Department of Veterans Affairs official to join Sanford faculty
Tommy Sowers—assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs—has been named to a one-year appointment at the Sanford School of Public Policy as visiting assistant professor of the practice and as assistant director of the Hart Leadership Program.
Sowers, Trinity ‘98, attended Duke on an ROTC scholarship and participated in the Hart Leadership Program as a student, according to a Duke News press release. He served 11 years of active duty in the U.S. Army, including two combat tours in Iraq as a Green Beret.
“I’m thrilled to be returning to Duke,” Sowers said in the press release. “As an undergrad, I learned lessons of leadership from Terry Sanford. Now, I am eager to join the discussion of what it takes to lead in both the public and private sectors.”
After Duke, Sowers received a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics & Political Science. In the past, he has taught courses in government and politics at the United States Military Academy and at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
He has been in his position with the Veteran’s Administration since 2012.
Cohn reappointed director of Duke University Press
Steven Cohn has been reappointed for another five-year term as the director of Duke University Press, Provost Peter Lange announced.
Cohn has served as director since 1993 and will begin his new term July 1. The reappointment comes after a review conducted by history professor Sally Deutsch; Stan Abe, associate professor of art, art history and visual studies and Michael Hardt, chair of the literature department.
In his time at the Press so far, Cohn has guided the organization into electronic publishing and developed a flexible business model, a Duke News press release noted.
Cohn worked at the Press as journals manager before becoming director. Prior to his time at the Press, he was the managing editor of a journal of health policy, and he has also taught English at Stanford University, George Peabody College for Teachers and Durham Technical Institute.
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