The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies Advisory Board is expanding. In May 2018, three alumni of the University of Notre Dame and the Kroc Institute joined the board, bringing its total membership to 19. The Advisory Board provides advice and guidance to the director and executive staff and supports the development of Kroc Institute resources. The Kroc Institute is an integral part of the new Keough School of Global Affairs at Notre Dame.
“It is important to us that we give our graduates an opportunity to serve as an advisory voice as we plan for the future of the Institute,” said Asher Kaufman, John M. Regan, Jr. Director of the Kroc Institute. “We are so grateful that each one of these exceptional alumni are willing to share their expertise with us and step onto the Advisory Board at this exciting time as we prepare to launch a new five-year strategic plan.”
The three alumni serving on the Advisory Board are all involved in strategic peacebuilding work and peace studies education.
Chernor Bah, M.A. ’11, is Co-founder and Executive Director of Purposeful Productions, an organization that supports girls and their allies to spark and sustain movements for change in the developing world. In 2016, he was appointed by the United Nations Secretary General as an Expert Advisor to the Security Council mandated global study on youth, peace and security. Until recently, Bah was Chairperson of the Youth Advocacy Group, part of the Global Education First Initiative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Originally from Sierra Leone, Bah founded and led his country's children's parliament and presented a report on the plight of Sierra Leonean children to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission following the country's 11-year civil war. He is based in New York City.
Brenna Gautam, B.A. ’15, is a J.D. Candidate and Public Interest Law Fellow at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C. At Notre Dame, Gautam majored in History and Peace Studies. She was the 2015 recipient of Kroc's Yarrow Award, an award given annually to a peace studies undergraduate student who demonstrates academic excellence and a commitment to service in peace and justice. Gautam founded a Notre Dame student chapter of Global Zero, an international movement to eliminate nuclear weapons, and was co-coordinator of the Student Peace Conference.
Janna Hunter-Bowman, Ph.D. ’17, is Assistant Professor of Peace Studies and Christian Social Ethics at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. She graduated from Notre Dame with a Ph.D. in Theology and Peace Studies. Hunter-Bowman brings experience as a peace and justice worker in a variety of settings to her academic study and teaching roles. She has worked with Witness for Peace in organization and advocacy and with Mennonite Central Committee and Justapaz in Colombia in the areas of documentation, education and advocacy.
The Advisory Board will meet again in September 2018.