Temple University’s Board of Trustees has approved the recommendation of President Richard M. Englert to appoint Hai-Lung Dai to the new role of vice president for international affairs.

This new leadership position is the latest in a series of significant roles for Dai since he joined Temple in 2007 as dean of the College of Science and Technology and Laura H. Carnell Professor of Chemistry. He later served as the senior vice provost for international affairs, interim provost, and provost, a position he held for more than three years. Throughout his administrative appointments, he remained a member of Temple’s faculty.

“We are excited for Dr. Dai to apply his considerable acumen and international connections to further extend the global reach of Temple University,” Englert said. “He has already done so much to advance Temple in various areas of the world, and we are confident he will continue accelerating the university’s stature abroad.”

Dai’s portfolio will include strategic planning for international activities, collaborations with international partners, education abroad, and international student and scholar services. Together with the deans and officers of the university, he will drive the growth and evolution of Temple’s global endeavors.

In his previous role overseeing international affairs, Dai created new dual bachelor’s-master’s degree and collaborative bachelor and PhD degree programs for international students with partner universities in Asia, Europe and South America; vastly expanded Temple’s partnerships across the world; led efforts to increase the number of international students attending Temple and Temple students studying abroad; and raised awareness of globalization within Temple’s campuses.

An expert in molecular and surface sciences, Dai is active in research supported with grants from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense. He also has a passion for music and has been invited to conduct in concert halls in Philadelphia, Beijing and Shanghai.

A graduate of National Taiwan University, Dai holds a doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1984 he joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was chair of the chemistry department and the Hirshmann-Makineni Professor before coming to Temple.

Dai's appointment is effective July 1.