Bios: IPJ Staff

Dee Aker, Ph.D., is the Interim Executive Director of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice (IPJ) at the University of San Diego.

Regions and countries of Interest: East Africa and South and Southeast Asia.

Topics of interest: Gender-equity, democracy-building, conflict resolution/management/transformation, psychological and cultural challenges in conflict settings, and media's role in conflict transformation. 

Aker is a psychological anthropologist and conflict resolution professional with 30 years experience working with international communities and individuals in transition. Most recently at the IPJ, Aker created and directs the Women PeaceMakers Program, Nepal Project, and WorldLink program. Aker has extensive experience in international higher education, including administration, curriculum development and teaching. She worked as a regular TV host, columnist and freelance journalist covering women and gender concerns for ten years, including the production of 234 thirty-minute interviews with women leaders, pioneers and survivors from around the world.  She facilitated training, communications and negotiations for groups and individuals in conflict and transition in Europe, Africa, Central America and South Asia.  Before coming to the IPJ to work in conflict mitigation, Aker worked with Carl Rogers at the Center for Studies of the Person and the Carl Rogers Institute for Peace on special conflict transformation efforts in Europe and Central America.  Currently her work includes specialized public sector programs for youth, women and political leaders designed to increase their awareness of their rights as stakeholders and responsibilities as actors in their communities, as well as enhance skills in strategic negotiation. Aker is the 2007 Harvard Phillip Brooks House (PBH) Fellow, selected to "share a distinguished public service career" with students and staff at the PBH and Center for Public Interest at Harvard. Her career was launched in 1963 when she was selected as an early Peace Corps volunteer serving in Colombia.

Aker keynoted the Association for Women in Psychology three day conference in March with a talk entitled "Women Transforming Violent Conflicts - In Spirit, In Community."

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