Rob Kevlihan, BComm, MAcc, FCA, MA (IR), Ph. D
Email:
Linkedin:
Phone:
rob.kevlihan@kimmagedsc.ie or rkevlihan@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/robkevlihan
(Mob) +353 86 7319372; (W) +353 1 4064381; Currently based in Dublin, Ireland
SUMMARY
I am both a scholar and practitioner of development and international relations, with a
strong research and publication record, together with extensive project management and
fundraising experience. My research focuses on human security and the nexus of
governance, development and security, with particular reference to state-building and
development in Africa and Asia. My management experience includes leadership roles
in both donor organizations and operational NGOs. I have 15 years of experience
researching, teaching and working overseas.
EDUCATION
Terminal Degree
Ph.D in International Relations, American University, Washington, DC, Dec 2009
My dissertation considers the potential for aid and social services to contribute to conflict
transformation during situations of conflict, with a particular focus on how these services
contribute to the development of political wings within insurgent organizations. It includes
a comparison of social service provision in Northern Ireland, South Sudan and
Tajikistan. Dissertation committee members included Peter M. Lewis (Committee chair
and Director of African Studies, SAIS), Patrick Thaddeus Jackson (AU), Julie Mertus
(AU) and William Reno (Director of African Studies, Northwestern University).
Other degrees
M.A. in International Relations, Dublin City University, 1999 (First Class Honors),
Thesis: “Enlightened self interest? Irish Aid and Foreign Policy to Sudan 1972 – 1998.”
Thesis supervisor: Peadar Kirby
Masters in Accounting, Smurfit Graduate School of Business, UCD, 1993 (Honors),
Thesis: “A Critical Appraisal of the Accounting Standards Committee 1970-1990.”
Bachelor of Commerce, UCD, 1992 (First class honors)
Professional Qualification
FCA - Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland (formerly the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of Ireland), Dublin, Ireland  Associate membership granted in 1997;
Fellowship granted 2007 after 10 years as an Associate member.
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RESEARCH/TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Executive Director, Kimmage Development Studies Centre, Dublin, Ireland  Jan 2014
onwards
As Executive Director, I am responsible for overall management of KDSC, reporting to a
Board of Directors and managing a team of dedicated development academics and
professionals. Responsibilities include strategic management and oversight of a centre that
provides an MA in Development Studies, development studies modules as part of a BA
degree at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and capacity building, research and
professional training services in Ireland and overseas, including online distance education
programmes. Academic duties to date have included teaching or support to BA modules on
the state and development and ethics and development, research presentations at NUIM,
KDSC and DCU and facilitation of a (distance) MA class entitled Managing Development
Organizations. Other duties have included MA thesis supervision and grading and design and
partial delivery of a new night class entitled ‘Introduction to Humanitarian Emergencies,’ and
leading KDSC participation in funding applications to the EU and other donors in response to
calls for tender.
Visiting Lecturer, University of Social Sciences & Humanities, Vietnam National
University – Hanoi, Vietnam  Dec 2013
Delivered course in International Politics to third and fourth year undergraduate students (24
contact hours, block delivery over two weeks).
Visiting Lecturer, Faculty of International Studies, Hanoi University, Hanoi, Vietnam 
Aug 2013 – to Dec 2013
Engaged as a visiting lecturer for the Fall 2013 semester, teaching courses in European
Security and Macroeconomics to undergraduate students, and mentoring a Vietnamese
colleague to take over teaching of Macroeconomics in the Spring 2014 semester.
Research Associate, Center for Democratic Development, Ghana  Jan – May 2011
During my time at CDD I provided technical support in research design, fundraising, and
report writing at the request of CDD Ghana’s Director, Prof. Gyimah-Boadi.
Consultant / Researcher & Trainer  Various
Working as an independent consultant, I have been employed on a number of bespoke
research and training projects, often concurrent with other consulting assignments (see
below). Research has focused on a variety of issues relevant to governance in
developing countries, including civil society capacity, public policy and human rights
protection, as follows:

US Agency for International Development (USAID) Ghana (Feb – May 2011). I
was recruited by USAID (the US government’s lead agency for international
development) on behalf of a Government of Ghana / donor group to research and
present to senior government officials and donor representatives the technical and
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practical impediments to greater harmonization of donor and Government of Ghana
policies in order to facilitate improved oversight and utilization of public funds.

