Beginnings: born in Champaign, Illinois, studied engineering and political science at University of Illinois, father in produce packing machine business, mother's death from lupus, Ph.D. in political science from University of Chicago, worked in broadcasting, developed interest in Soviet Union; traveled to Russia in 1987 for summer language study; enjoyed interpersonal relationships and ethos of fr iendship in Russia; post-doctorate at Cornell University's Peace and Conflict Studies Program; taught at University of Oklahoma; hired at MacArthur Foundation as Program Office for the Initiative in the Former Soviet Union and for the Research and Writing Grants Competition; structure of MacArthur Foundation; projects worked on: Research and Writing Grants Competition in Moscow, reproductive rights in Central Asia and sustainable forestry in the Russian Far East, Basic Research and Higher Education in Russia (BRHE), Research and Writing Grants Competition in Chicago; development of joint initiative with Carnegie Corporation on higher education in Russia; Program Officer for BRHE; intersection of and differences between BRHE and Centers of Advanced Study in Education (CASEs); state of Social Sciences in Russia; leadership and goals of Jonathan F. Fanton at MacArthur Foundation and Vartan Gregorian at Carnegie Corporation on Russia programs; nuances between friends and grantees when working in philanthropy; future of philanthropy; overlap and tension between philanthropy and academia, government, and politics.
Political scientists; Charitable uses, trusts, and foundations--Political activity; Endowments; Soviet Union Politics and government; Russia Politics and government; Gregorian, Vartan; Slocum, John W., 1961-; Carnegie Corporation of New York
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2012
Physical Description
44 pages. + index; 1 digital audio file (102 min.)
Note (Biographical)
Director of Migration, MacArthur Foundation's International Programs.