Anne Ofstedal
Friend and Colleague
Anne Ofstedal, our dear colleague and friend, died on August 9 of a brain aneurysm. As the
United Board’s Director of Fellowship & Scholarship Programs, Anne’s work was at the heart of
our mission. Through her leadership of the United Board Fellows Program and Faculty
Scholarship Program, her contributions to current initiatives and her personal connection to
hundreds of people within our community, she made our goal of strengthening Christian
presence in higher education more tangible and lasting. Her loss is felt by our trustees, staff,
partners, program participants, alumni and other friends.
Anne first joined the United Board in April 1993 as the China program coordinator. A young
woman, her experience in Asia was already deep. She developed her interest in China during
undergraduate studies at the University of Iowa and graduate work at the University of
Wisconsin. She lived in China from 1986 to 1990, working first as an English teacher at Chinese
universities and then as a coordinator for a U.S. educational tour operator. Those experiences
opened the world to Anne, and helping Asians and Americans engage with people outside their
home communities became a hallmark of her career. She developed sound managerial skills that
removed obstacles and smoothed the path of program planning and implementation, which she
put to excellent use during her tenure at the United Board (1993-2005 and 2007-2012) and at the
Yale-China Association (2005-2007).
Anne brought both a deep commitment and a light touch to her work. She wanted to understand
the context in which our programs took place or new opportunities might emerge, so she was a
frequent traveler to campuses throughout Asia. She preferred face-to-face communication
whenever possible, and her quiet intelligence, warm demeanor and collegial approach drew out
the insights, concerns and suggestions of our partners. Our programs became and will remain
stronger because of this.
We mourn the loss of our colleague but are confident that we will encounter the fruit of her
efforts for years to come. We extend our prayers and deepest sympathy to Anne’s husband,
children and extended family.
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For information on interim arrangements for the United Board Fellows Program, Faculty
Scholarship Program and Local Knowledge Initiative, please click here.