Bethany S. Oberst, Ph.D.
Dean-Designate
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
United Arab Emirates University
Al-Ain, UAE
Bethany S. Oberst is James Madison Distinguished Professor at James Madison University in Harrisonburg,
Virginia, USA. Beginning in 2005 Dr. Oberst will serve as Dean of the College of Humanities and Social
Sciences at the United Arab Emirates University in Al-Ain, UAE. She is a US delegate to the World Federation of
Engineering Organizations’ Standing Committee on Capacity Building. With her colleague Dr. Russel Jones, she
writes the International Engineering Education Digest which is distributed to approximately 40,000 readers
around the world each month.
Dr. Oberst received her B.A. degree from Chestnut Hill College, and her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in French from
Case Western Reserve University, where she did pioneering work in computer applications to the study of the
humanities. She did post-graduate studies at Harvard, and returned there as guest lecturer in recent years. Dr.
Oberst held faculty appointments and administrative positions at Cleveland State University, the University of
Delaware, Southwest Missouri State University, and then served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at
James Madison University in Virginia.
Until recently she served as Executive Director of International Programs at James Madison, directing
educational programming for study abroad students, immigration and academic support services for international
faculty, international economic development, and the Commonwealth of Virginia International Internship
Program. She has a particular interest in the teaching of entrepreneurship to engineering and technology
students.
Dr. Oberst is bi-lingual (French/English) and has lived abroad for extended periods of time. She has worked with
higher education leaders and programs in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, China, Colombia, Japan,
Northern Ireland, Korea, Turkey, France, Italy, the U.K., Martinique, Spain, Romania, Moldova and Malta.
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