(Partial list of conference
speakers)
Professor
Carlos B. Aguirre
Professor
Carlos Aguirre is President of the National Academy of Sciences of Bolivia.
He is also Vice President of the League for the Defense of the Environment.
Dr. Aguirre serves as a Member of the Board of the Bolivian Ecology Foundation
and as a member of the National Council for Science and Technology. Trained
as a 
physicist,
he is a Professor of Science and Technology Management and Policy at the
Universidad Mayor de San Andres in La Paz. Professor Aguirre’s distinguished
career includes service as Executive Secretary of the National Council
for Science and Technology, Project Director of Andean University,
National Director of Science and Technology of the Bolivian Ministry of
Planning, President of the National Committee for the Man and Biosphere
Program, Director of the Physical Research Institute and the Research Planning
Office of the University of La Paz, and other distinguished positions in
national and international organizations. He has published more than 200
papers, books and monographs in the fields of environment, physics, science
technology, innovation energy and higher education.
Dr.
Marcelo Alonso
Dr.
Marcelo Alonso is Chairman of the Academic Advisory Board for the World
University Federation, as well as a trustee of the University of Bridgeport.
He also served as Chairman of the first World Conference on Preservation
and Sustainable Development in the Pantanal. Dr. Alonso’s distinguished
career
includes a number of significant posts in the academic world and in international
organizations. He has served as Director of Science and Technology
for the Organization of American States (OAS), Executive Secretary
of the Inter-American Nuclear Energy Commission, and Principal Research
Scientist at the Florida Institute of Technology. In addition, he has taught
at Georgetown University, was UNESCO Visiting Professor in Central America
and, from 1956-1960, was Chairman of the Department of Physics at the University
of Havana, Cuba. For a number of years, Dr. Alonso also served as Editor
of the International Journal on the Unity of the Sciences. Dr. Alonso received
his Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Havana, and
completed additional graduate education in the United States at Yale University.
His works have been translated into 13 different languages, with more than
one million copies in print.
Mario Bernalt Ovelar
Mr. Mario Bernalt Ovelar serves as General Director
of the Environment for the Ministry of Foreign Relations. He is also
the author of two books on transboundary issues: Aqui Sin Fronteras:
Supranacionalidad, Globalization y Derecho Communitario en el Mercosur
(1999) and Karaku del Chaco: Territorio Humano del Milenio (2001).
Mr. Bernalt also serves as a consultant on Social Science and the Environment.
He has served as a consultant for the World Bank, PNUD, OEA, and other
international and intergovernmental organizations. Mr. Bernalt completed
his undergraduate studies at the Universidad Católica and the Universidad
Nacional de Asunción, and has completed post-graduate studies in
Sociology and other fields as well.
Mr.
Gregory Breland
Mr.
Gregory Breland is Secretary-General of the World University Federation,
where he coordinates the conferences and various activities of this international
association of colleges and universities and network of scholars. Since
1984, he has also worked with the International Conference on the Unity
of the Sciences (ICUS), presently serving as the Executive Director. ICUS
provides a forum for scientists from around the world to reflect on the
direction of science and how its various disciplines and specialities can
be better integrated to improve human welfare. The conference and its publications
deal not only with issues related to science but also to the values related
to specific issues. Mr. Breland also served as an Associate Editor, under
Dr. Marcelo Alonso, of the International Journal on the Unity of the
Sciences, a quarterly interdisciplinary journal, which published original
manuscripts dealing with the various branches of knowledge and related
ethics questions. Mr. Breland holds a Master degree in Environmental Engineering
from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia).
Dr. Enrique H. Bucher
Dr. Enrique H. Bucher is Director of the Center
for Applied Zoology at the University of Córdoba, Argentina.
He also serves as Principal Investigator for CONICET (National Research
Council for Science and Technology, Argentina). Dr. Bucher has had
a long-term involvement in research and development of the Gran Chaco region
of South America, including development of sustainable restoration and
production models. He has also participated in environmental impact
assessments of large-scale projects in South America, including the Yacireta
dam (Argentina and Paraguay), the Paraná Medio dam (Argentina),
and the Hidrovia waterway project (Paraguay and Paraná rivers, including
the Pantanal region). Dr. Bucher also served as organizer and director
of the International Graduate Program in Wildlife Management at the University
of Córdoba, Argentina, and has been a consultant to several international
institutions including FAO, World Health Organization, UNDP, the World
Bank, the MacArthur Foundation, Wetlands for the Americas, World Wildlife
Fund, among others. He is a member of the IUCN Specialist Group on Sustainable
Use of Wild Species. Dr. Bucher has over 100 scientific and technical
publications. Dr. Bucher received his Doctorate in Biology from the
University of Córdoba. For his contributions to science, Dr.
