Prescott Campus Names New Undergraduate GSIS Program Coordinator

Having recently retired from a 30-year career with the Central Intelligence Agency, Dale Avery is the recipient of the CIA's Distinguished Career Medal and the Superior Service Medal from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for having been "an analytical leader and manager on Africa, Latin America, and transnational issues...and a champion of analysis." According to the medals' citations, "Mr. Avery oversaw a broad range of activities that improved the rigor and transparency of intelligence analysis across the Intelligence Community," resulting in Avery’s "lasting and profound impact on generations of analysts." Professor Avery also received the Department of State's Meritorious Service Award from the former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa.

As a member of the Senior Intelligence Service for the last twelve years of his CIA career, Professor Avery served in many capacities including National Intelligence Officer for Latin America, evaluator of analytic quality for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and Associate Dean of the CIA's Sherman Kent School for Intelligence Analysis. Previous to that, he was head of the Kent School's six-month training program for analysts and Director for Mexican and Andean Countries on the White House National Security Staff. During his long and distinguished career, Avery was deeply involved in major research and policy programs regarding the Arab Spring, Plan Colombia, Latin American political-economic issues, and sub-Saharan African economic affairs.

Prior to his work with the CIA, Professor Avery worked for the Asian Development Bank and (through a World Bank project) for the Tanzanian government. Avery holds a master's degree in economics from the University of Michigan, where he published two papers on economics and global agriculture.

"It has been a pleasure to work with Dale Avery, who has created several new undergraduate and graduate courses since bringing his wealth of professional knowledge and experience to full-time GSIS faculty in 2017," said department chair Dr. Thomas Field. "I'm now looking very forward to working with him in his new service role as GSIS Program Coordinator as we continue to identify ways to update and improve our undergraduate curriculum." 

Avery's new assignment will be effective as of August 15, 2018.