As an Assistant Provost and the Executive Director of Syracuse Abroad, Dr. Erika Wilkens is responsible for all aspects of the strategic expansion and management of Syracuse Abroad, as well as playing a key role in advancing the University’s vision and commitment to internationalization.
Erika brings deep international, academic and administrative experience to her role, most recently as the founding Director of Syracuse University’s study abroad center in Istanbul, Turkey, where she led operations from 2010 until 2017, until the center closed its doors due to political unrest in the region. Transitioning to Syracuse University in the U.S., Erika served in various global engagement leadership positions before being appointed to her current role.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Wilkens has served as a faculty member and conducted research at several institutions worldwide, most recently as an assistant professor at Okan University in Istanbul, an instructor at Sabanci University, Istanbul and New School University’s Graduate Program in International Affairs in New York City. She also has worked as a research consultant to the World Bank and as a visiting faculty member on a Soros Foundation Civic Education Project at Vytautas Magnus (Kaunas) and Vilnius Universities in Lithuania. She has conducted international research in several countries including Canada, Belgium, Romania, Hungary, and India.
Wilkens earned a Ph.D. in political science from Syracuse University; a master’s degree in international development from University of Calgary, Canada; a master’s degree in international relations from Lancaster University, United Kingdom; and a bachelor of commerce degree from University of Calgary.