Franklin Fellow Anna Cave started on Wednesday, October 21st as the first Fellow to serve in the Office of War Crimes Issues (S/WCI). Cave received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Duke University and a Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law. While studying for her Juris Doctor, Cave worked at Columbia's Human Rights Clinic. She researched potential human rights abuse cases from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be brought before the International Criminal Court.

Cave worked as a Litigation Associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York. At Fordham's Walter Leitner International Human Rights Clinic, her fieldwork developed an anti-Female Genital Mutilation pilot project for Timap for Justice, an NGO providing legal services in rural areas. In Cambodia, Cave's fieldwork for the NGO Salvation Center Cambodia developed a strategy report on land rights. Cave also has experience working with the Public International Law and Policy Group and the Political Asylum Clinic at Columbia University School of Law.

Franklin Fellow Dr. P.E. Karim Altaii is currently working in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs in the Office of Iraq Provincial Reconstruction, Transition and Stabilization Staff as Foreign Affairs Officer-Expert. Dr. Karim Altaii is now in Iraq on a TDY, where he is focusing on capacity building, especially in higher education. He is also working with interagency working groups on a variety of issues to support Bureau interactions with other stakeholders in soliciting input and formulating recommendations. Dr. Altaii comes to the Franklin Fellows Program from James Madison University's Energy Academic Team in Integrated Science and Technology (ISAT) department.

Franklin Fellow Alumnus Michael D. Roffman is now working at the Treasury Department in the Office of Economics and Finance, covering South and Southeast Asia. While a Franklin Fellow, Roffman served in the Office of International Labor Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility, part of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. He covered the issues of labor rights, corporate social responsibility, and Internet freedom, with a regional focus on East Asia.

Franklin Fellow Alumnus Dr. John L. Graham became the Dean for the School of Business at Medgar Evers College, a 2000-student school in the City University of New York system (CUNY). His first task as Dean is to streamline departmental processes and develop an operational strategic plan with faculty members.

As a Franklin Fellow, John served the Bureau of African Affairs' Office of Economic and Policy Staff as a Foreign Affairs Officer-Expert and helped in the analysis of local policies on food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. He also served on interagency working groups and Policy Coordination subcommittees on a variety of other issues and supported Bureau interactions with other stakeholders in soliciting input and formulating recommendations.

Franklin Fellow Steven R. Koltai (left), with Franklin Fellow Advisor Mark Schall, started in early October as the Senior Advisor for Commercial Affairs in the Office of Commercial and Business Affairs.

Franklin Fellows Lisa Gambone, Frederick Marrazzo, and Dr. Nisha Jain Garg started their terms as Fellows on September 28th. Lisa Gambone is serving in the Human Rights Office of Bureau of International Organizations working on topics brought before the UN Human Rights Council, the General Assembly debates, and also on women's issues. She has previously worked with the Prosecution for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Lawyers without Borders, an international US law firm in London, and on cases before the European Court of Human Rights.

Frederick Marrazzo works in the Bureau of International Information Programs, Office of East Asia-Pacific Affairs as a Policy Analyst on issues affecting new media and public diplomacy toward China. Frederick W. Marrazzo majored in East Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Maryland and received his MBA degree at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Dr. Garg is working for the US Department of State/US Agency for International Development (USAID) as Senior Technical Advisor for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). She comes from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, TX where she serves as the Professor of the Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Pathology.

Lorraine Hawley was selected by the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs to serve as Singapore's Liaison Officer for the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh. Hawley worked closely with both US and Singapore government officials in the months leading up to the Summit to prepare for Singapore's participation. She traveled to Pittsburgh for the Summit with the US delegation, which included White House, NSC, State Department, Treasury staff and senior officials.

As Singapore's US government representative for all Summit-related activities, Hawley partnered with Singapore Embassy officials to staff the Republic of Singapore's Finance Minister, Sherpa, and Finance Deputy. Singapore's participation in the G20 Summit underscored the strong U.S.- Singapore partnership and highlighted Singapore's position as a global leader on economic and financial issues.

Franklin Fellow Dr. James Small, who is serving in USAID's Office of Development Partners, attended the Private Sector Forum preceding the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad & Tobago. At the Forum, Dr. Small attended seminars and meetings with representatives from the private sector, non-governmental organizations, governments, and multilateral institutions from throughout the hemisphere, and explored possible public-private partnerships with private sector companies based in Caribbean.

Dr. Small also traveled to Ecuador, in order to evaluate the alternative energy and business environment, as well as explore USAID Ecuador prospects for establishing public-private partnerships in Ecuador's alternative energy sector. Finally, Dr. Small spent two weeks in Panama, where he worked closely with the USAID Mission to identify and select public-private partners to participate in USAID Panama's Community Youth at Risk program.

Franklin Fellow Dr. James Small, who is serving in USAID's Office of Development Partners, attended the Private Sector Forum preceding the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad & Tobago. At the Forum, Dr. Small attended seminars and meetings with representatives from the private sector, non-governmental organizations, governments, and multilateral institutions from throughout the hemisphere, and explored possible public-private partnerships with private sector companies based in Caribbean.

