Dr. David Di Maria
Department of Modern Languages, Linguistics & Intercultural Communication Center for Global Engagement Language, Literacy and Culture
About
Dr. David L. Di Maria serves as UMBC’s inaugural Vice Provost for Global Engagement. In this capacity, he directs the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) and collaborates with campus and community partners to expand UMBC’s global footprint, ensuring accessible opportunities for all.
Since joining UMBC in 2017, Dr. Di Maria has embedded global perspectives across the institution, engaging over 400 stakeholders in strategic planning. Under his leadership, UMBC expanded career support for international students, created an international fellowship program for staff, and launched a Global Learning Lab to support faculty in internationalizing the curricula. He has also advanced initiatives supporting international research, travel security, and business operations.
These sustained efforts have earned UMBC significant recognition, including the AIEA Award for Innovative Excellence in Internationalization, the APLU Gold Award for Leadership and Pervasiveness in Internationalization, and the NASPA Best Practices in International Higher Education Award.
A dedicated scholar-practitioner, Dr. Di Maria has authored or edited over 50 publications, including six books, on critical issues in international education. The PIE News named him one of North America’s 50 leading voices in the field, the Society of Transnational Academic Researchers honored him as a STAR Luminary, and NAFSA presented him with the Award for Outstanding Contributions to International Enrollment Management as well as the Region VI George E. Hertrich Award for International Education Advocacy.
Dr. Di Maria is also active in the broader higher education community. He has conducted external reviews for more than a dozen universities and two public university systems, served on corporate, non-profit, and editorial boards, and held leadership roles within ACE, AIEA, AIRC, APLU, and NAFSA. In 2021, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce appointed him to the Maryland-Washington, D.C. District Export Council.
He earned his doctorate from the University of Minnesota, where he studied international and intercultural education from a P-16 perspective. Highlights from his dissertation on campus services for international students were featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education and The New York Times. He also holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and an undergraduate certificate from the University of Tartu in Estonia.
Research interests
Globalization
Global Engagement of Higher Education Institutions
International Education
International Students
Internationalization of Higher Education
Study Abroad
Teaching interests
Higher Education Administration
International Education
Education
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EDD, Higher Education
— University of Minnesota (2012) Factors affecting student affairs administrators’ views of campus services for international students at five public universities in Ohio
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Other, English
— University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2006) Internationalization of the High School Curriculum and Co-curriculum
- BA, International Studies and English — University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2003)
- Other, Baltic Studies — Tartu Ülikool (2003)
Publications
- NAFSA's Guide to International Student Recruitment, 4th Edition 2025
- Entry Points to US Education: Accessing the Next Wave of Growth 2024
- Certification of Educational Recruitment Agencies – A Model from the U.S. 2024
- Leveraging co-curricular learning outcomes to enhance international student services: Examples from a public research university in the USA 2023
- Achieving More with Less: Lean Management in the International Student Office 2021
- Exploring Students’ Perceptions of the Campus Climate and Intergroup Relations: Insights from a Campus-Wide Survey at a Minority-Serving University
Presentations
- Enhancing internationalization at home through a more inclusive approach to global learning 2023
- Internationalization at Home: Why Campus Climate Matters 2023
- InterEqual 2023