Shawn Humphrey, associate professor of economics at the University of Mary Washington, has been chosen to serve as one of 30 commitment mentors for the fifth annual Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) meeting.
The meeting, to be held Friday, March 30 through Sunday, April 1 at The George Washington University in Washington D.C., will bring together approximately 1,000 students from around the world for working sessions, skills sessions and a large-scale service project. As a commitment mentor, Humphrey will facilitate discussions, share resources and build networks among his assigned group of 50 students. He also will help the participants craft their personal commitments to action, plans to address challenges on their campuses, in their local communities or around the world.
The CGIU meeting has five focus areas: education, environment and climate change, peace and human rights, poverty alleviation and public health. Nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs and celebrities will speak during the meeting, including Chelsea Clinton and Jon Stewart. This year marks Humphrey’s fourth time at CGIU.
At the 2009 meeting, Humphrey and a group of UMW students were chosen to present their commitments to action involving the Humphrey-founded TDC program and the Poverty Action Conference.
Also in 2010, a group of UMW students in the TDC program led by Humphrey received national recognition at the first U.S. Summit for Global Citizen Diplomacy in Washington, D.C. The team was among 10 groups honored for their innovative approaches to engaging citizens in the worldwide fight on poverty.
Recipient of the UMW Alumni Association Young Faculty Member Award, Humphrey has made numerous trips to Honduras with his students to extend microfinancial services through their microfinance institution, La Ceiba. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Students Helping Honduras. In April, Humphrey will spearhead the 2012 Month of Microfinance, a national initiative to raise awareness and funds for domestic and global microfinance projects. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Earlham College, and master’s degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University and Washington University in Saint Louis, where he also received a doctorate in economics.
The Clinton Global Initiative University meetings have convened more than 3,500 students from 641 schools in 110 countries and all 50 states. Established in 2005 by former President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative has brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and philanthropists for annual meetings. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.
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News release prepared by: Brynn Boyer
What a great asset to the UMW community.