Event: The Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law welcomes Aaron Williams, U.S. Peace Corps director, who will speak at The University of Texas at Austin, a top producer of volunteers for the federal agency devoted to world peace and friendship.
When: 5-6 p.m., Monday, March 1
Where: Etter-Harbin Alumni Center, Connally Ballroom
Background: As the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Peace Corps approaches, Williams will discuss the role of the organization in the world and his vision for the future with Ambassador Gregory W. Engle (Ret.), associate director of the Strauss Center and a former Peace Corps volunteer.
Williams was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic from 1967 to 1970, after which he coordinated minority recruitment and project evaluation for the Peace Corps in his hometown of Chicago.
Throughout his career, he has focused on the development and implementation of worldwide assistance programs. He was a vice president for International Business Development with RTI International and a senior manager at the U.S. Agency for International Development, where he attained the rank of career minister in the U.S. Senior Foreign Service. He also was executive vice president of the International Youth Foundation.
As USAID mission director in South Africa, Williams led a billion-dollar foreign assistance program during President Nelson Mandela’s administration. He has extensive experience in the design and management of assistance programs in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The event is free and open to the public, but a ticket is required. Tickets are available at the Texas Union Student Events Center (Room 4.300), the LBJ School of Public Affairs (Dean’s Office, Room 3.384) and the International Office (600 W. 24th Street). For more information, please visit Strauss Center Events.
