build communities that support new generations of scholars working across borders. The organization’s Millennium Scholars Program, a new scholarship program aimed at scholars from developing countries, provides the tools for participants to advance their academic careers. “We want to be a part of amplifying the voices and critical perspectives of new generations,” he says.

As editor-in-chief of the Journal of International Students, Glass works to create opportunities for international scholars. The journal, which offers open access to all users around the world, counters the notion that in order to be competitive you have to be exclusive. Glass says their mission is to help shape the discourse about international students while creating publication opportunities for early-career scholars. In addition to this work, Glass is a co-editor of the Routledge Studies in Global Student Mobility book series, which works to advance scholarship on issues and opportunities relating to international student mobility in K–12, higher education, and beyond.

As the new program director for the Lynch School’s Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education, Glass anticipates building on the program’s forward-thinking curriculum. “We’re in a period of transformational change,” he says, citing Boston College as an institution with a demonstrated ability to adapt. He is particularly interested in helping the Lynch School think about ethical considerations related to new technologies in education. His hope as program director, he says, is to convene higher education leaders at BC to look at these questions from a global perspective.