Barbara Stephenson
Barbara Stephenson
Vice Provost for Global Affairs and Chief Global Officer
barbara.stephenson@unc.edu
3012 FedEx Global Education Center
Barbara Stephenson is vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s oldest public university established in 1789. She is a distinguished diplomat, former U.S. ambassador, international leader and prior dean of the Leadership and Management School at the Foreign Service Institute.
Stephenson was appointed UNC-Chapel Hill’s inaugural vice provost for global affairs in 2019 and leads the University’s global strategy in support of its core mission of teaching, research and service to the state of North Carolina and the country. Under her leadership, UNC-Chapel Hill has realized the Global Guarantee, the University’s promise that a global education is available to every student; strengthened relations with strategic global partners; elevated UNC-Chapel Hill’s global reputation; and brought the world to Carolina with increased global programming and cultural exchange.
As president of the American Foreign Service Association from 2015-2019, Stephenson was a principal advocate for diplomacy, working closely with Congress, the media and globally engaged strategic partners. A regular public speaker, she has appeared on CNN, BBC, Sky News, PBS, at numerous World Affairs Councils across the U.S., and as a signature speaker at the Chautauqua Institute.
In 2008, Stephenson was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Panama and later became the first woman to serve as deputy ambassador and acting ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in London, America’s largest embassy in Europe. As advisor to Secretary of State Rice and deputy coordinator for Iraq (2006-2008), Stephenson was recognized with the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award. She served as American Consul General in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and in Curaçao, with other assignments in South Africa, the Netherlands, and El Salvador.
Stephenson is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and the American College of National Security Leaders. She also serves as vice chair of the board of the World Affairs Councils of America, on the advisory council of Global Ties U.S., and on the executive committee of the APLU’s Commission on International Initiatives.
Stephenson holds a PhD in English literature from the University of Florida. She and her husband Matthew Furbush have two adult children.