The Elliott School of INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
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THE ELLIOtt SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT 2006/2007 MISSION THE MISSION OF THE ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS IS: • To educate the next generation of international leaders • To conduct research and produce scholarship that advances understanding of important global issues • To engage the public and the policy community in the United States and around the world, thereby fostering international dialogue and shaping policy solutions Our mission is to create knowledge, share wisdom and inspire action to make our world a better place. A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN recent survey of scholars ranked the Elliott School’s undergraduate and graduate programs in the top 10. Only five schools in the world were ranked this highly in A both categories. It’s an impressive club. It’s also an important club. The issues we study at the Elliott School—ranging from war and peace to poverty and development—affect the lives of billions of our fellow human beings. Powerful international dynamics—population growth, rising levels of resource consumption, the expansion of the global economy, mounting environmental challenges—will shape the world in the decades ahead. Wise policy and effective international cooperation will be more important than ever. At the Elliott School, the study of international affairs is not an abstract exercise. Our aim is to make our world a better place. The Elliott School is in a unique position to make a difference. Our location in the heart of Washington, DC—just steps from some of the most influential U.S., international and non- governmental organizations in the world—enriches our teaching and research, and it provides us with unmatched opportunities to engage the U.S. and international policy communities. The Elliott School is special, not just because of where we are, but who we are. As you will see in this Annual Report, our scholars, students and alumni are extraordinarily talented and dedicated, united by a passion for international affairs and a commitment to others, and they are accomplishing great things. The Elliott School community is one of the largest networks of international affairs experts in the world, and this further magnifies our impact on the world. I am grateful to the members of the Elliott School community for their exceptional commitment to our collective endeavors. I am especially grateful to our many donors for their generous support of this wonderful and important institution. Gifts from donors are having transformational effects on our students and faculty, on our teaching and research, and on our ability to make a difference in the world. Michael E. Brown Dean, Elliott School of International Affairs EDUCATION EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF INTERNATIONAL LEADERS In the 21st century, international decision makers will need cross-disciplinary knowledge, cross-cultural perspectives, keen minds and compassionate hearts. At the Elliott School, we prepare our students for this future. Undergraduates study an interdisciplinary liberal arts program that draws on anthropology, culture, economics, geography, history, languages, political science, science and technology. Graduate students combine rigorous academic courses with professional training, including skills courses on topics ranging from political analysis to leadership. Students come to the Elliott School from many different parts of the globe. They leave the Elliott School prepared to make a difference. EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF INTERNATIONAL LEADERS THE ELLIOTT SCHOOL EARNS named National Security Education Program David DISTINCTION L. Boren Scholars. The U.S. Department of State and Council of American Overseas Research awarded two A March 2007 survey of scholars published in Foreign Elliott School juniors, Neil Padukone and Celeste Policy magazine recognized the Elliott School’s Powers, summer scholarships to study Arabic. excellence. This survey ranked our undergraduate Clayton McCleskey received a German Academic programs as number 10 in the United States and Exchange Service award to study in Germany. our graduate programs as number seven. Only five Undergraduates Emily Domonkos, Mary Beth Doran schools in the country merited top 10 recognition and Jennifer Schuch-Page received Freeman Awards in both categories: Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, for study in Asia, and graduate students Mei Lu, Hui Princeton and The George Washington University. Sun, Xinmu Tan, Son-Taek Wang, Peng Bai, Zhuoxia Our students earned numerous honors in 2006-2007. Chen and Liang Wang received Freeman Fellowships Within GW, Krystin Borgognone received the Sitter for study at the Elliott School. Scholarship, Yonit Lax received the Distinguished Six undergraduates—Mehdi Alhassani, Erin Scholar Award, Roman Balin received the Wilbur Bullinger, Lisa DeCerchio, Ekuike Falorca, J. Carr Prize, Zoe Cooprider received the Elliott Katherine Hild and Sara Rhodin—and graduate School Alumni Association Prize and Ryan John student Brian Harding received Fulbright DeMerlis received the GW Alumni Association Prize. Fellowships to work and study in Germany, the Our students also achieved national distinction. Philippines, Jordan, Korea, Russia, Estonia and Undergraduates Nicole Aguirre, Jessica Chen, Indonesia. Matthew Graham and Jennifer Hebets Emily Domonkos, Clara Shea, Thao Anh Tran and won Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships graduates Asal Esfahani and Scott Van Alstine were to study in the United Kingdom and Egypt. “When I first came to GW, I established immediately that GW students were competitive with those from any school in the country. I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching them for the past 35 years, in many instances becoming their friend for a lifetime. There is no greater satisfaction than seeing them succeed. I’m thrilled to win the Harry Harding teaching award and thank the Elliott School and especially the students for this honor.” — Professor Henry Nau delivered the closing address at the Elliott School’s commencement ceremony. He received the first annual Harry Harding Teaching Prize. 4 ANNUAL REPORT 2006-2007 Elizabeth Chacko was named DC Professor of the Year. Our alumni are leaders in their fields.John Cloud, A DISTINGUISHED FACULty GROWS Jr. (MA’77) was appointed U.S. ambassador to the The Elliott School hired new scholars and senior Republic of Lithuania. Randall Fort (BA’78) was practitioners in 2006-2007. The school welcomed named assistant secretary of state for intelligence Christopher Kojm, former deputy director of the and research. Marc Lacey became Mexican bureau 9/11 Commission and senior advisor to the Iraq chief for The New York Times. Marisa Lino (MA’72) Study Group, and Holger Schmidt, who specializes was appointed assistant secretary for international in conflict and transnational security. Visiting affairs in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. faculty included Amb. John Miller, former member James Quigley (BA’82) was appointed chairman of of Congress and senior policymaker specializing Merrill Lynch International. in human trafficking;M artin Sherwin, Pulitzer In 2006-2007, two Elliott School faculty members Prize-winning biographer and expert on the Cuban received awards for excellence in teaching. The Missile Crisis; and Paul Williams, conflict resolution Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of specialist. Teaching and the Council for Advancement and The school hired four new scholars—Ilana Feldman, Support of Education named Elizabeth Chacko the Adina Friedman, Marc Lynch and Shira Robinson— 2006 District of Columbia Professor of the Year. in preparation for the launch of our new MA in Henry Nau received the first annual Harry Harding Middle East Studies in September 2007. The Elliott Teaching Prize in recognition of his sustained School also appointed Nora Lustig, former head excellence in teaching and his extraordinary of the United Nations Development Programme contributions to students. Poverty Group and an expert on development economics, as the school’s J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro visiting professor. Lustig is the first “Though I went on to get an MBA from Wharton, it was GW that fostered my love for international affairs and international economics, leading me to work all over the globe. Thus, giving to GW was an easy decision. I wanted to make sure other students could benefit from a GW education the way I had. My professors were experts in their fields, whether that field was academia, government or industry. The District of Columbia was my university. I traveled to international law libraries, the Library of Congress and any relevant institute to do research for courses. Averell Harriman, diplomat, statesman and former U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, led my small group seminar. His wife, Pamela Harriman, sat in the back of the room for every class. I was in the center of the political universe! When my daughter was ready to go to college, we decided we wanted to start a family tradition, mother then daughter, at GW. Maybe if I have a granddaughter, she will continue the tradition.” — Julia Gregory (BA’74) is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a drug discovery company of the post-genome era. She is an alumna and donor, member of the Elliott School’s International Council and parent of a recent Elliott School graduate. ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 5 Lecturers in the Distinguished Women in International Affairs series for 2006-2007 were (L-R) Amb. Hunaina Sultan Ahmed Al Mughairy, Nancy Birdsall, Dana Priest and