William Ascher, professor of public policy studies and political science at Duke University, will join Claremont McKenna College as dean of the faculty effective July 1, 2000. Ascher succeeds Anthony Fucaloro, who has held the position for the past nine years and will remain at Claremont McKenna College as professor of chemistry and the George C. S. Benson professor of public affairs.
"Bill is a highly accomplished and innovative leader," said CMC President Pamela Gann. "His successes in academia and college administration are truly representative of Claremont McKenna College's standards of excellence, and his guidance as chief academic officer will further the mission of the college."
Ascher comes to CMC from Duke University, where he directed and chaired the Sanford Institute of Public Policy [1994-1997] and served as team leader on the planning team for the Asian International University in Thailand [1995-1998]. His other administrative posts included co-principal investigator of a $3.3 million research cooperation agreement between Duke's Center for Tropical Conservation and the U.S. Agency for International Development [1991-1994], and director of the Duke-UNC Program in Latin-American Studies [1992-1994]. Since 1985 he has been the director of the Center for International Development Research at the Sanford Institute, and the director of the Sanford Institute's Program in International Development Policy. From 1987 to 1989, he served as project director of the Study Task Force and International Commission for Central American Recovery and Development [1987-1989].
At Duke University, Ascher has been professor of public policy studies and political science since 1984, and was a recipient of the Howard D. Johnson Distinguished Teaching Award. Other academic positions he has held include associate professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University, where he was an International Affairs Fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations, and lecturer of political science at the University of Pennsylvania. Ascher was also visiting researcher at the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales in Santiago de Chile and at the World Bank through a Council on Foreign Relations Fellowship.
From 1986 to 1990, Ascher was the editor-in-chief of Policy Sciences and later won the Harold D. Lasswell Prize for best article in that journal. He has served as consultant to the U.S. State Department Foreign Service Institute and the World Bank. Ascher is also the author or co-author of several books and articles. His three most recent books are Why Governments Waste Natural Resources: Policy Failures in Developing Countries (1999), The Caspian Sea: A Quest for Environmental Security (2000), and Guide to Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy (forthcoming).
After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, Ascher earned a master of philosophy and doctorate in political science from Yale University, where he was the recipient of a Yale University Fellowship, a Falk Fellowship and a National Science Foundation Fellowship.
Claremont McKenna College is a highly selective, independent liberal arts college, educating leaders in business and public affairs. Founded in 1946 as Claremont Men's College, CMC became coeducational in 1976 and changed its name to Claremont McKenna College in 1981. CMC enrolls 1,000 students and is a member of The Claremont Colleges.