J. Brian Atwood

Areas of Expertise

International development, foreign assistance, the United Nations, UN peacekeeping operations, politics‐policy leadership, post‐conflict reconstruction, and government reform

Biography

J. Brian Atwood became dean of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs in October 2002, where he is widely credited for raising the school's profile and national ranking. He served for six years as Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) during the Administration of President William Clinton. In the Clinton Administration, Atwood led the transition team at the State Department and was Under Secretary of State for Management prior to his appointment as head of USAID.

During the Carter Administration, Atwood served as Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations. He was dean of Professional Studies and Academic Affairs at the Foreign Service Institute in 1981 to 1982 and the first president of the National Democratic Institute for international Affairs (1986 to 1993).

In 2001, Atwood served on UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's Panel on Peace Operations. He writes and speaks frequently on international development, post-conflict reconstruction, foreign policy, the role of the United Nations and other multilateral organizations in international affairs, and the united States' role in the world order.

Atwood holds a bachelor's degree in government and history from Boston University and received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from American University. He joined the Foreign Service in 1966 and served in the American Embassies in Cote d'Ivoire and Spain.

In January 2011, Atwood took a leave from the University to serve as chair of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC). The DAC is a permanent forum of the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that coordinates international development policy.

Resume (PDF)

Selected Writings

• Developing Security - Securing Development

• Alleviating Poverty: Is Aid the Answer?

• NAFSA: Association of International Educators

• The Vital Development Mission

• The Link Between Poverty and Violent Conflict

• The United Nations: Is It Worth Reforming? (Carleton College Lecture)

• Keynote speech at the University of Vermont

• Speech at the United Nations Association

• Testimony for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

• Testimony for the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee/House International Relations Committee

• America: Vulnerable? Hegemonic? Or Both (Judd Lecture)

• In Defense of War to Advance Peace: the Obama Paradox

• World Hunger Requires Research, Not Rancor

• The Afghanistan Decision

• The Importance of 'Democracy Promotion'

• Troop Increase? What About the Other Side of the Foreign Policy Coin?

Courses Taught

Go to the University of Minnesota One Stop website to apply for these and other public affairs courses.

For syllabi for the current or upcoming semester, please visit the University of Minnesota's Course Guide and look for the syllabus icon. If the syllabus is not there, contact the instructor directly. Syllabi are available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact Jeremy Gordon at gord0215@umn.edu or 612-624-7095 for assistance.

Learn More About Our Top-ranked Public Policy, Public Affairs + Planning Degree Programs:

• Master of Public Policy (MPP)
• Master of Development Practice (MDP)
• Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
• Master of Science in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (MS–STEP)
• Mid-career Master of Public Affairs (MPA)
Dual degrees with the schools of management (MPP/MBA), law, social work, public health, landscape architecture, and civil engineering Executive education, including a nonprofit management certificate