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dean, Kirk Simmons

Kirk Simmons, Ph.D.


Dean, International Center



Kirk Simmons accepted an appointment as Dean of the International Center at the University of California, San Diego in November 2012. He has over 30 years of professional experience managing international projects in higher education, business, and research and development. At the University of Arizona in Tucson he held the position of Executive Director of the division of International Affairs for over 14 years.

He has served as an administrator of international programs at several other universities in the United States, including the Pennsylvania State University, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University and the University of Missouri. At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) he served as an administrative and technical project manager for a series of multinational research projects involving alternative energy technologies in over 80 countries.

Dr. Simmons holds a B.S. degree in Psychology and General Science and an M.B.A. from the University of Oregon. He completed his Ph.D. degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Missouri, with a research focus on aspects of multinational technology transfer. He has studied at the National Chengchi University in Taiwan, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Université de Caen in France.

He was awarded a Taiwanese Ministry of Education scholarship for graduate study in Taipei. As a professional, he has received fellowships from the Fulbright Commission of Germany, the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and the Australian Government.