William Gaudelli, Ed.D., is the inaugural dean for the Georgia Tech College of Lifetime Learning, where he leads the College in amplifying learning as a lifelong pursuit. The College consists of three internationally recognized organizations: the Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U), the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC), and Georgia Tech Professional Education (GTPE), and includes Georgia Tech Savannah, which brings Georgia Tech education and research to this vital manufacturing region. 

Gaudelli previously served as senior vice provost for Educational Innovation and Assessment as well as the dean of the College of Education at Lehigh University. His career spans over 35 years as a classroom teacher, researcher, professor, and academic administrator. A prominent international scholar, his research areas focus on global citizenship education and teacher education and development. 

Earlier in his career, Gaudelli served as the chair of the Department of Arts and Humanities at Teachers College, Columbia University. He was both a faculty member and program director of the social studies program before becoming the chair. Before joining Columbia in 2006, Gaudelli was a faculty member at the University of Central Florida. 

He has published over 85 scholarly pieces and three books, recently completing a fourth book entitled Pedagogy of the Global Event (2023). He is currently developing a Palgrave Handbook on Global Citizenship Education (anticipated 2026). He co-founded the Global Competence Certificate (GCC) program in partnership with World Savvy and Asia Society, two leading global education non-profits. The GCC is built in an online environment that promotes high-touch interactions between faculty and students while leveraging digital technologies to enhance participant experience.  

Gaudelli completed his master’s and doctoral degrees at Rutgers University – Graduate School of Education in social studies education. He taught social studies in the Hunterdon Central Regional High School for a decade prior to moving into higher education.