WKU’s new associate provost for global learning and international affairs/senior international officer has been named in a campus-wide email by Provost David Lee.

John Sunnygard will assume the new role at WKU on Aug. 27. He is the current executive director of the Office of International Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. He was chosen from four finalists in the campus search for the position.

“International education is a vital part of the WKU experience, and the associate provost position is an especially significant one,” Lee said in the email. “John is an excellent choice for this role, and I’m delighted that he is joining us at WKU.”

Sunnygard received his bachelor’s in French and international relations from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He received his master’s in international management from the Thunderbird-American Graduate School of International Management at Arizona State University, according to Lee in his email.

Sunnygard has been involved in international education for about 26 years, according to his University of Colorado Denver biography.

“I’d like to express my deep appreciation to the search committee chaired by Cheryl Stevens and Gordon Johnson for their hard work in this important process,” Lee said in his email.

Nicole Ziege can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected]. Follow Nicole Ziege on Twitter at @NicoleZiege.