Asabe Poloma
Assistant Dean for International Students & Associate Director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows Program
Dean Poloma is responsible for advising and providing academic support for international undergraduates; in that capacity, she serves as the main academic support dean for the international undergraduate community and is the liaison for the Dean of the College to the Office of Global Engagement. Dean Poloma also serves as Associate Director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program to coordinate a pipeline program with the goal of increasing the number of students from historically underrepresented groups who pursue careers in the professoriate.
Dean Poloma received her Ph.D. in Higher Education, with an emphasis on international and comparative higher education, from the University of Massachusetts Boston; she earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Hampton University, a Master’s degree in International Relations with a concentration in International Political Economy at Old Dominion University, and a Master’s degree in Management at Columbia University.
Prior to coming to Brown, Dean Poloma served as Executive Director of the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT), a selective national pipeline program with the goal of increasing the number of historically underrepresented groups who pursue careers in elementary and secondary schools and the professoriate. She also served on the program staff at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation where she supported grant management, program development, and the fellowship selection processes of the Foundation. Asabe has taught at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the United States National Defense University Joint Forces Staff College. In addition, she has worked at the Hampton Roads Refugee and Immigration Services. As an administrator, advisor, and scholar, Dean Poloma has a passion for understanding and advocating for issues related to access and equity in education, global engagement, and the public good.
In addition to her weekly drop-in dean's open hours, Dean Poloma is available for appointments with international undergraduates on Mondays 2:00 - 4:00 pm in J. Walter Wilson (85 Waterman Street), suite 313. Click here to schedule an appointment during this window.
Areas-of-Responsibility:
- Advanced Standing (International Students)
- Curricular Practical Training (International Students)
- International Certifications Credits (A-levels, IBs, etc.)
- International Student Advising Programs and Support
- Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program
Contact Information:
asabe_poloma@brown.edu
(401) 863-5142