Bucher is the recipient of numerous honors, from organizations such as
the Zoological Society of London, the American Ornithologists Union, the
Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Ecological Society, the Pew
Foundation, and the Argentinean National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Juan Maria Carron
Dr. Juan Maria Carron is Director of the Center
for Conservation and Environmental Education in Asunción, Paraguay.
He has served as a Senator for the Republic of Paraguay, as well as Chairman
of the Senate’s Committee on Population and Ecology. Dr. Carron holds a
Ph.D. in Sociology, with special emphasis on issues of population and sustainable
development. He has served as a technical advisor and consultant for a
number of years for UNESCO and CEPAL. Dr. Carron is also the former director
of the Paraguayan team that studied the social and environmental impact
of proposed damming projects.
Pedro Chaves dos Santos Filho
Mr. Pedro Chaves is Chancellor of the Universidade
para o Desenvolvimento do Estado e da Regiâo do Pantanal, a university
with 18,000 students located in Campo Grande, Brazil. He also serves
as Vice President of the Pantanal Protection Society and as Chairman of
the Manoel de Barros Foundation. Furthermore, Chancellor Chaves is
a member of the State Education Council for the state of Mato Grosso do
Sul, Brazil, a member of the Brazilian Universities Chancellors Council,
and a member of the Presidential Board of the Brazilian Association of
Maintainers for Superior Education, among other posts. From 1974
to 1996, he served as General Director of CESUP -- the Superior Education
Centre of Campo Grande. Chancellor Chaves has also served on the Regional
Economy Council and the Science and Technology Council of the State of
Mato Grosso do Sul. Chancellor Chaves completed his undergraduate studies
at the University of Campinas, and completed a Masters Degree Course in
Economics at the Foundation Institute of Economical Researches at the University
of São Paulo. He has a number of publications in both education
and economics.
Dr. Barry Chernoff
Dr. Barry Chernoff is Associate Curator and Head
of the Division of Fishes for the Department of Zoology of The Chicago
Field Museum of Natural History. He also serves as lecturer on the committee
of evolutionary biology for the University of Chicago and as Adjunct Professor
of Neotropical Zoology for the Universidad Central de Venezuela.
Dr. Chernoff served as AquaRAP team leader and chief ichthyologist for
the AquaRAP Pantanal and AquaRAP Paraguay expeditions. AquaRAP (Aquatic
Rapid Assessment Program) is a multinational, multidisciplinary, collaborative
program managed by Conservation International and The Field Museum.
This program is devoted to identifying conservation priorities and sustainable
management opportunities in freshwater ecosystems in Latin America. Dr.
Chernoff’s work at the Chicago Field Museum involves coordination of scientific
research which will lead to a better understanding of the state of Latin
America’s wetlands. He specializes in the systematic biology of South
American freshwater fishes and the evolution and biogeography of the world’s
silverside fishes. Dr. Barry completed his doctoral studies at the
University of Michigan.
Dr.
Thomas L. Crisman
Dr.
Thomas Crisman is Director of the Center for Wetlands at the University
of Florida, and a Professor with the University’s Department of Environmental
Engineering Sciences. Previously, he held the position of Associate Director
for Environmental Programs with the Center for African Studies of the University
of Florida.
Dr.
Crisman’s distinguished career includes serving as a Visiting Professor,
Research Scientist or Instructor at universities in Uganda, Finland, Denmark,
and Zimbabwe. In addition, Dr. Crisman held the post of President of the
Florida Academy of Sciences. He is on the International Cooperation Committee
for the Society of Wetland Scientists, and he serves on the Editorial Board
of the Journal of Freshwater Ecology, among others. Dr. Crisman received
his Ph.D. in Zoology-Limnology from Indiana University. He has authored
or co-authored more than 140 journal articles, book chapters, technical
reports and other scientific publications. Dr. Crisman’s expertise has
been sought by various governmental and intergovernmental bodies. For his
outstanding contributions to the fields of limnology, wetland science and
environmental engineering, he has been the recipient of numerous awards
and recognitions.
Dr.
