Cynthia McKinney, John Pilger named Rhodes Class of '56 professors

By Franklin Crawford

McKinney	Pilger

Cynthia McKinney, Georgia's first African-American congresswoman, and John Pilger, investigative journalist, author and Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, were appointed Frank H.T. Rhodes Class of '56 University Professors at Cornell in July. Their appointments run through 2006.

The Rhodes Class of '56 University Professorships, designed to enrich the undergraduate experience at the university, are awarded for a period of one to five years, and appointees are considered full members of the Cornell faculty. During each year of their appointment, Rhodes professors will visit the campus for a minimum of two weeks.

McKinney was elected to Congress in Georgia's 4th Congressional district in 1992, the only female member of the state's congressional delegation. After being re-elected for five consecutive terms, she lost her district's primary election in August 2002 after a contentious campaign that drew national attention.

"Cynthia McKinney is a person of considerable achievement in the political sphere," said Porus Olpadwala, dean of Cornell's School of Architecture, Art and Planning, who served as chair of the 13-member faculty committee that selects Rhodes professors. "She is an internationally renowned advocate for voting rights and human rights. She has taken clear stands on a number of critical issues and been a strong voice in Congress."

McKinney began her political career in 1988 when she was elected to the Georgia legislature. A native of Atlanta, she earned a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of Southern California in 1978 and a master's degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Pilger's recent work has focused on the Middle East, South Africa, Australia, aspects of globalization and the role of journalism. In particular, he has reported on Indonesia, Burma, East Timor, Iraq, Palestine, post-war Vietnam, apartheid in South Africa and Australia's indigenous population. His factual documentaries and books challenge widely held opinions about European and U.S. foreign policy.

Pilger is a regular contributor to The Guardian, New Statesman, the Independent and Daily Mirror, as well as the BBC. For his work as a war correspondent in Vietnam, Cambodia, Egypt, India, Bangladesh and Biafra he has twice been named Journalist of the Year, Britain's highest journalism award, and he was named the 2003 EMMA (Ethnic Multicultural Media Awards) Media Personality of the Year. He also has been awarded the United Nations' Associate Media Peace Prize and the 2003 Sophie Prize, presented by the Norwegian Minister of the Environment. His documentaries also have been frequently honored, including an International Emmy Award in 1991 for his "Cambodia The Betrayal," an examination of the secret support given by Western governments to the Khmer Rouge.

The Rhodes Class of '56 University Professorship is overseen by the Cornell A.D. White Professors-at-Large Program. Rhodes professors appointed since the program was inaugurated in 2000 include: architect Richard Meier, a 1956 Cornell alumnus; biomedical scientist Edward M. Scolnick, president of Merck Research Laboratories; former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, a 1960 Cornell alumna; and TV personality Bill Nye, "The Science Guy," a 1977 Cornell alumnus.