2018 IIE Gala Program
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THE METROPOLITAN CLUB Monday, October 15, 2018 THE METROPOLITAN CLUB Monday, October 15, 2018 PROGRAM Underwriters Angelson Family Foundation DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Caroline Casagrande Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs U.S. Department of State Co-Chairs Calvin G. Butler, Jr. IIE GLOBAL CHANGEMAKER Colleen Goggins Amal Alachkar Alumna of the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund Peter M. Gottsegen and the U.S. Department of State’s Jack M. Greenberg Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program Henry G. Jarecki IIE HUMANITARIAN AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION Thomas S. Johnson Stavros Niarchos Foundation Accepted by Henry Kaufman Andreas Dracopoulos Laya Khadjavi Co-President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cathy-Ann Martine DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER Laurence C. Morse Dr. Jill Biden Second Lady of the United States, 2009–2017 Hartley R. Rogers Honorary Co-Chair, Biden Foundation Thomas A. Russo John Sexton FEATURING DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER Caroline Casagrande Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs PROMOTING MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and The exchange programs Cultural Affairs (ECA) IIE is privileged to administer key of the U.S. Department programs on behalf of the U.S. Secretary Marie Royce, providing Department of State’s Bureau of senior-level advice on the of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs formulation of public diplomacy Educational and Cultural (ECA), including the Fulbright, programming to support the Gilman, and Humphrey programs. National Security Strategy. She Affairs have over 1 million The mission of the Bureau of has led new initiatives on a broad Educational and Cultural Affairs is range of educational and cultural alumni around the world, to increase mutual understanding exchange programming to including more than between the people of the United support global women’s economic States and the people of other empowerment, religious freedom, 84 Nobel Laureates countries by means of educational and countering state-sponsored and nearly 583 current and and cultural exchange that assist disinformation. former heads of state in the development of peaceful relations. A life-long public servant, and government. Casagrande served in the From artists, educators, and athletes New Jersey General Assembly to students and youth in the U.S representing the 11th and 12th in public service. She has been an – and from almost every other Legislative Districts from 2008 to honorary fellow of Rutgers University’s country and territory throughout 2016, rising to Deputy Republican Eagleton Institute of Politics since 2015. the world – ECA engages rising Leader. She is the youngest Casagrande is an exchange alumna, leaders through academic, cultural, woman assembly member ever having participated both as an American sports, and professional exchanges. elected in New Jersey, and a Council of Young Political Leaders Striving to reflect the diversity of the U.S. and global society, ECA Caroline Casagrande is the Deputy member of the first all-female (ACYPL) delegate to Nepal in 2010 and programs, funding, and other Assistant Secretary for Academic delegation to represent a New Jersey as an ACYPL fellowship recipient at the activities encourage the involvement Programs in the U.S. Department of Legislative District. Prior to serving in East-West Center in 2015 from where she State’s Bureau of Educational and the New Jersey Assembly, she was a traveled to India as part of a delegation of of American and international Cultural Affairs (ECA). The programs partner in the law firm of Menna, Supko & young parliamentarians. participants from traditionally supported by her office include: Fulbright Casagrande in Shrewsbury, NJ. She has underrepresented groups, including Scholarships, Humphrey Fellowships, served as township attorney and special A New Jersey native, Casagrande holds a women, racial and ethnic minorities, Gilman Scholarships, undergraduate counsel for municipalities throughout J.D. from Rutgers School of Law – Camden and people with disabilities. exchanges, teacher exchanges, the New Jersey. and a B.S. in political science from ECA exchange program alumni promotion of U.S. higher education Pennsylvania State University. While in encompass over 1 million people overseas and study abroad for Americans, Casagrande served as Director of the college, Casagrande interned in the new around the world, including more and English and foreign language study Young Women’s Leadership Institute democratic government of South Africa. than 84 Nobel Laureates and nearly programs. Previously, Casagrande served from 2010-2016, which she developed to She is now a resident of Virginia with her 583 current and former heads of as the Special Advisor to ECA Assistant expose high school seniors to careers husband and three children. state and government. 