UNICEF, (July – Nov 2010). Hired by UNICEF, after submission through a
competitive tender process, to design, manage and present the results a research
project assessing the capacity of existing and prospective partners of the UN
system in Ghana to a steering committee comprised of 12 UN agencies / offices
working in-country. This included design of a suitable assessment instrument and
methodology, analysis of data collected and dissemination of research findings to
key UN stakeholders in collaboration with a Ghanaian researcher.

Oxfam America (June – Sept 2010). I was hired by Oxfam America to conduct
research on challenges confronting civil society actors in working for improved
governance and transparency with respect to extractive industries in Ghana (both
oil and mining). I then facilitated Oxfam’s strategic planning process with local Civil
Society partners, supported strategy development by the Ghanaian civil society
network and contributed to a civil society review of proposed legislation regulating
the oil sector.

German Development Co-operation (GTZ) (Aug – Sept 2010). I provided an
intensive two month training course in oil and gas accounting to officials of the
Ghana Revenue Authority tasked with establishing a unit dedicated to overseeing
taxation of Ghana’s emerging oil and gas sector.

Minority Rights Group, London, (January 2008), peer review of a MRG report on
protecting minorities in South Sudan.

Human Rights Watch (Dec 2002 – Jan 2003). Hired by HRW to provide an up-todate analysis of the human rights situation in Angola in the post-conflict period and
to participate as a subject matter expert in HRW’s annual Africa planning process in
New York.
Assistant Professor and Chair, Department of Accounting,
Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research (KIMEP),
Almaty, Kazakhstan  September 2007 – to August 2009
Appointed Chair October 2008, I supervised 10 other fulltime faculty and up to five part-time
instructors. Responsibilities included overseeing program, curriculum and faculty
development and course quality, external relations with the Big 4 accounting firms, personnel
and course management, faculty evaluation and teaching. Classes taught included
introductory courses in financial and management accounting and oil and gas accounting at
both under-graduate and MBA levels. Other duties included active involvement in a number
of business school and departmental committees, including the school research, conference
organization, disciplinary, hiring and election monitoring committees and departmental hiring,
curriculum and scheduling committees.
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Occasional Visiting / Guest Instructor in Political Science,
Bilim / Central Asian Resource Center, Almaty, Kazakhstan  Nov 2005 – to April 2008
While based in Almaty I was invited to teach a series of seminars by Bilim/CARC,
supporting the development of the social sciences in Central Asia. Seminars targeted
instructors and researchers based in Russian language institutes of higher education in
Central Asia and included:
 “The Comparative Research Method” presented at a Bilim / CARC seminar,
Almaty, Kazakhstan, 16th April 2008.
 “History and Theories of Nationalism” presented at Billim Summer School,
Nationalism and teaching history at Central Asian Universities held in Almaty,
Kazakhstan, 23rd July 2007.
 “Flexibility in Higher Education, A Comparison of the UK, Ireland and the US”,
presented at a Kazakhstan Ministry of Education and Science and the
Kazakhstan Academy of Education seminar, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 18th May 2006.
 “Theories of Nationalism: Overview and relevance to Central Asia”, presented at
Billim/CARC Reset Seminar:Teaching Excellence in Political Philosophy, Lake
Issykul, Kyrgyzstan, 9th May, 2006 and at Billim/CARC seminar series, Almaty,
Kazakhstan, 25th March, 2006.
 “Theories of the State,” presented at Billim/CARC Political Institutions and
Executives in Comparative Perspectives, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 27th November
2005.
Faculty on Special Appointment, Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and
Strategic Research (KIMEP), Almaty, Kazakhstan  Jan 2005 – to May 2005
During the Spring 2005 semester I taught Oil and Gas Accounting to MBA students (6
contact hours). Other duties included providing technical support in the development of an
executive MBA program and the strategic plan for the College of Business, and acting as a
resource support for a teaching assistant in the Department of Accounting (equivalent to 6
contact hours).