Mário
Dantas
Dr.
Mário Dantas is Director (Chefe Geral) of the Center for Agricultural
Research on the Pantanal (CPAP), the research unit of EMBRAPA in the Pantanal
(Corumbá, MS). EMBRAPA (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa 
Agropecuária),
which is linked to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Supply,is
a major research institution, with 37 research units, 15 central units,
and over 8,500 employees and 2,000 researchers. In addition to his responsibilities
with CPAP, Dr. Dantas serves as a Visiting Professor for the Post-Graduate
Course in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation at the Universidade Federal
de Mato Grosso (Cuiabá, MT), and as a Professor with the Universidade
Federal do Pará (Belém, PA). Previous to these positions,
Dr. Dantas served as International Coordinator of the Natural Resources
and Sustainable Agriculture Sub-Program with PROCISUR (Montevideo); Technical
Director of CPAF/ACRE with EMBRAPA (Rio Branco, AC); and as a researcher
with EMBRAPA/CPATU (Belém, PA), EMBRAPA/CPAF ACRE (Rio Branco, AC)
and EMBRAPA/CNPMA (Jaguariúna, SP). Dr. Dantas received his doctorate
from the University of Oxford (Oxford, England). He has numerous research
publications to his credit.
Ronaldo Eno Dietze Junghanns
Professor Ronaldo E. Dietze currently serves as
the President of the Council of CEPADES (Centro Paraguayo de Desarrollo
Económico y Social). He previously held positions as Vice
Minister of Agriculture, Director General of Planning at MAG, Director
General of Cooperation at MAG, and Assessor of MAG. He further serves
as Professor at Universidad Nacional de Asunción, at the Unviersidad
de la Católica, in the American University, and in CEPADES, in the
fields of Agronomy and Forestry. Professor Dietze is a specialist
in Agricultural and Environmental Economy, and has numerous publications
to his credit. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Universidad
Nacional de Asunción, and has pursued postgraduate studies in Israel,
Venezuela, Colombia, Germany, Jpaan, and Mexico. He holds a Masters
degree in Agricultural Economy from the University of Hohenheim in Germany.
Ms.
Ana Lucia Lima Barros Dolabella
Ms.
Ana Lucia Dolabella served from 1994 through 1996 as the Coordinator of
the Pantanal Project—National Environmental Program (PNMA). She has been
involved in the coordination of the project since its inception in 1990.
This multi-million dollar project to protect the Pantanal ecosystem, coordinate
state environmental agencies and develop a conservation plan in cooperation
with professionals from several institutions is carried 
out
under the auspices of Brazil’s Ministry of Environment, Water Resources
and Legal Amazon. Currently, Ms. Dolabella serves on the consultant team
to elaborate Phase II of the National Environmental Program and is the
representative of the Ministry of Environment to the Upper Paraguay—
Pantanal Hydrological Basin Committee. This later committee, created as
an indirect result of the Pantanal Project—National Environmental Program,
involves representation by diverse governmental and non-governmental sectors
of the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, and the Federal Government.
Prior to serving in the Ministry of the Environment, Ms. Dolabella held
positions with the Brazilian Environmental and Natural Resources Institute
(IBAMA), where she coordinated the initial stages of the Pantanal Project,
and with the Special Secretariat for the Environment (SEMA). Among other
responsibilities, Ms. Dolabella has served on the consultant teams regarding
environmental impact studies of the Paraguay-Parana Water-Way, and the
Bolivia-Brazil Pipeline. Ms. Dolabella was trained as a Forest Engineer
at the University of Viçosa and the University of Brasilia.
Pedro Gerardo González
González
Mr. Pedro González serves as Chairman of
the Department of Agrarian Sciences at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción.
He has also served as a full professor in the departments of Veterinary
Sciences, Agrarian Sciences, and Economic Sciences at the University.
He is a full-time member of the Board of Directors of the Latin American
Association of Higher Agricultural Education, and as Coordinator of the
Council of Agrarian Deans and Agricultural Engineers of Paraguay.
Mr. González received his degree in Agronomical Engineering from
the Universidad Nacional de Asunción, where he also received a Masters
in Planning and Projects. Mr. González has studied and taught
in Japan, Taiwan, Italy, the United States, Israel, Spain, Germany, Canada,
Mexico and Chile.
Dr. Dong Il Jin
Dr. Dong Il Jin is Associate Professor in the
Department of Applied Biological Science at Sun Moon University, Korea.
