Matthew Evangelista, professor of government, is now director of Cornell's Peace Studies Program, replacing Barry Strauss, who served as PSP director from 1995 to the present. The directorship is a rotating appointment, usually changing every five years or more.
Strauss, professor of classics and history, who specializes in ancient military history, served as director during the Bosnian war, the rise of the current Middle East crisis and the advent of the current war on terrorism. Evangelista now steps in during perhaps the most globally volatile time of the program's 30-year history.
War and peace are the sum and substance of the program's expansive scope, and the events of Sept. 11 have reinforced the importance of issues studied by PSP members while "highlighting areas where we need to do more work," Evangelista said. "The great strength of the Peace Studies Program over the years has been its interdisciplinary character. Program members have always included natural scientists as well as faculty and students in the humanities and social sciences, all who share an interest in questions of international peace and security. We also value our contacts with Cornell programs that specialize in particular areas of the world, such as the various Asian studies programs, the Institute for African Development and European studies."
Links between the natural and social sciences proved valuable in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, when concerns about anthrax and biological weapons demanded an expert's knowledge, Evangelista said. "At the time, our visiting postdoctoral science fellow, Kathleen Vogel, was very much in demand for her knowledge of those issues. In the future we would like to institutionalize the role of scientists in our program, the way comparable programs at Harvard, Stanford and MIT have done."
Affiliated with Cornell's Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, Peace Studies was established in 1970 as an interdisciplinary program focused on problems of peace and war, arms control and disarmament and, more generally, instances of collective violence. The program supports graduate and postdoctoral study, research, teaching and cross-campus interactions in these fields, has a public service component and hosts workshops, lectures, speakers and symposia. Weekly seminars are open to the public. Past speakers include former national security adviser Sandy Berger, Itamar Rabinovich, former Israeli ambassador to the United States, and Palestinian leader Hanan Aswari.
Following Sept. 11, the laws of war have become another area of concern for PSP faculty, Evangelista said. "The ethics and legality of modern warfare have been long-standing interests of several of the members of our program. Now some of us are turning our attention to how the war against terrorism relates to questions of just war theory and international law." Evangelista also said he and program members hope to expand PSP's work on Asian security, in light of the events in Afghanistan and the nuclear rivalry of India and Pakistan.
Of his term as director, Strauss said it was a great learning experience. "Since my research is about war and peace, it has been very useful to me to have the hands-on experience of running this program. It's been a way to go back to school and learn more about international relations, and I've seen more than I would have in my regular responsibilities."
Strauss will remain involved in the program, while devoting more time to teaching, research and writing. Evangelista said he expects to depend on advice from Strauss, Judith Reppy, professor of science and technology studies, a past director of the program and current associate director, as well as staff members Elaine Scott and Sandra Kisner.
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