Faculty Spotlight: Ambassador Carey Cavanaugh
Ambassador Carey Cavanaugh has been with the Patterson School since 2006. He served as the Director of the program for ten years before going on sabbatical to Geneva and Cambridge. Upon his return, he focused on teaching and expanded his work with peacebuilding NGOs. He is currently Chair of International Alert, based in London, which carries out programs across the globe advancing peace and conflict resolution. His return to academia after his twenty-plus year Foreign Service career was quite fitting, as he had worked as a professor prior to entering government service.
Amb. Cavanaugh spent part of his early childhood living in Italy, returning to Florida to attend high school in the Jacksonville Beaches. Already able to speak Italian, he strayed from the romance languages in ninth grade as his school was experimenting with teaching Russian. He attributes his lifelong interest in foreign languages and cultures to his international travels early in life. At his mother’s request, he stayed close to home for college, attending the University of Florida where he received his bachelor’s degree in Russian. He pursued his graduate studies at the University of Notre Dame concentrating on Soviet and Eastern European Studies.
His first appointment with the Foreign Service introduced him to a third foreign language: German. He was sent to Berlin (West) – the city was still divided by the infamous wall – where he served as a Consular Officer. He was later posted to Russia, Italy, and Switzerland, along with a wide variety of assignments in Washington, DC. In 1992, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, he led the team that established the first American embassy to the new Republic of Georgia. Afterwards, he became a special negotiator for the U.S. working on peace efforts in Europe and Eurasia.
Many Patterson School students are interested in the Foreign Service and Professor Cavanaugh stressed that this can be a fantastically rewarding career, offering the opportunity for both public service and adventure. He said people working for the State Department are motivated by “the right reasons,” hoping to create a positive impact protecting America and Americans, while helping make the world a better place.
To prepare our graduates for careers at State or elsewhere in the government, he said, Patterson focuses intensely on sharpening writing and oral presentation skills, and building a keen understanding of international politics.Amb. Cavanaugh’s courses touch on three of the most important aspects of U.S. foreign policy: US-Russian relations, mediation and conflict resolution, and the diplomacy surrounding nuclear weapons. He adds to that a practicum on ethics, to help prepare our graduates for the ethical challenges they may face as working international affairs professionals.