Josef Korbel School Announces Rice Family Endowed Professor of Practice

The Josef Korbel School of International Studies has announced the Rice Family Endowed Professor of Practice, a position made possible by a gift from former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other members of the DU community.

Dr. Rice (BA '74, PhD '81, HDR '96) was a protégé of Josef Korbel, the school's founder and first dean. The Rice Family Professor of Practice is named in honor of her parents, who instilled in Dr. Rice the values of hard work, discipline and the importance of following her passions. The Rev. John Wesley Rice Jr. rose from the segregated South to become a minister and coach. After moving with his family from Birmingham, Ala. to Colorado, he became a professor and assistant vice chancellor at the University of Denver. Angelena Rice was a teacher and church organist who inspired in her daughter a lifetime love of music. Dr. Rice first studied music at the University of Denver before pursuing a degree in international studies.

The Rice Family Professor of Practice provides practitioners from academia, government, business or non-government sectors the opportunity to teach at the Korbel School in a non-tenured position. These practitioners will have achieved success in disciplines of significance to the Korbel School programs and will be eminently qualified to impart practical skills training, translating their real life experiences to students in the classroom and mentoring many who may one day follow in their footsteps.

In announcing the position, Ambassador Christopher Hill, dean of the Josef Korbel School, also named General George W. Casey Jr. (U.S. Army, Ret.), the inaugural Rice Professor of Practice. Both Dr. Rice and General Casey are alumni of the Korbel School.

General Casey (MA '80) will draw from his more than four decades of experience in the U.S. Army, including his service as 36th Chief of Staff of the Army (2007-2011) and as leader of the Multi-National Force in Iraq (2004-2007), where he oversaw a coalition of more than 30 countries. A strong advocate of the importance of effective communications between the military and civilians within the government, General Casey has taught a graduate course on civil-military relations at the Korbel School since 2012, and will do so again in the spring quarter of 2017 as the Rice Professor of Practice.

"I am delighted that General Casey will serve as the first Rice Professor of Practice," said Dr. Rice. "Besides being a fellow Korbel School alum, his service to our country is exemplary. General Casey's ability to translate his experiences to the next generation of Korbel students will give them a deeper understanding of the international system."

The Korbel School invites like-minded community leaders to join Dr. Rice in funding this important and highly visible position at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Donors will honor the legacy of the Rice family and help shape the career trajectories of hundreds of students for years to come.