Harvard's Institute of Politics Announces Spring Fellows 1/28/2004
From: Andy Solomon of Harvard's Institute of Politics, 617-496-4009 CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 28 -- The former mayor of Knoxville, an expert on the youth perspective on key public policy issues, the Vice President of Programs at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a highly experienced Democratic political strategist, the Washington Bureau Chief of the Chicago Sun-Times, and the former Governor of Minnesota have been selected for fellowships this spring at Harvard's Institute of Politics, located at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Victor Ashe, the former four-term Republican mayor of Knoxville; Meredith Bagby, a creative executive in feature development for DreamWorks SKG and an expert on the youth perspective on policy issues; Gary Flowers, the Vice President of Programs at the Reverend Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition; Steve Jarding, a Democratic political strategist with 25 years experience teaching, writing, and working in American politics; Lynn Sweet, the Washington Bureau Chief of the Chicago Sun-Times; and Jesse Ventura, the former Governor of Minnesota and Mayor of Brooklyn Park will join the Institute of Politics as Resident Fellows for the spring semester, which begins on February 2. The following five Visiting Fellows will spend a portion of this semester at the Institute: Alastair Campbell, former Director of Communications and Strategy for British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Bobby Jindal, former Republican candidate for Governor in Louisiana; Bill Luther, former Congressman from Minnesota; Antanas Mockus, the former Mayor of Bogota; and Kathleen Shanahan, former Chief of Staff for Florida Governor Jeb Bush. "This impressive group brings a diverse range of experience in federal, state, local, and international politics to Harvard," said Dan Glickman, Director of the Institute of Politics. "I am confident that our students will benefit greatly from the expertise and experience these practitioners can draw on to help engage and excite the next generation of American citizens and leaders." Each year, the Institute invites political and governmental practitioners to spend a semester at Harvard as Resident Fellows. The Fellows Program is central to the Institute's dual commitment to encourage student interest in public life and to develop ways for the academic and political communities to share their resources. Fellows interact with students, participate in the intellectual life of the community, and pursue individual studies or projects. Resident Fellows lead weekly study groups; these informal, not-for-credit sessions cover a wide range of topics of interest to students. Resident Fellows, Spring 2004 Victor Ashe served for 16 years as the Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee. Under his leadership, the city improved the delivery of services and added parks and greenways. He is a past president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which awarded him its Distinguished Public Service Award. President Clinton appointed him to the National Service Corporation Board and Presidents Reagan and Bush appointed him to the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. Ashe's study group at the Institute will focus on the role of mayors in the post-9/11 era. Meredith Bagby is the author of six published works, including We've Got Issues: A Young Adult Political Guide and The Annual Report of the USA. She has testified from a youth perspective before the Senate Finance Committee, the Bipartisan Commission on Medicare, and the President's Committee to Strengthen Social Security. Bagby worked as an on-camera reporter for CNN covering economic and political issues from a youth perspective. She is currently a creative executive at DreamWorks SKG. Bagby's study group at the Institute will focus on the how the worlds of Hollywood and Washington intersect. Gary Flowers is the Vice President of Programs at the Reverend Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a progressive organization fighting for social change. He has directed program development, message development, public policy analysis, and logistics for over 400 direct action campaigns across the nation. Earlier in his career, he served as Virginia Governor Lawrence Wilder's special assistant; the youngest executive director of a state bar association; and a public policy analyst for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Flowers' study group at Institute will focus on the science of mobilization. Steve Jarding has spent most of the past 25 years studying, teaching, writing about, and working in American politics. He served as Executive Director of the South Dakota Democratic Party; Communications Director for Bob Kerrey's successful 1988 U.S. Senate bid; Communications Director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee; Manager for Virginia businessman Mark Warner's successful gubernatorial campaign; and Executive Director of Sen. John Edwards' leadership PAC. In 2003, Jarding served as a consultant to the presidential campaign of Sen. Bob Graham. Jarding's study group at the Institute will focus on political strategy. Lynn Sweet has covered politics from Chicago's street brawls to the White House. Sweet is the Washington Bureau Chief for the Chicago Sun-Times and writes a column for the paper. Sweet joined the Sun-Times in 1976 and has been in the Washington bureau for more than ten years. In 2002, as the violence between Israelis and Palestinians was deepening, she was sent to the region to cover the conflict. In 1995, Sweet broke the story on the perks the Clinton White House offered majored donors. In 1990, Sweet was one of the first journalists to analyze political ads for accuracy. Sweet's study group at the Institute will focus on the 2004 Presidential election in real time. Jesse Ventura, the former Governor of Minnesota, was the first Reform Party candidate to win statewide office. His campaign, which spent less than $400,000, was supported by thousands of new voters and sparked a renewed interest in making government work better. In 1990, Ventura was prompted to run for Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota's sixth largest city, by the imminent destruction of a treasured wetland. He served as Mayor until 1995, championing crime reduction. After high school, Ventura joined the Navy and was trained as a SEAL. He served in the Navy for six years during the Vietnam era, including four on active duty and two in the Reserves. After his honorable discharge in 1973, Ventura attended North Hennepin Community College on the GI Bill. Ventura's study group at the Institute will focus on third party politics. Visiting Fellows, Spring 2004 The following Visiting Fellows will join the Institute of Politics for a part of the semester to lead discussion groups and interact with students, faculty, and Harvard research centers. Alastair Campbell, former Director of Communications and Strategy for British Prime Minister Tony Blair, will serve as a Visiting Fellow from April 12 to 14. Bobby Jindal, former Republican candidate for Governor in Louisiana and Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will serve as a Visiting Fellow from February 23 to March 12. Bill Luther, former Democratic Congressman from Minnesota from 1995 to 2003, will serve as a Visiting Fellow for a to-be- determined part of the semester. Antanas Mockus, the former Mayor of Bogota, Columbia, will serve as a Visiting Fellow from February 16 to 27. Kathleen Shanahan, the former Chief of Staff to Florida Governor Jeb Bush and the Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney during the 2000 election will serve as a Visiting Fellow during the month of March. ------ The Institute of Politics was established in 1966 with an endowment from the John F. Kennedy Library Corporation to inspire undergraduate students to enter careers in politics and public service, and to promote greater understanding and cooperation between the academic community and the political world. More information is available online at http://www.iop.harvard.edu/. |