Research Assistant in International Relations
American University, Washington DC  August 2003 – May 2005
As part of my doctoral studies, I was employed as a research assistant for the Director of
Doctoral Studies in IR. My duties included research on human rights as part of EU identity,
grading, general administrative support and preliminary editing and review of selected
chapters from a book on the German trade union movement.
Tutor, Department of Accounting, Dublin City University  Oct 1998 – Dec 1998
While completing my Masters in International Relations at DCU I also was employed by
the Business School to provide tutorials for second and third year undergraduate
students in Management Accounting and Advanced Financial Accounting.
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P R O F E S S I ON A L E X P E R I E N C E
Acting Office Director & Senior Program Management Specialist, Regional Peace &
Governance Office, USAID West Africa  May 2011 to August 2013
Appointed Acting Officer Director in September 2012. I provided technical leadership for
program design, management and oversight of USAID West Africa’s Regional Peace
and Governance Office in democracy & governance and conflict prevention programs,
including the recent design and oversight of a new US$7m platform for research and
evaluation services. I also directly oversaw a five-year, US$61.5m program being
implemented in Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso. This program is designed to support
community resiliencies against violent extremism through interventions targeting at-risk
youth, strengthening moderate voices (through media and other dialogue work), building
the capacity of local government and community development.
Professional Consulting  Various
In addition to research and training, I have been engaged as a consultant utilizing my
management and other technical skills. Work has included management consulting / interim
management, support in strategic planning processes, and technical support for development
credit expansion. Organisations worked for have included:

Millennium Challenge Corporation, Accra, Ghana, July 2010 to May 2011,
providing technical support to a Central Bank of Ghana managed nationwide agrocredit scheme designed to promote financing of agricultural value chains for
economic development.

GOAL Niger, Zinder, Niger, May – June 2010, assessment of a developing food
security crisis in south east Niger and design of an appropriate humanitarian
response, including start up of quick impact cash for work activities there.

UNICEF, Accra, Ghana, January - Feb 2010. Lead author of a UNICEF Ghana
report entitled “Realizing the Rights of Children”.

GOAL Ireland, Dublin, Ireland, March – April 2011, August 2007, Aug 2003 – Aug
2004, Jan - March 2003, general management consulting services and analysis of
US government funding opportunities.

GOAL Sudan, Khartoum, June – July 2006, September – October 2005 and July –
August 2004, acting country director and provision of support to strategic planning,
program design and fundraising processes in-country.
Country Director, GOAL Angola  August 2000 – December 2002
During my time in Angola I managed GOAL’s country program, both during the conflict and in
the post conflict transition. Over a two year period I increased the annual budget from US$1m
to US$6m, and supervised a team of over 200 staff. Services provided by GOAL Angola
assisted approximately 60,000 people living in conflict / post conflict environments.
Programming sectors included health and nutrition (HIV/AIDS, primary healthcare and
emergency food distribution); street children (protection, rehabilitation and advocacy/human
rights); refugee assistance and urban water and sanitation in three locations (Luanda,
Saurimo and Luena). Major donors included USAID, Irish Aid, the EU, UN agencies
(including OCHA, WFP and UNICEF), Italian Co-operation and the U.S. Centers for Disease
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Prevention and Control (CDC). I was also a member of the Country Co-ordination
Mechanism (CCM) established by the Angolan government as part of processes associated
with accessing funds from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
Deputy Country Director, GOAL Sudan  August 1999 – July 2000
As Deputy Country Director, I participated in the management of GOAL’s country program in
government held Sudan (northern sector), with an annual budget of US$1 - 2m.
Programming sectors included primary healthcare, sanitation, participative women’s literacy
and community development projects. Other duties included needs assessments, proposal
and report writing, liaison with the Sudanese government, INGOs, ICRC and UN agencies,
and assessment of operational security risks. Major donors included USAID, the Dutch
government, EU, the UK’s Department for International Development and Irish Aid.