Dr. Jin received his Ph.D. in Animal Biotechnology from North Carolina
State University in the United States. He also holds a M.S. in Animal Reproductive
Physiology and a B.S. in Animal Science from Seoul National University.
Dr. Jin has also held the positions of Assistant Professor at Sun Moon
University, Senior Researcher with the Cancer Research Center of Seoul
National University, and Research Associate with the Duke University Medical
Center.
Dr. Robert P. Langstroth
Dr. Robert Langstroth is Environmental Analysis
and Review Specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.
He also serves as a Consultant to the Livestock-Natural Resource Interfaces
Project with the USAID Global Livestock Collaborative Research Support
Program, with responsibilities including research and consulting on rangeland
and forest ecology in Mexico, Ecuador, and Bolivia and design of a research
program to assess livestock impacts on landscape, biodiversity, and productivity.
Furthermore, Dr. Langstroth serves as Scientific Advisor to the Fundación
Cipriano Barace para la Ganaderia del Beni, developing an applied research
and extension program to address environmental aspects of cattle ranching
systems in the Llanos de Moxos ecoregion of Bolivia. In addition,
Dr. Langstroth serves as Consultant to AATA International on OPIC subcontract
for Environmental Monitoring of the Cuiabá Energy Project.
Dr. Langstroth received his Ph.D. in Geography, with a specialization in
biogeography and minor in Latin American and Iberian Studies, from
the University of Wisconsin-Madison, researching forest islands in an Amazonian
savanna of northeastern Bolivia. He also holds a M.S. in Range and Wildlands
Science from the University of California at Davis. Dr. Langstroth
has taught courses in geography, botany, and ecology/conservation biology
at the University of Wisconsin.
Helio de Macedo Soares
Mr. Helio de Macedo Soares is the Southern Regional
Director of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture
(IICA). The IICA is the specialized agency for agriculture of the
inter-American system of the Organization of American States. The
Southern Regional Director plays an important role in developing cooperation
projects in agriculture through its five Cooperation Agencies in Argentina,
Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Mr. Soares’s main professional
fields include coordination of agriculture and cattle raising projects;
advisory in agriculture and industry policies and financing; and elaboration,
planning, and monitoring of agricultural and industrial projects.
Previous to becoming Southern Regional Director, he served in such positions
as Special Advisor of IICA’s General Director, the Director of Rural Financing
and Industrial Development in the Bank of Brasilia, and the Presidency
of the National Goods Market of the National Coordination of Irrigation
and Basic Food Production at the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, among
others. During his professional career, Mr. Soares has taken part
in negotiations with several international organizations, such as the UNDP,
OAF, BIRD and the IDB. Mr. Soares holds a degree in Economics and Business
Administration from Georgetown University.
Dr. Maria Fatima Mereles
Dr. Fatima Mereles is a professor of taxonomy
and plant ecology in the botany department of the Universidad Nacional
de Asunción, Paraguay. During the AquaRAP expedition to Paraguay,
Professor Mereles served as both the leader for the aquatic botanical
team and as field director for the expedition. Her Ph.D. thesis involved
cataloging the ecology and properties of the vegetation in Paraguay’s Chaco
region, and she is currently involved in a project to manage the natural
resources of the Chaco, as well as reviewing the genus Eleocharis (Cyperaceae)
for the “Flora of Paraguay.”Dr. Mereles also plans to publish a manual
on the aquatic plants of Paraguay with her colleagues at the University.
Maria
Esther Montaño Cuchallo
Ms.
Maria Montaño Cuchallo is Chief of the Area of Zoology for the Regional
Collection of Wildlife for the Noel Kempff Mercado Museum of Natural History
(Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado, 
MHNNKM)
in Bolivia. She also serves as Coordinator of the Steering Committee for
the Protected Areas of the Pantanal for the Museum of Natural History in
cooperation with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Furthermore,
Ms. Montaño Cuchallo serves as the Coordinator responsible for the
biological studies of the project “Evaluation and Identification of Ecosystems
and Species for the Conservation of the Protected Areas of the Bolivian
Pantanal,” which is being conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature and
the Museum of Natural History. Previously, Ms. Montaño Cuchallo
served as General Coordinator for Biological Studies for the project “Diagnosis
of the San Matias and Otuquis Protected Areas of the Bolivian Pantanal”
conducted through several national and international agencies. She
has likewise held several other responsible positions with respect to the
Pantanal, scientific collections, and various biological studies, and has
played an instrumental role in the creation of protected areas in the Bolivian
Pantanal.