Dr. Small also traveled to Ecuador, in order to evaluate the alternative energy and business environment, as well as explore USAID Ecuador prospects for establishing public-private partnerships in Ecuador's alternative energy sector. Finally, Dr. Small spent two weeks in Panama, where he worked closely with the USAID Mission to identify and select public-private partners to participate in USAID Panama's Community Youth at Risk program.

Franklin Fellow Kimberly Penna, Social and Human Sciences Officer in the Office of UNESCO Affairs at the State Department, recently attended the World Social Science Forum in Bergen, Norway as a U.S. observer. This international conference, organized by the International Social Science Council in partnership with UNESCO and many other organizations, focused on the global presence and impact of the Social Science field, especially when addressing such important issues as globalization and the current financial crisis.

Earlier, Penna had the opportunity to visit the UNESCO Secretariat in Paris, France, where she met with the Chief of Section heads in the Social and Human Sciences Sector. Since rejoining in 2003, the United States continues to promote U.S. priorities at UNESCO in each of the Organization's five sectors: education, culture, communication and information, natural sciences, and social and human sciences.

Franklin Fellow Dr. Jeffrey Stacey, a professor of Political Science at Tulane University, has been fully engaged within the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS) within the Office of the Secretary of State. In June, Dr. Stacey and S/CRS Deputy Coordinator Jonathon Benton represented the U.S. Government at an EU conference in Brussels on "Strengthening Capacities to Respond to Crises and Security Threats." The event brought together policy-makers and practitioners in the area of conflict prevention and crisis response in order to learn from recent post- and potential-conflict cases.

Dr. Stacey and Deputy Coordinator Benton continued to Stockholm for a series of meetings with the Swedish Government to brief on developments within S/CRS, most notably the growth of the Civilian Response Corps and its deployments. They received a briefing on Sweden's priorities for its impending six-month term as EU President.

Back in Washington, Franklin Fellow Stacey has been a lead on developing the capability to establish within three months a joint R&S mission with one or more partners in the field. Similarly, he has been writing procedures for the Civilian Response Corps' interaction with bilateral and multilateral partners in the field. In addition, Dr. Stacey has been one of the designers of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) "Lessons Learned" Project, in which State and its USG partners are assessing the impact of PRTs in Iraq and Afghanistan and seeking to improve the model for advanced PRTs in the field.

Senior Advisor for Fellows William P. Pope greets new Franklin Fellows Dee Loftis and Tim Ford upon the start of their fellowship.

Franklin Fellow Marsha McLean is spearheading the our Pathways to Prosperity – Women Entrepreneurs initiative of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, where she is serving. It will begin with a conference in October in D. C. whose theme is ACCESS: to markets, to finance, to education. The initiative will bring together aspiring entrepreneurs from Latin America with successful U.S. and Canadian entrepreneurs to encourage mentoring relationships and will bring companies interested in importing goods/services, providing logistical support, and financing for small businesses. This program will grow over time, as the mentoring relationships develop and expand through the Hemisphere. It may also serve as a template for similar programs in other parts of the world.

Franklin Fellow Dr. Karim Altaii, a Professor at James Madison University, chaired a panel at the mid-March "Iraqi Academic Conference" held at the National Academy of Sciences. The conference brought together U.S. and Iraqi academics to discuss how best to help Iraqi universities.

In chairing his panel, Dr. Altaii, who is assigned to the Office of Iraq Affairs in State's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, observed that Iraqi institutions of higher learning are "not connecting with U.S. universities." He suggested looking at university consortiums or possibly launching an NGO dedicated to Iraqi higher education. The conference followed an earlier visit to the U.S. of seven Iraqi university presidents, in which Dr. Altaii also participated.

Franklin Fellow Dr. John Graham spoke to the March meeting of the International Council of Delaware. Dr. Graham, the Assistant Vice President for International Affairs at Delaware State University, briefed the Council on the Franklin Fellows Program and how the work that Fellows carry out helps shape U.S. foreign policy. The Council was interested in the program in the context of its efforts to identify and expand business to new locations and partners around the world that seek to trade with the State of Delaware.

In April, Dr. Graham accompanied Delaware State's recently appointed Provost, Dr. Harry L. Williams, on his visit to the Department of State to gain an appreciation for the mission and strategy of the department. Provost Williams was keen to learn more about the Franklin Fellows Program and other professional development programs to ensure that the University maintains a long-term relationship with State regarding future Franklin Fellows and placements for students in internships and other programs. During his visit, Dr. Williams met with Acting Director General Teddy Taylor and Acting Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Phil Carter.

Dr. John Graham has been commended (pdf, 60kb) for his work with the Department's Negotiations Team on Africa as Technical Advisor at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in May in New York. The key themes for multilateral negotiation were Agriculture, Land, Rural Development, Interlinkages, Africa, Drought and Desertification. Dr. Graham broke new ground for the Franklin Fellows Program, becoming the first Fellow in the still-new program to serve on the official delegation to a multilateral negotiation outside of Washington.

Franklin Fellow Thomas Burns (left) receives recognition of his contribution at the conclusion of his service. Tom returns to his corporation, Novozymes, USA.