Financial Controller, GOAL Sudan  January 1997 – September 1998
As Financial Controller I was responsible for the management of an annual budget of US$1m
- 2m, with up to 200 local and seven international staff, compiling financial reports and
budgets to governmental, multi-lateral and private donors. I was also responsible for
management of personnel, logistics, legal and administration functions.
Audit Assistant to Audit Supervisor, Price Waterhouse  Oct 1993 – Dec 1996
Working for Price Waterhouse in Dublin, my responsibilities included field work delivery
of divisional audits of multinational and medium-sized companies, NGO’s and
investment funds, supervising audit teams, meeting time-sensitive group reporting
deadlines and liaising with local senior management. Overseas assignments included
PW Sydney, Australia (1994), PW Birmingham, UK (1995) and PW London (1996) for
periods of 2 to 6 months mainly working on privatizations and de-mergers. I was also
seconded to the internal audit function of an Irish government owned enterprise (2
months).
PUBLICATIONS
Book
Rob Kevlihan (2013), Aid, Insurgencies and Conflict Transformation, When Greed is
Good, London: Routledge Studies in Security and Conflict Management series, Series
editors: Fen Osler Hampson, Chester Crocker and Pamela Aall.
Peer Reviewed Articles
Donnacha Ó Beacháin and Rob Kevlihan (forthcoming, 2014), “Imagined Democracy?
Nation building and Elections in Central Asia” accepted for publication by Nationalities
Papers, March 2014.
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Rob Kevlihan, Karl DeRouen Jnr and Glen Biglaiser (forthcoming, 2014), “National
Security and Humanitarianism: Is USAID based on needs alone?”, accepted for
publication in the September 2014 issue of International Studies Quarterly.
Rob Kevlihan (2013), “Providing health services during a civil war: the experience of a
garrison town in southern Sudan”, to be published in Disasters, 37(4), pp579-603.
Rob Kevlihan (2013), “Designing Social Inquiry in Central Asia: A case study of
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan” Studies of Transitional States and Societies, 5(1), June 2013,
pp56-66.
Donnacha Ó Beacháin and Rob Kevlihan (2013), “Threading a needle: Kazakhstan
between civic and ethno-nationalist state-building”, Nations and Nationalism, Volume 19
(2), pp337-356.
Rob Kevlihan (2007), “Beyond Creole Nationalism? Language Policies, Education and
the Challenge of State Building in Southern Sudan”, Ethnopolitics (formerly Global
Review of Ethnopolitics), Volume 6, Issue 4, December, pp 513-543.
Rob Kevlihan (2007), “‘Those states to the east of the Caspian Sea’: Ireland and Central
Asia – prospects for increased engagement” in Irish Studies in International Affairs, Vol.
18, pp109-129.
Rob Kevlihan (2004), “Irish Bilateral Aid to Sudan – from modernization to conditionality:
lessons learned and future prospects” in Irish Studies in International Affairs, Vol. 15,
pp.147-166.
Andrea Lari and Rob Kevlihan (2004), “International Human Rights Protection in
situations of conflict and post conflict: A case study of Angola” African Security Review,
14.3, pp. 29 - 41.
Rob Kevlihan (2003), “Sanctions and Humanitarian Concerns: Ireland and Angola, 2001
– 02” in Irish Studies in International Affairs, Vol. 14, pp 95 – 106.
Rob Kevlihan (2001), “Becoming a “player”: Ireland and Aid Conditionality with reference
to Sudan” European Journal of Development Research, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 68– 84.
Rob Kevlihan (2000), “Between a rock and a hard place: Irish Aid and Foreign Policy
Response to crisis in Sudan 1998-99” in Irish Studies in International Affairs, Vol. 11, pp
217 – 231.
Book chapters
Andrea Lari and Rob Kevlihan (2011), “Power, Interests and Human Rights: A Case
Study of Angola” in Elavie Ndura-Ouédraogo, Matt Meyer and Judith Atiri (eds), Seeds
Bearing Fruit: Pan African Peace Action for the Twenty-First Century, pp 23-44, Trenton,
NJ: Africa World Press.
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Rob Kevlihan and Amri Sherzamonov (2010), “Tajikistan” in Donnacha Ó Beacháin and
Abel Polese (ed.s), The Color Revolutions in the Former Soviet States, Successes and
Failures, pp 173 – 190, London: Routledge. (Republished in paperback version, 2012).
