R. William Ayres
Vice President for Action & Operations
Dr. Ayres has a career spanning a dozen years as a university professor and administrator. A scholar of international conflict, identity politics, and foreign policy, Dr. Ayres has published widely in both professional and popular outlets. His previous book, For Kin or Country: Xenophobia, Nationalism and War (co-authored with Dr. Stephen Saideman of McGill University) was published by Columbia University Press in 2008. Like much of his scholarly work, the book examines basic questions of identity—who people think they are and how they relate to other people—and how these connect to fundamental issues of war and peace.
Dr. Ayres’ scholarly research on identity politics, international conflict and conflict resolution, and American foreign policy has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and edited books. He has also penned dozens of opinion articles and papers for local and national outlets as disparate as USA Today and The Progressive Christian. He has given numerous TV and radio interviews on politics and foreign policy, and hosted a current events radio show, “News and Views,” on WICR 88.7 FM in Indianapolis for two years.
During his academic career on the faculties of five different colleges and universities, Dr. Ayres has worked extensively on programs of international education and bridge-building. He has traveled professionally to many countries, including Austria, Cyprus, Canada, Switzerland, Great Britain, and South Africa. He developed international exchange and cooperation programs between universities in the United States and South Africa, and negotiated partnerships with campuses on Cyprus and in Athens, Greece. He served as a political consultant to one of the major political parties in the South African parliament, where his research has been featured in parliamentary debate. He is today examining the ever-widening impact of international business on world events, and on how simpler scenario thinking might alleviate some business difficulties.
Dr. Ayres received his BA in Political Science from Williams College, where he graduated magna cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to earn his Masters and Doctoral degrees, also in Political Science, at The Ohio State University. In his teaching career, Dr. Ayres has taught a broad range of courses to hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students, on international topics spanning the fields of history, geography, psychology, and political science, and including courses on negotiation, mediation, nationalism, foreign policy, and global interdependence. He has given guest lectures and keynote addresses at dozens of conferences and events, with audiences ranging from undergraduate students to CEOs and high-level corporate managers.