CARTER CENTER UPDATE
A monthly report from The Carter Center

Faculty liaison program strengthens ties between Carter Center and Emory leadership


"To provide knowledge and also to learn in the process" is how Juan del Aguila, associate professor of political science at Emory, describes his role as one of 15 faculty members participating in the newly inaugurated Carter Center Faculty Liaison Program. "I am very interested in the important issues The Carter Center's Latin American and Caribbean Program is working on, including democratization, election monitoring and the promotion of human rights. I look forward to sharing my expertise and to gaining a more practical understanding of how the program works from the ground up," said del Aguila.

The program took root last spring when Emory's Faculty Council, then headed by Luther Smith, invited then director of programs for The Carter Center, Marion Creekmore, to meet with them to discuss how faculty and Center staff might work more closely together. Today, as Vice Provost for International Affairs at Emory, Creekmore sees the program as "a new and exciting component to bring the talents of Emory and The Carter Center together for the benefit of both."

Emory faculty serve as liaisons to each of the Center's core programs. At the beginning of fall semester, liaisons met with the director of the program with which they will be working to be briefed on the program's status. The two parties discuss how the liaison's expertise might lend itself to furthering program efforts. While their extent of involvement may vary, all liaisons are asked for a one-year commitment.

In celebration of the program's inauguration, del Aguila and the 14 other university liaisons joined former President Jimmy Carter and approximately 30 guests, including Center Executive Director John Hardman, Vice Provost for International Affairs Marion Creekmore; Provost Billy Frye; former Faculty Council President Luther Smith; and University Senate and Faculty Council President Luke Johnson at a special "kick-off" luncheon held at The Carter Center on Sept. 24. "It was an occasion for all the liaisons to meet with various program directors and to be recognized and thanked for their interest and participation," said Joyce Jones, education coordinator for The Carter Center. "This program represents a unique opportunity to merge Emory's academic and scholarly mission with the action-oriented, interventionist agenda of The Carter Center."

By working closely with Carter Center fellows and staff, faculty liaisons will learn about Carter Center projects in areas such as conflict resolution, human rights, agriculture, health, and urban renewal and will share their experiences with colleagues. As Carter said at the Sept. 24 luncheon, establishment of the program is "one of the more delightful and innovative moments" in the Center's history.

The following is a listing of the Emory faculty liaisons and The Carter Center program directors with whom they will be working:

Emory Faculty Liaisons Carter Center Program Directors


Frans de Waal (Psych./Yerkes) Harry Barnes (Conflict Resolution)

Juan del Aguila (Political Science) Robert Pastor (Latin America)

Cathy Caruth (English) Jane Smith (The Atlanta Project)

Gary Laderman (Religion) Gary Gunderson (Interfaith Health)

Jasjit Ahluwalia (Medicine) Gary Gunderson (Interfaith Health)

David Davis (Political Science) Harry Barnes (Human Rights)

Paul Courtright (Religion) Harry Barnes (Human Rights)

Robert Agnew (Sociology) Wallace Woodard ("Not Even One")

Elaine Walker (Psychology) John Gates (Mental Health)

Donald Stein (Psychology) John Gates (Mental Health)

Ina Wundram (Anthropology) J. Anthony (The America Project)

James Setzer (International Health) Andy Agle (Global 2000)

Barbara Pettit (Medicine) Bill Foege (TFCS)*

Judy Schmidt (Medicine) Bill Foege (TFCS)*

Terry Clark (Marketing) Gordon Streeb (Global Develop. Initiative)

* Task Force for Child Survival and Development

Ann Carney is assistant communications coordinator at The Carter Center.


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