Rob Kevlihan (2007), “Angola” in Karl DeRouen Jr. and Paul Bellamy (ed.s),
International Security and the United States, Vol. 1, pp 45-63, Westport, CT: Praeger
Security International.
Working Papers
Rob Kevlihan (2014), Host Country Systems and Harmonizing Donor Audit
Requirements, A Case Study of Ghana, Research and Perspectives on Development
Practice, Working Paper #15, Kimmage Development Studies Center, Dublin, Ireland
Donnacha Ó Beacháin, and Rob Kevlihan (2011), “State-building, Identity and
Nationalism in Kazakhstan: Some Preliminary Thoughts”, CIS Working Paper Series,
Paper No 2011-1, Centre for International Studies, Dublin City University
Book Reviews
Rob Kevlihan (2008), Review of Adeeb Khalid, Islam after Communism, Religion and
Politics in Central Asia, Berkeley, 2007 (University of California Press), in Totalitarianism
and Democracy, vol. 5, no. 1, pp135-137.
C ON F E R E N C E P A P E R S
Donnacha Ó Beacháin and Rob Kevlihan (2013/2014), “Imagined Democracy? Nationbuilding and elections in Central Asia”, European Society for Central Asian Studies
Annual Conference, Astana, Kazakhstan, 5th – 6th August 2013; substantially revised
version presented at 19th Annual Association for the Study of Nationalities Annual
Conference, New York, 24-26 April 2014.
Karl DeRouen Jnr, Rob Kevlihan and Glen Biglaiser (2013), “The Role of Conflict and
Mediation in U.S. Humanitarian Aid”, International Studies Association Annual
Conference, San Francisco, 3rd – 6th April, 2013.
Donnacha Ó Beacháin and Rob Kevlihan (2011), “Threading a needle: Kazakhstan
between civic and ethno-national statebuilding”, European Society for Central Asian
Studies Annual Conference, Cambridge, September 2011.
Rob Kevlihan, Karl DeRouen Jnr and Glen Biglaiser (2011), “National Security and
Humanitarianism: Is USAID based on needs alone?”, International Studies Association
Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada, 16th – 19th March 2011.
Rob Kevlihan (2009), “Social Services During Civil Wars: Understanding Tajikistan”,
KIMEP International Research Conference 2009, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 23rd – 24th April
2009.
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Rob Kevlihan (2009), “Altered States: Conflict Transformation through Social Service
Provision during Civil Wars”, MPSA 67th Annual National Conference, Chicago, USA, 2nd
– 5th April 2009.
Rob Kevlihan (2005), “Humanitarian Aid, Social Services and Conflict Dynamics:
Exploring the case of Sudan”, WISC First Global International Studies Association
Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, August 2005.
Andrea Lari and Rob Kevlihan (2004): “International Human Rights Protection in
situations of conflict and post conflict: A case study of Angola” presented at the Peace
and Justice Studies Association annual conference in San Francisco, USA, October
2004.
Rob Kevlihan (2004), “National Security and Humanitarianism: An analysis of the
operations of USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance from 1992 to 2002” poster
presentation at the American Political Science Association annual conference in
Chicago, USA, September 2004.
UNDER REVIEW
Co-authored with Karl De Rouen Jnr and Glen Biglaiser, “The Role of Conflict and
Mediation in US Humanitarian Aid” submitted to the Journal of Conflict Resolution Feb
2014.
OTHER SEMINARS AND PRESENTATIONS
Rob Kevlihan (2014), “Introduction and Overview of West Africa”, presented at a
Development Studies Association of Ireland Humanitarian Action Study Group Panel
Presentation entitled Ebola in West Africa, at the Irish Aid Volunteering Centre, Dublin,
22nd May 2014.
Rob Kevlihan (2014), “Patterns of Emergency in Southern Sudan”, presented at a
Development Studies Association of Ireland Humanitarian Action Study Group Panel
Presentation entitled Forgotten Crisis? Emergency in Southern Sudan, held at the Irish
Aid Volunteering Centre, Dublin, 24th April 2014.