Michael Murray-Hudson
Mr. Michael Murray-Hudson is a Ph.D. Candidate
with the Center for Wetlands of the University of Florida. He also
is actively involved in development of a wetlands policy for the country
of Botswana, providing technical input to a team (IUCN/Ecosurv) engaged
to develop a National Wetlands Policy and Implementation Strategy.
In 1998, Mr. Murray-Hudson also served as Botswana Country Coordinator
and Resource Use Specialist for the Diagnostic Assessment Okavango River
Basin Study conducted for the Tri-Partite Okavango River Basin Permanent
Commission and Global Environment Facility, and in 1997 he served as Botswana
Country Consultant for the Zambezi Basin State of the Environment Reporting
Programme Inception Mission (IUCN/SARDC/IMERCSA). Furthermore, Mr.
Murray-Hudson served as Physical Ecologist and Wetland Specialist for the
Zambezi River Basin Action Plan Wildlife and Tourism Sector Studies, as
well as numerous other positions relative to studies of various ecosystems
in Botswana. Mr. Murray-Hudson is editor of Introduction to Environmental
Impact Assessment - A Course Book (University of Botswana and Ecosurv 1995)
and a co-author of The Swamp Book (Southern Book Publishers 1989).
Koo Bae Park
Mr. Koo Bae Park is the President of Atenil, S.A.,
a management and holding company involved in the areas of communications,
transportation, agriculture, fishing and processing, and which is constructing
a new international port in Montevideo, as well as managing 900,000 hectares
of land in Paraguay. Mr. Park is also President of the Latin America
- Asia Forum, and international educational organization whose primary
purpose is to facilitate East-West interchange through technological, cultural,
and commercial avenues. Mr. Park further serves as President of Top
Ocean, Inc., an Antarctic fishing company involved in the production of
high protein food. Mr. Park is also a adjunct professor of applied
biological sciences at Sun Moon University in South Korea.
Dr. Guido Pincheira
Dr. Guido Pincheira is a Professor of Ecological
Science at the University of Chile. He has also served as Chairman of the
Department of Biology and Chairman of the Department of Ecological Sciences
at the University of Chile, as well as the Dean of the Faculty of Science
and Director of Research at the same university. Previously, he served
as a Professor at the University of Concepción, and as a Research
Associate at Rockefeller University in the United States. Furthermore,
Dr. Pincheira is an Honorary Professor at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción,
Paraguay. Dr. Pincheira has been involved in consulting activities
with the Inter-American Development Bank for the development of the Universidad
Nacional de Asunción, and has also been an advisor of the Instituto
Antártico de Chile and Centro Nacional del Medio Ambiente (National
Environmental Center). He has published numerous papers and books
in relation to genetics and the environment. Dr. Pincheira obtained
his Ph.D. in Genetics, Cytology and Biochemistry at Cornell University
in the United States.
Ambassador
Phillip V. Sanchez
Phillip
Sanchez is Publisher of Tiempos del Mundo, an international weekly
newspaper published in most nations of North, Central and South America
and the Caribbean, with the goal of becoming a hemispheric daily newspaper.
Ambassador Sanchez also serves as Vice President of the Washington Times
Corporation, the 
parent
company of Tiempos del Mundo, and is Chairman of the Board of Nostalgia
Good-TV, a cable television network. Ambassador Sanchez also holds various
high-level positions in academia and business and has held key diplomatic
and government posts. He serves as Chairman of the Board of National Hispanic
University (San Jose CA), as a trustee of the University of Bridgeport
(CT), and as President of the Educational Foundation of the Americas. In
1971, he received the first of four presidential appointments, being named
as Assistant Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). Later,
his appointment as National Director of OEO (War on Poverty) made him the
highest- ranking Hispanic appointee in the history of the U.S. government.
He was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Colombia in 1973 and to Honduras in
1976. Ambassador Sanchez has been recognized with numerous honorary doctorates
and awards, including being chosen “Man of the Year” in 1975 by the American
Association of Colleges and Universities, and being elected to the prestigious
Congressional Awards Board.
Professor Marcos Domingo Sanjurjo
Kerdal
Professor Marcos Sanjurjo has held various posts
at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción over the past 43 years.
