Ngozi Taffe

Associate Vice President for Global Affairs

Ngozi Taffe, Ph.D., serves as the Associate Vice President for Global Affairs at the University of Connecticut (UConn), where she provides strategic leadership for the university’s global vision and oversees a comprehensive portfolio of international initiatives. She directs UConn’s global strategy across international partnerships, faculty and student mobility, global research engagement, and the development of research scholar pipelines, advancing an institutional network of more than 190 strategic partners across 59 countries and expanding UConn’s global footprint in alignment with the university’s mission.

Dr. Taffe leads UConn’s global operations with oversight of international program development, global risk and compliance, international scholar and immigration services, and global experiential learning. Under her leadership, the university has strengthened research alliances and expanded Experiential Global Learning opportunities across multiple regions, including new academic pathways in South America and sub‑Saharan Africa, with signature programs established in Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya.

A three‑time UConn alumna, Dr. Taffe earned a B.S. in Management Information Systems, an M.B.A. with a concentration in Global Business Strategy (Lyon, France), and a Ph.D. in Learning, Leadership, and Education Policy. Her scholarly work focuses on the factors that enable persistence—an area that reflects her deep commitment to equity, access, global understanding.

Dr. Taffe brings more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience across the aerospace industry, global enterprise systems implementation, and the finance sector. Her record of service and advocacy was recognized in 2006 with her appointment as Commissioner of African American Affairs for the State of Connecticut.

Beyond her professional responsibilities, Dr. Taffe enjoys spending time in nature and is an enthusiastic advocate for transformative global learning experiences. In 2021, she completed the Camino de Santiago in Spain, a journey she speaks of with great joy—and one that has since evolved into a signature offering within UConn’s Experiential Global Learning portfolio.