Rob Kevlihan (2014), “Can Peace break out in Africa?”, presented at a European
Parliamentarians With Africa (Irish Section) / AWEPA Ireland seminar, Dáil Éireann, 16th
April 2014.
Rob Kevlihan (2014), “Aid, Insurgencies and Conflict Transformation: A Comparative
Analysis”, presented at a Department of Anthropology Research Seminar, National
University of Ireland, Maynooth, Ireland, 27th February 2014.
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Donnacha Ó Beacháin and Rob Kevlihan (2014), “Imagined Democracy? Nation-building
and elections in Central Asia”, presented at a research seminar, School of Law and
Government, Dublin City University, 12th February 2014.
Rob Kevlihan (2011), “Aid, Insurgencies and Conflict Transformation: When Greed is
Good”, presented at the School of Politics and International Relations, University
College, Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, December 2011.
Rob Kevlihan (2009), “Once Bitten… Color Revolutions and Path Dependence: The
Case of Tajikistan”, presentation of work co-authored with Amri Sherzamonov at a Bang
College of Business Research Seminar, KIMEP, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 6th February 2009.
Rob Kevlihan (2008), “Social Service Provision During Conflict, A Framework for
Analysis”, public lecture given at the Aga Khan Humanities Project, University of Central
Asia, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 21st May 2008.
Rob Kevlihan (2008), “Social Services and Conflict” presented at the Bang College of
Business Research Seminar, KIMEP, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 7th April 2008.
Rob Kevlihan (2006), “An Introduction to Central Asia” presented at The Centre for
International Studies, Dublin City University, Ireland, 12th April 2006.
Rob Kevlihan (2005), “Small States and International Relations” presented at School of
International Relations and World Languages, Kazakh Ablai Khan State University,
Almaty, Kazakhstan, 25th March 2005.
Andrea Lari and Rob Kevlihan (2005), “International Human Rights Protection in
situations of conflict and post conflict: A case study of Angola” presented at the British
Angola Forum, Royal Institute of International Relations (Chatham House), London, 15th
April 2005.
Rob Kevlihan (2003), “Political and humanitarian situations in Angola and Sudan”
presented at The Centre for International Studies, Dublin City University, Ireland, 21st
February 2003.
O T H E R P U B L I C A T I O N S ( P R A C T I C E F OC U S E D )
Rob Kevlihan (2012/2014), “When Greed is Good”, disseminated by Peace Direct on
their
Insight
on
Conflict
web-page,
August
2012
(available
at
http://www.insightonconflict.org/2012/08/when-greed-is-good/) and included in Insight on
Conflict Monthly Newsletter, September 2012. Republished on Dóchas website, at
http://dochasnetwork.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/when-greed-is-good-aid-in-conflictsituations/ , February 2014.
Rob Kevlihan (2010), “Productivity and Cash-for-Work in Niger: GOAL’s Experience”
2010, in Humanitarian Exchange, a publication of Humanitarian Practice Network of the
UK’s Overseas Development Institute, Issue 48, October 2010, pp29-30.
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Rob Kevlihan (2009), “Language Choice in implementing REFLECT in conflict and postconflict environments: lessons from Sudan” in Education Action, a publication of
Actionaid UK, No. 23, July 2009, pp29-32 (also published in French and Spanish
versions of the same publication).
Rob Kevlihan (2005), “Developing ‘connectors’ during humanitarian intervention: is it
possible in western Sudan?” in Humanitarian Exchange, a publication of Humanitarian
Practice Network of the UK’s Overseas Development Institute, Issue 30, June 2005, pp
30 - 31.
COMMISSIONED RESEARC H REPORTS
Rob Kevlihan (2011), Harmonization of Audit Requirements and Terminology in Ghana,
a report commissioned by USAID on behalf of the Ghana Audit Working Group.
Rob Kevlihan and Afia Appiah (2010), Rapid Mapping and Capacity Assessment of
Potential New Civil Society Partners for the UN System in Ghana, a report
commissioned by UNICEF on behalf of the UN system in Ghana.
