What drew you to the Keough School and Notre Dame?
I love Notre Dame’s commitment to the world and the Keough School’s framing around integral human development, which means taking into account the whole person when we think about growth and economic development. As a person who has researched labor issues in China and visited many, many factories over the years, this has immediate resonance with my own work and sensibilities. Notre Dame is also ambitious, aspiring to be the preeminent global Catholic university. There is good energy on campus and among the faculty and staff that I’ve met so far.
Before coming to Notre Dame, you were the Amy and Alan Lowenstein Chair in Democracy, Democratization and Human Rights and director of the International Institute at the University of Michigan. What did you accomplish in these positions and how did these accomplishments prepare you for your new role as dean?
At the University of Michigan, I was a professor in the political science department and a faculty associate, then director, first at the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies and then at the International Institute. The International Institute houses 16 centers and programs in international and area studies. Like the Keough School, it is made up of units that have long histories and separate identities. Some of the opportunities and challenges at the Keough School are similar to those I encountered at Michigan. At the International Institute, we strove to create a strong community of faculty, staff and students as “one II” while respecting and cultivating the diversity of our units.
You bring extensive policy experience from your roles at the Brookings Institution, the World Bank, the U.S. National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Labor. How will your policy expertise shape your leadership of the Keough School?
I’ve long enjoyed the intersection of academic research and policy, which started when I was an assistant professor at the University of Michigan researching labor conditions in China. At that time, the anti-sweatshop movement was in full swing and expertise was badly needed on the state of working conditions in China. That brought me into contact with activist students, nongovernmental organizations, the U.S. government, corporations including Nike, Adidas and Apple, and many international institutions.
Policy engagement can come in many forms though we tend to associate it with impact on government policy. That early experience made me realize the diverse ways we can impact policy. For example, after an investigative visit to factories making University of Michigan branded athletic apparel in China, my colleagues and I made recommendations to the university on their contracts and production in China and elsewhere. It was gratifying to see our expertise have an immediate impact.
What is your vision for the Keough School?
I’m excited to help take our school to the next level. We are of course building upon the success of the first 10 years, and I’m deeply grateful to Scott Appleby for leading the school through such incredible growth. As we look ahead, I want to focus on raising the profile and reputation of the school. This will include working with departments to attract and retain the best faculty, and also developing good metrics for “policy impact” so that we encourage faculty to engage in policy-relevant research. As the school’s new dean, I’m prioritizing connecting with our faculty, students, and staff to listen to their input and incorporate it into our shared vision. Together we will build upon the school’s amazing success so far and continue to make a real difference in the world.
What are the biggest opportunities for the Keough School in the next few years?
Sadly, the state of the world calls out for our expertise and energy in helping to solve the world’s most pressing problems, which include war, poverty, climate change, and democratic backsliding in every corner of the world. Notre Dame as a university is rising to this challenge through the strategic initiatives in which the Keough School plays a major role, including the Poverty Initiative, the Democracy Initiative, and the Ethics Initiative. Notre Dame has developed a coherent strategy around these topics and the Keough School will play a major role in all of them. This is a huge opportunity for the school and will be transformative for us as a community.
