Newswise — WASHINGTON (Aug. 3, 2015)—The George Washington University announced today that Ambassador Reuben E. Brigety II will serve as the new dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs. Dr. Brigety is the U.S. representative to the African Union and the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. He will start on Oct. 1.
“Ambassador Brigety is an outstanding leader whose vision and experience will raise the Elliott School’s already prominent reputation in international affairs education, policy and research,” GW President Steven Knapp said. “I look forward to working with him on strengthening our existing programs and research, as well as exploring new opportunities that will enhance our students' GW experience.”
Dr. Brigety will succeed Dean Michael E. Brown, who brought global recognition to the school during 10 years of leadership. Dr. Brown announced his plans to step down from his position last October.
Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Brigety oversaw southern African and regional security affairs as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of African Affairs. He also served as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, where he supervised U.S. refugee programs in Africa, managed U.S. humanitarian diplomacy and developed international migration policy.
“I believe young people come to the Elliott School because they want to engage with the hardest challenges of our time. Our job is to prepare them both intellectually and practically to make the world a better place, and that’s what I’m excited to do in this new position,” Dr. Brigety said.
Dr. Brigety has held positions at the Center for American Progress and U.S. Agency for International Development. He was a senior advisor for development and security to the U.S. Central Command Assessment team in Washington and in Doha, Qatar. His background is rooted in scholarship as well as public service. He taught government and politics at George Mason University and American University between 2003 and 2009. He also conducted research missions in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch.
“I’ve spent time doing work on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan, East Africa and the Caribbean, where I used my intellectual preparation to be an effective practitioner in the field. This has helped me understand how important it is to prepare young people both intellectually and practically to engage in these problems,” he said.
Dr. Brigety began his career as an active duty U.S. naval officer with several staff positions in the Pentagon and in fleet support units. He earned a B.S. with merit in political science at the U.S. Naval Academy and was designated a Distinguished Midshipman Graduate. Dr. Brigety also holds an M.Phil. and a Ph.D. in international relations from the University of Cambridge.
Multimedia: A high-resolution photo of Dr. Brigety is available upon request.
The George Washington UniversityIn the heart of the nation’s capital with additional programs in Virginia, the George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 130 countries.
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