Ben Chang

Ben Chang is the vice president for communications and spokesperson for Columbia University. He joined Columbia from Princeton University, where he served as deputy vice president for communications and university spokesperson. Ben brings with him experience grounded in public service as well as the private sector. For almost two decades, Ben was a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, with postings overseas and domestically, including as the director for press and communications for the National Security Council in the White House under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and as deputy spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. He also served as the associate administrator for communications and public liaison at the Small Business Administration. Before entering higher education, Ben was a managing director in the public affairs and crisis practice of global public relations firm Burson-Marsteller. He is currently as a member of the Communications Advisory Board for the American Talent Initiative, co-chair of the Rising Leaders Council for the Meridian International Center, and a member of the board of directors for the Council for a Livable World. Ben is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

In a personal capacity, he has addressed international relations and politics on CNN, MSNBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, al-Jazeera, CCTV, and BBC News, and delivered closing remarks at TEDxAix in 2014. He was named to POLITICO's 50 to Watch list and as one of PAPER magazine's "Beautiful People" for his pursuits in diplomacy, DJing, and photography.