Rob Kevlihan (2010), Extractive Industries Advocacy in Ghana, Strategic Plan (20112014), prepared for Oxfam America.
G R A N T S , A W A R D S A N D O T H E R R E C OG N I T I O N
Certificate of Recognition, recognizing a significant contribution made while serving as
Chair, Department of Accounting, awarded by the Dean of the College of Business and
the Executive Vice-President of KIMEP, May 2009.
Co-winner of the American Sociological Association Peace, War and Social Conflict
section’s Elise M. Boulding Graduate Student Paper Award for a paper entitled
“Humanitarian Aid, Social Services, and Conflict Dynamics: Exploring the Case of
Sudan”, August 2007.
School of International Service Dissertation Fellowship, American University, 2006-2007
(Full tuition remission and stipend).
Hurst Scholarship, American University, Washington D.C., 2003 – 2006 (Full tuition
remission and annual stipend).
Phi Delta Gamma Scholarship for the 2005-2006 academic year, American University
Graduate Leadership Council Grant, 2006, and American University School of
International Service travel grants, to attend 2004 APSA Annual Conference, 2005
WISC International Conference in Istanbul and 2009 MPSA Annual conference.
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Language training grant for Arabic language training in Khartoum, Sudan, 1999-2000,
from the Irish Government’s Agency for Personnel Serving Overseas (APSO) and GOAL
Ireland.
Full time education grant (GOAL and APSO), to assist with tuition and living costs in
completing a Masters in International Relations, Dublin, Ireland, 1998 – 1999.
Full time education grant (Price Waterhouse), to assist with tuition and living expenses in
completing a Masters in Accounting, Dublin, Ireland, 1992-1993.
EDITORIAL BOARDS / PEER REVIEW
Member of editorial board of the Development Studies Association of Ireland Working
Paper Series (2014-2015)
I have peer reviewed for the following journals: International Peacekeeping and
Contemporary Security Policy (both published by Taylor and Francis), Disasters and
Tropical Medicine and International Health (both published by Wiley-Blackwell), and
Studies of Transitional States and Societies published by the Institute of Political
Science and Governance and the Institute for International and Social Studies of Tallinn
University.
O T H E R P R OF E S S I ON A L E X P E R I E N C E
Professional Associations
Appointed a member of the steering group of the Development Studies Association of Ireland
(DSAI), December 2013, and focal point / convenor of the Humanitarian Action Study Group
(Feb 2014).
Election Observation
Member, U.S. Embassy Election Observation team for Ghana Presidential Elections, Accra,
Ghana, 7th December 2012.
OSCE Short Term Observer for Kazakhstan Presidential Elections, Almaty, Kazakhstan,
1st – 5th December, 2005.
Other Policy Work
Member of Angola’s Country Co-ordination Mechanism for the Global Fund to fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Luanda, Angola, April to December, 2002
Member of CONGA Liaison Group, effectively the executive committee of the broader
CONGA INGO forum in Angola, 2000 – 2002, including serving as chair of CONGA on
two occasions.
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O T H E R P R O B ON O W O R K
Treasurer, Irish Society in Ghana, 2011 to 2013, including financial oversight of an
annual St Patrick Say celebration raising funds for designated development charities.
Provided consulting advice to Loveshack, a small Irish NGO with operations targeting
street children and urban poor in Nairobi, Kenya. Work carried out in Ireland in August
2008, and with Self Help Africa and Small Foundation, August 2009, on scale-up of
existing best development practice.
Field tested and provided an evaluation of the “Minimum Initial Service Package for
Reproductive Health in Crisis Situations: A Distance Learning Module” produced by the
Women’s Commission for Refugees and Children, while based in Khartoum, Sudan, July
2006.
LANGUAGES
English – substantial experience in crafting text for academic and media publications as
well as extensive report writing experience; French – good spoken, good reading,
intermediate writing competence; Portuguese – intermediate spoken and reading, basic
writing competence; Arabic – competent spoken Sudanese colloquial Arabic, basic
reading ability in Modern Standard Arabic; Gaeilge - strong written and spoken as a
result of attending a Gaelscoil from 1976 to 1983; Russian – Basic spoken and reading
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