USAID administrator to address University

Diane Arias/ Asst. News Director

The administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development is announced to speak for a special address called “Students and Universities Leading the Future of Development” on Friday, Sept. 21.

Rajiv Shah, the 16th administrator of USAID, managed the U.S. government’s response to the 2012 earthquake in Haiti and co-chaired the State Department’s first review of American diplomacy and development operations.

He currently leads President Barack Obama’s Feed the Future food security initiative.

“[Shah] is very much interested in student participation and foreign projects and working in foreign countries…. a lot of it has to do with strengthening the ties between universities, students and his agency,” said Luis Salas, associate vice president for research of the University’s Division of Research.

Part of the State Department, USAID is the federal agency that handles all foreign aid and assistance.

USAID is one of the largest underwriters for the University’s research portfolio, according to Salas.

“We have… grants from them that exceed 80 million dollars right now and we are one of the largest university recipients of funds from USAID in the country,” Salas said.

There will be a Q&A session after Shah’s address.

“What he has talked about before is the impact of technology, of the modernization and the changes and opportunities that are available in the development field,” Salas said.

The special address will take place at 3:30 p.m. at the University’s School of International and Public Affairs’ auditorium 125. Cost of entry is free.