He is currently Head of Practical Works in Microbiology and Botany with
the Department of Agronomy and Veterinary at the University, as well as
Professor of Forestry, Professor of Ecology, and Professor of Administration
of Forests in various University departments. He also serves as Director
of the Center of Natural Resources for the Department of Science and Technology
with the Universidad Católica “Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
(U.C.A.). Professor Sanjurjo has also served as a professor
in the Department of Natural Sciences with the Institute of Basic Sciences
at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción, and has served in various
leadership roles for academic departments at that University. Professor
Sanjurjo studied agricultural engineering and civil engineering at
universities in Argentina, Spain, Paraguay, France, and Brazil. Among projects
on which he has consulted was a study for the Fundación “Moisés
Bertoni” regarding the environmental impact of the National Plan
for rural roads in Paraguay.
Dr. Angela Santiago
Dr. Angela Santiago is currently the Chair of
the Chemistry Department at the University of Bridgeport. A graduate from
the Universidad Nacional de Asunción in Industrial Chemistry, Dr.
Santiago earned her Master of Science in Chemistry from the University
of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, PR, and later her PhD in Chemistry
from Syracuse University, New York. Dr. Santiago's main line of work is
in electrochemistry, the characterization of ultramicroelectrodes and biosensors,
chemical instrumentation and the study of chemical profiles of opposed
flow difussion flames. She also teaches a seminar in environmental
science.
Dr.
Frederick A. Swarts
Dr.
Frederick Swarts serves as Secretary-General of the World Conference on
Preservation and Sustainable Development in the Pantanal. Dr. Swarts is
Senior Research Scientist for Aquatic Ecology with the Waterland Research
Institute; in this capacity he is responsible for the Institute’s water
resources projects in the Pantanal 
area
of Brazil. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Bucknell University, with a B.S.
in Biology, Dr. Swarts received his M.S. in Zoology from Pennsylvania State
University. He completed his doctoral studies at Columbia University Teacher’s
College and the Graduate School of the Union Institute, graduating with
a Ph.D. in Biology and Education. Dr. Swarts has published widely in the
fields of aquatic ecology, education,and environmental biology. His environmental
research endeavors include an extensive field study of brook trout in streams
affected by acid-mine drainage in Pennsylvania and an exceptional tolerance
of some tropical blackwater fish to low pH. His professional credentials
include serving as Book Review Editor for the
International Journal
on the Unity of the Sciences, and serving on the board of directors
of several non-profit organizations. Dr. Swarts is the editor of The
Pantanal: Understanding and Preserving the World's Largest Wetland
(Paragon House 2000).
Ambassador Timothy L. Towell
Amb. Timothy Towell served as U.S. Ambassador
to Paraguay from 1988-1991. Currently, he serves as President of
the Foreign Policy Group in Washington, D.C. Amb. Towell also serves
as Chairman of the Paraguayan-American Chamber of Commerce as well
as Chairman of the Uruguay-U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Among other
positions held by Amb. Towell during his distinguished career were Director
for Africa for the Peace Corps; Deputy Chief of Protocol for the U.S. Department
of State; Legislative Management Officer for Europe; Deputy Chief of Mission
for the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba; Political Officer for the U.S.
Embassy in Belgium; and U.S. Consul in Porte Alegre, Brazil. Amb.
Towell has also held posts in Bolivia and Spain. Furthermore, Amb.
Towell has served on the Board of Directors and as Vice President for the
Council of American Ambassadors and on the Board of Directors for Population
Action International. He also was Chairman of the Board of Directors for
The Lab School of Washington, a school for dyslexic children. Amb.
Towell holds a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University, as well
as a M.A. in European History from Case-Western Reserve University.
Dr. Thomas J. Ward
Dr. Thomas Ward is Vice President for International
Program and Dean of the International College of the University of Bridgeport.
Dr. Ward has formulated and conducted symposia on comparative political
economy for legislators in all six of the member and associate member states
of MERCOSUR and he writes for and serves on the editorial board of Universario,
a new Latin American journal of social thought. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate
of the University of Notre Dame, Dr. Ward earned his Master degree in the
humanities at the California State University and did his doctoral studies
at the Catholic Institute of Paris and De La Salle University in the Philippines.
He has worked as an economic and political analyst for several public and
private institutions. Dr. Ward has been a guest lecturer at a number of
institutions of higher learning in Latin America and Asia, and currently
serves on the board of several non-profit organizations.
