SEATTLE, WA – Daniel Hoffman has been named the new director of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington. He has served as interim director since July 2022 and begins his new role on July 1, 2023.
Daniel Hoffman
Hoffman, UW professor of international studies and comparative history of ideas, joined the UW faculty in 2004. His previous leadership roles at the University have included serving as chair of African Studies and associate chair of the Department of Anthropology.
“Danny Hoffmann is precisely the sort of publicly engaged, multi-faceted scholar the Jackson School cultivates,” says Andrea Woody, divisional dean of the social sciences in the College and professor of philosophy. “Trained as a fieldwork-based cultural anthropologist, he also has experience as a photojournalist and filmmaker. He understands and deeply respects the variety of scholarship and unique synergies created by the Jackson School’s impressive combination of area and global studies. As someone who excels at building community and has garnered the trust of his colleagues, he will bring sincere commitment, strong leadership skills, and creative vision to the Jackson School at an exciting time in its history.”
Hoffman received a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from Duke University in 2004. His research focuses on militarization in West Africa. He is the author of “The War Machines: Young Men and Violence in Sierra Leone and Liberia” (2011, Duke University Press) and “Monrovia Modern: Urban Form and Political Imagination in Liberia” (2017, Duke University Press). In 2022, Hoffman co-produced (with Lynn Thomas, UW professor of history) a short documentary film, “The Maple Cutter.”
Of his new role, Hoffman says, “The Jackson School has a long tradition of serving this campus and community with expertise in global affairs. The Jackson School’s students, staff, faculty and community partners are all committed to making sure that we continue that work in a way that meets the challenges we face today. I am honored and excited to be invited to help shape this next chapter in the School’s history.”
“The Jackson School is an internationally renowned pillar of the College of Arts & Sciences,” says Dianne Harris, dean of Arts & Sciences. “Danny’s multidisciplinary expertise, his passion for the School’s programs, and his demonstrated record of care for its community make him an excellent choice. I look forward to all that is to come as he leads the Jackson School forward.”
As director of the Jackson School, Hoffman now holds the title of Stanley D. Golub Endowed Chair in International Studies. The Henry M. Jackson Foundation established the chair in honor of Senator Jackson’s aide and cherished friend, Stanley Golub. Known for his exceptional character and integrity, Golub founded the Jackson Foundation and served as its first president. He and the Senator believed in the importance of international affairs education as a key to making smart, informed public policy and shared a keen interest in developing the UW as a leading international studies institution.
Founded in 1909, the Jackson School of International Studies is a nationally recognized leader in advancing the understanding of and engagement in world issues. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in both international and area studies and is home to 21 centers and programs. Its location in Seattle, a global hub of commerce, philanthropy and progressive policy, provides a diverse and dynamic environment that helps connect scholarship with what the world needs.
