Director of RU Global Programs: Seth A. Gopin, Ph.D.

Dr. Seth Gopin earned a BA in French from Rutgers College and a Ph.D. in Art History from Rutgers University. His academic interest is in exoticism in early 18th-century Europe and he specializes in the Franco-Flemish painter, Jean-Baptiste Vanmour, whose career was centered in Constantinople. His publications include an essay on Vanmour in Guardi: Quadri turcheschi, Galleria di Palazzo Cini, Venice, Italy, 1993; Jean-Baptiste Vanmour, a Painter of Turqueries, 1994;"Watteau's Chinoiseries at La Muette," Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1997; and "Jean-Baptiste Vanmour," Venice, 2002. In addition to exoticism, Dr. Gopin writes and lectures on the American skyscraper. He particularly
is interested in how the skyscraper is an icon for American popular culture. He teaches several very popular art history courses at Rutgers including the 600-student class, Introduction to Art History, and a summer course in Paris, Spaces and Places: Historical Development of Space in the City of Paris.

For twenty-five years he has worked helping to internationalize the Rutgers curriculum and among his successes is the founding of the university's many study abroad programs. Presently, he serves as the Director of Global Programs for Rutgers. In addition, Dr. Gopin also oversees the New Brunswick coordinator for Scholarships and Fellowships. In that role he has helped countless Rutgers students to prepare for some of the most prestigious scholarships and fellowships available. He has mentored dozens of Rutgers students who have gone on to win Fulbright, Goldwater, Truman scholarships. Most significantly, a few years ago two of his students --Randall Pinkett, School of Engineering, and Dana Brown, Rutgers College--won the Rhodes scholarship to Oxford University.

Recently, he was knighted by the Prime Minister of France for his work in helping to globalize French universities.