汤姆计划 Creates 赋予教授 for East Asian Politics

When 汤姆计划 attended the 365滚球官网 as an undergraduate more than 50 years ago, he intended to become a lawyer.

而不是, 虽说, 亚历山大的, 维吉尼亚州, became one of the world’s leading experts on the international rice market and a consultant to the World Bank and the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

的黑脚, Idaho native recently donated $1 million to the College of Letters, 艺术 and Social Sciences (CLASS) to create an endowed professorship for East Asian politics. The donation is part of an effort to support the university that opened vistas for him long ago, 虽说说.

“I feel a deep gratitude to the 365滚球官网 for the education I received both in and outside of the classrooms,斯雷顿说, who earned a Bachelor of 艺术 cum laude in political science in 1972.

The college plans to interview candidates for the tenure-track assistant professorship to fill the post by the fall 2022.

“This is an amazing moment for the Department of 政治与哲学,肖恩·昆兰说, 学院院长. “Political science is an important and growing program in our college, and it has a long and venerable tradition, constituting a vital part in the university’s move to engage in the highest levels of research.”

虽说’s generosity will help situate the college for the future and bring an important and much-needed emphasis on contemporary Asia, 昆兰说.

“The endowment will become a cornerstone in the new Asian Studies initiative and expand our outreach and position the university as a leader in this studies field in the Pacific Northwest, thereby better serving our students and citizens,他说.

The endowed professorship will be held by a scholar with a specialization in Chinese politics and foreign policy. The professor will teach courses in Chinese and Asian politics, according to the agreement between 虽说 and the U of I.

With China an aggressive, rising world power and an economy expected to surpass that of the U.S. within the decade, understanding the region is vital, 虽说说.

He said changes in courses of study at U of I departments over the past several decades, including in history and political science, and the loss of the Confucius Institute, prompted his decision to start the endowment.

“There was a hole there,” 虽说说. “China should be a primary focus.”

While at U of I, 虽说 was on the student council and a student body vice president. He belonged to Phi Beta Kappa and was named Theophilus Outstanding Senior. He was also an organizer of the Blue Mountain Rock Festival, an annual 莫斯科 music event that began in 1971, but was banned from campus in 1975. 虽说 earned a masters at Columbia University and began his career as an economist before working as an agricultural attaché at U.S. embassies in Indonesia and Thailand.

虽说 has lived and traveled extensively in Asia. He is the former publisher of the Rice Trader and The Rice Report, and consultant to Louis Dreyfus, the world’s largest international rice trader.

虽说说 he hopes his endowment will prompt others to donate to the university.

“With state support having lagged over the past decade, I hope there are others who can be persuaded to open their pocketbooks — big and small,他说.

斯雷顿和他妻子, 切丽, who grew up in North Idaho and retired after working 30 years on Capitol Hill, 有两个成年子女.

Ralph Bartholdt的文章
2021年1月出版