Meredith Woo
Presidential Precinct Logomark in White

Meredith Woo

Political Scientist, Arizona State University

Meredith Woo is a political scientist who teaches at the Arizona State University. She served as president of Sweet Briar and director of global higher education for Open Society Foundations. She was also Dean of Arts & Sciences at the University of Virginia; divisional dean for the social sciences at the Michigan of Michigan; professor of political science at the University of Michigan as well as Northwestern University. Her teaching and research interests include international political economy, economic development, East Asian politics, and U.S.-East Asian relations.

She has written and edited eight books and was the executive producer of an award-winning documentary film about Stalin’s ethnic cleansing of Koreans living in Russia during the Great Terror.

A native of Seoul, Meredith Woo was educated at a Spanish Catholic High School in Tokyo. She came to the United States to study at Bowdoin College in Maine. She completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in international affairs, Latin American studies, and political science at Columbia University.

She has worked closely with international agencies on issues relating to trade and economic development, including the Asian Development Bank Institute, IMF, World Bank, USTR, and a number of UN agencies.

Recent News

Precinct Alumna Appointed as Deputy Ambassador of Sierra Leone to Belgium

10/30/2024

Before and after their time at the Precinct, our alumni hold many positions of influence and work tirelessly through these positions to rea...
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Nafisa Atiku-Abubakar: From Vulnerability to Power

08/23/2024

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From Facebook Post to Global Leadership: My Inspirational Journey

07/25/2024

Social media in the modern digital age is frequently associated with negative attributes such as false information, cyber bullying, and was...
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Chichi Mlingwa: When the Dots Finally Connect

06/22/2024

On this day in 2017, a Young African Leader sat down and put his thoughts to paper to reflect on lessons learnt during his first week as a...
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Monticello returns as core partner institution of the Presidential Precinct

05/15/2024

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Presidential Precinct and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the private nonprofit that owns and operates Montice...
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Announcing the Inaugural Cohort of Corporate Leaders

04/23/2024

Established executive leaders from 6 African countries will arrive at the Precinct on April 29. CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – With thanks to s...
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