4 • INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION • GALA THE METROPOLITAN CLUB • MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2018 • 5 RECOGNIZING IIE GLOBAL CHANGE MAKER By 2011, Dr. Alachkar had flourishing, and she is sharing her Higher education in particular often established the first neuroscience knowledge and drive for innovation is considered a luxury. One result is research lab in Syria. A rising with a new generation of scientists. that only 1% of the world’s 60 million academic star, she received a Today, Amal is a leading voice refugees have access to higher prestigious Hubert H. Humphrey for scholars in exile, joining IIE’s education, compared to the global Fellowship, sponsored by the U.S. worldwide effort to ensure that the average of 34%. Another is that some Department of State’s Bureau of brightest academic minds don’t of the best and brightest scholars in Educational and Cultural Affairs become a casualty of war. their fields are in jeopardy. Without (ECA). She completed her Humphrey our support, the world’s youth and its Fellowship at Pennsylvania State intellectual capital are at risk. University. IIE GLOBAL CHANGEMAKER AWARD Through IIE programs like the Scholar When the peaceful uprising began The IIE Global Changemaker Rescue Fund, the Artist Protection in Syria during the Arab Spring, Dr. Awards recognize participants Fund, and the Platform for Education Amal Alachkar Alachkar was among the academics from IIE-managed programs who in Emergencies Response, IIE helps who supported the student students, scholars, and artists in crises. IIE Scholar Rescue Fund Scholar exhibit a commitment to positively movement demanding dignity, transform society and have made We provide them with desperately and Hubert H. Humphrey freedom of speech, and justice for extraordinary achievements to needed financial resources, and we Program Fellow all Syrians. But speaking out put solve some of the world’s most connect them with colleges and her research and her life in danger. pressing issues. universities where they can find refuge. Dr. Amal Alachkar is a Syrian Support from the IIE Scholar Rescue These opportunities create a pathway neuroscientist and pharmacologist Fund (IIE-SRF) enabled Dr. Alachkar for them to continue their education; whose research focuses on to join UC Irvine as a professor Protecting Education contribute to their fields and to their neurological and psychiatric from 2012-2014. After her IIE-SRF in Emergencies new host communities; and, when it disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, fellowship ended, she was able to is possible, to help rebuild their home depression, schizophrenia and autism remain at UC Irvine, where she was The need for higher education is communities. to understand their neurobiological recently offered a tenured full-time acute in places of conflict, where causes and find effective therapies. academic position. it is crucial in rebuilding societies What You Can Do and forms the groundwork for More students, scholars, and artists Dr. Alachkar graduated from Dr. Alachkar has published over 45 lasting stability and peace. And yet, are reaching out to IIE for assistance. the Aleppo University School of articles in international journals. She education is the orphan of every As the demand grows, so does our Pharmacy in 1996. In 2000, she used her extraordinary teaching war. During conflicts, universities are commitment to helping as many of was awarded a scholarship to the abilities to help establish UC Irvine’s often specifically targeted; scholars them as possible. University of Manchester, UK, where first online master’s program in are persecuted, interrogated, she received a Ph.D. degree in Pharmacology. She conducts disappeared. With your help, we can protect lives, neuroscience. Upon her return to groundbreaking research on the develop future leaders, and preserve Syria in 2004, she joined the Aleppo brain circuits that underlie mental Today, when conflicts and crises bright, promising minds that have the University School of Pharmacy, disorders. In particular, she has around the world have created the potential to solve global problems. where she was later promoted to designed a model that uncovers largest numbers of displaced persons Associate Professor and served as the roots of schizophrenia, which and refugees since WWII, education To make your gift today, please Associate Dean for administrative will help find novel treatments. is among the most poorly funded contact Joyce Hendricks at and students’ affairs. Her work, once in jeopardy, is sectors in humanitarian aid. (646) 572-8741. 6 • INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION • GALA THE METROPOLITAN