Penn Washington names Celeste Wallander as inaugural executive director

Wallander will assume leadership and operational management of Penn Washington, and its mission and bridge Penn research with policy discussions on pressing issues, beginning June 1.

Provost John L. Jackson Jr. and Vice Provost for Global Initiatives Ezekiel Emanuel have announced that Celeste A. Wallander will join the University of Pennsylvania as the inaugural executive director of Penn Washington, beginning June 1.

Wallander will be responsible for the programmatic leadership and operational management of Penn Washington, working to fulfill Penn’s academic mission and bridge Penn research with policy discussions on a broad range of issues. Emanuel will continue to support Penn Washington as its inaugural faculty director, and Amy Gadsden, associate vice provost for global initiatives, will continue to serve as its deputy director.

Wallander brings to Penn Washington two decades of experience working at the highest levels of the federal government and three decades of experience in academic research and policy engagement. From February 2022 to January 2025, she served as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs at the Department of Defense, where she advised on all aspects of defense and security policy related to Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Prior to this role, she was special assistant to the president and senior director for Russia and Central Asia on the National Security Council (2013-17) and deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia policy (2009-12).