Director’s Message

April 2nd, 2024

Dear Mortara Community,

It is an honor to serve as the Director of the Mortara Center, following in the footsteps of Dean Carol Lancaster, Kate McNamara, Abe Newman, and Elizabeth Saunders. Elizabeth Saunders has successfully led the center out of the difficult COVID-19 period. Mortara has once again become a hub for research and in person events at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service (SFS). Alongside a great team, I am committed to ensuring Mortara will continue to be at heart of Georgetown’s activities to promote research and practice in international affairs.

We will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Mortara Center inauguration in 2025. The upcoming year therefore presents an opportune moment to reflect on our achievements and set ambitious goals for the future. We have recently mourned the loss of Secretary Madeleine Albright, who had been an integral part of the Mortara community since its inception. Moving forward we will continue to leverage our location in the nation’s capital to connect scholars, students, and policy makers.

Mortara’s programs and events play a key role in fostering this community. For example, the Mortara Undergraduate Fellows Program (MURF) brings together faculty and students to research key issues of international concern. The Mortara Research Seminar gathers faculty and graduate students to discuss cutting edge research presented by top scholars from around the globe. Mortara’s in the news events bring together experts from around town and the university to discuss wars, elections, crises, and other major news items. Mortara’s book talks allow our faculty to present their most recent books to the broader Georgetown community.

These are just some examples of the events and programs that draw people from across the university, the nation’s capital, and indeed the world to the Mortara Center. I am committed to building on the legacy of my predecessors and to ensure that the generous gift from the Mortara family will continue to be used to advance scholarly inquiry and practice and to build a vibrant community of students and faculty at Georgetown University.

I extend my best wishes to all students as finals and graduation approach and for continued success in their endeavors. I look forward to engaging with you throughout the year and welcoming new faces in the upcoming fall semester.

Warmly,

Erik Voeten
Director, Mortara Center