DENVER, CO — The Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver is proud to announce that Carol Spahn, former Director of the Peace Corps, will join its faculty in fall 2025 as the Rice Family Professor of the Practice of International and Public Affairs.  

Spahn was appointed as Acting Director of the Peace Corps by President Joseph R. Biden on his first day of office and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate thereafter.  During her tenure, she guided the agency through a historic global relaunch following the COVID-19 pandemic, where more than 3,000 volunteers returned to service across 61 countries. She led transformational efforts to modernize operations, strengthen volunteer safety and trauma-informed care, and launched new country programs in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, and Palau. She also successfully secured the Peace Corps’ first budget increase in seven years. 

In addition to her recent government service, Spahn has more than 25 years of international development experience, including leadership roles at Women for Women International, Accordia Global Health Foundation, and in multiple Peace Corps posts as both Country Director and Volunteer. 

“Carol Spahn embodies a lifelong commitment to public service and international engagement,” said Fritz Mayer, Dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. “Her experience and insight will be invaluable to our students and our broader community.” 

The appointment of Spahn as the Rice Family Professor of Practice reflects Korbel’s deep and ongoing connection and commitment to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Korbel launched dedicated scholarships for evacuated volunteers, resulting in a surge in RPCV enrollment. Korbel remains steadfast in its support for those called to service. In fact, the University of Denver and the Korbel School have consistently been recognized as one of the top volunteer-producing universities by the Peace Corps. 

For media inquiries or more information, please contact:
Stephanie Worden | Assistant Dean for Enrollment, Marketing and Communications
[email protected]    

Each quarter, Dean Mayer hosts an informal meal with students where you can discuss the topics that matter most to you. This is your chance to engage directly with the Dean and your fellow students in meaningful conversation. Don’t miss it!

Korbel Honors is our invite-only, premiere event to award faculty, staff, alumni, and other community members for their extraordinary achievements in the field of International Affairs.

This year, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, 66th United States Secretary of State and alumna of the Korbel School, will host our Keynote Conversation.

On behalf of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, I share our deep condolences on the passing of Anna Sie. An extraordinary woman, Anna was a force in the civic life of Denver for many decades. Anna had a particularly large impact on the Korbel School.  Together with her husband, John J. Sie, and family, Anna’s philanthropy transformed Korbel with the creation of the Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy, the Sié Chéou-Kang Chair held by Professor Deborah Avant, and not least, the building of the Anna and John J. Sie International Relations Complex in which we learn and work daily.

For over ten years, the Sié Center has made Korbel a destination for top students and scholars committed to peace and security. The mission of the Sié Center could not be more relevant given the state of international affairs today. More than ever, the world needs leaders skilled in diplomacy and committed to global security, prosperity, and social justice. The Sié Center’s emphasis on interdisciplinarity and engaged scholarship, in particular, make it a hallmark of the Korbel School’s unique contributions to our field.

The lasting legacy of the Sies’ generous investments in the Korbel School will influence the study of security and diplomacy for many years. We are forever grateful for Anna’s friendship, inspiration, and commitment to the future leaders who study here.

Frederick “Fritz” Mayer
Dean and Professor
Josef Korbel School of International Studies