Andrew Potter
Following a national search, Andrew Potter has been selected as the new director of experiential learning. His appointment is effective Jan. 28 in the Office of Instruction.
Potter comes to UGA from Envision, where he has served as the chief academic officer since 2014 and prior to that, as vice president of education for academic affairs and program/curriculum development. Envision is an experiential education organization that helps students from elementary school through college connect their interests and passions to curriculum and career choices in a range of disciplines including those in the arts, business, leadership and STEM areas.
His work at post-secondary institutions includes the development of immersive, experiential learning programs across the country, including the Stanford Law School, the Stanford School of Medicine, the Glasscock School at Rice University, St. John’s University, George Mason University and others.
“Andrew brings a broad disciplinary understanding and a deep, fundamental knowledge of experiential learning, which is representative of the experience we want UGA students to have before they graduate,” said Rahul Shrivastav, vice president for instruction. “We are eager to have his expertise as an educator and corporate facilitator to bridge the gap in university partnerships with communities and businesses and better position our students for opportunities after graduation.”
As director, Potter will serve as a visionary leader to champion experiential learning, articulating a vision to various stakeholders within the university as well as community and industry partners outside the University of Georgia. He will be responsible for identifying and developing innovative ways to advance experiential learning, which includes further integrating experiential learning within the academic curriculum, fostering collaboration between academic units in various schools and colleges as well as local/regional community and industry partners and scaling up and developing new experiential learning opportunities for students.
Potter holds an M.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic studies from Brandeis University, an M.A. in history from Cal State-Northridge and a B.A. in history from Pillsbury College.
“I am thrilled to join the ranks of one of the nation’s thought leaders in experiential education and am humbled to collaborate with a team of individuals committed to preparing students with the knowledge, skills and behaviors that enable them to compete and collaborate in the 21st century global society,” said Potter. “Building on the incredible legacy of experiential learning at UGA, I am excited to continue to expand students’ potential, while preparing them to make an impact on the world around them.”
