Professor Amita Chudgar, an expert in the field of international and comparative education, was appointed associate dean of international studies, effective April 14, 2025. Chudgar is also director of the college’s Office of International Studies in Education (OISE) and a professor of education policy.
She assumes the full-time role after serving in an interim capacity since February 2024.
“Our college has a distinguished and decades-long history of global and international education work. This legacy has been built by many senior colleagues I greatly admire. As a junior scholar starting out at MSU, it was this institutional commitment to global and international work that helped me thrive. I feel immensely grateful that I now have the opportunity to contribute to this legacy alongside my highly accomplished OISE colleagues,” said Chudgar.
Selected career milestones
Chudgar began at Michigan State University as a postdoctoral scholar in 2006. She joined the faculty in the Department of Educational Administration in 2007. In 2019, she became a full tenure-stream professor.
Though Chudgar’s scholarly home is in the College of Education, she holds or has held several other affiliations, including with various units and centers with MSU’s International Studies and Programs.
“Amita is an amazing colleague who will bring great knowledge, skills, and experience to the position,” said Lynn Paine, when Chudgar was announced as interim associate dean and OISE director role in 2024. Paine previously held both leadership roles; she retired in 2024. “Her dedication to teaching, research and international outreach, coupled with her analytical and creative talents, along with her generous collaborative spirit and remarkable organizational skills, collectively make her an outstanding choice for this position.”
Selected research and research highlights
Broadly, Chudgar’s research focuses on ensuring learners from all backgrounds have access to educational opportunities, particularly those from resource-constrained environments. Her research has included foci in Bangladesh, Colombia, India, Malawi, Mexico, Pakistan, Tanzania and many other cross-national or multi-national contexts. Her work has been published in several journals, including the American Educational Research Journal, International Journal of Educational Development, Teachers College Record, Comparative Education Review, Economics of Education Review, World Development among others.
At the time of writing, she has earned nearly $3 million in external funding from diverse sources such as the UN, USAID and various foundations and authored more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and reports and two book-length contributions. To generate this scholarship, Chudgar regularly collaborates with colleagues at various institutions across the world. She particularly enjoys the opportunity to mentor graduate student co-authors and has produced publications with nearly 20 graduate students. Chudgar has chaired 15 completed doctoral dissertations (and is currently chairing five more) and has served on more than 55 dissertation committees.
Throughout her career, her scholarship and research have been recognized with several prestigious awards and fellowships, including various “best paper” awards from organizations.
Worldwide recognition
Outside of MSU, Chudgar works regularly with various U.N. agencies including the International Task Force on Teachers (UNESCO), and has served as co-editor of Comparative Education Review (2016–2023), on the Board of Directors for the Comparative and International Education Society (2015–2018) and as the founding chair of the South Asia Special Interest Group at the Comparative and International Education Society (2008–2011), among numerous appointments and commitments.
Her scholarship is also extended to nationally and internationally recognized organizations. Chudgar has led and contributed to reports for organizations like UNICEF, UNESCO, the MacArthur Foundation, the Aga Khan Foundation and others and serves as an advisor on various academic and practitioner organizations across the world.
“This appointment is a significant step toward realizing planned and future efforts regarding our international students and global partners,” said Jerlando F. L. Jackson, dean and MSU Research Foundation Professor of Education. “Her wealth of knowledge, global experience, and dedication to international education makes her an invaluable addition to our leadership team.”
Related news:
- Chudgar and Paine co-wrote a Faculty Voice for MSUToday in 2025: Bringing the World to MSU and MSU to the World
- The Office of International Studies in Education celebrated 40 years in 2024. Learn about the office’s incredible history (New Educator magazine).