Margee Ensign, PhD

Margee Ensign is the 29th president of Dickinson College, which was chartered in 1783—the first college established in the new United States of America. Dickinson is recognized as leading institution in global education and was the first college to receive the Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization twice. Under Ensign’s leadership, Dickinson has expanded its ties with the U.S. Army War College to include graduate courses and has established a bridge program for women whose education has been interrupted by conflict. Ensign is a long-time vocal advocate for the need for deep international learning. For 7 years, she was the president of the American University of Nigeria, where she also led the Adamawa Peace Initiative, a peace program composed of religious and community leaders, which successfully promoted peace and countered Boko Haram through education, humanitarian assistance for 300,000 refugees, and youth empowerment.

Ensign is a well-respected scholar on development, Africa, and—through her experience in Rwanda—genocide. She is the author and editor of six books, including Rwanda: History and Hope, and Confronting Genocide: Dehumanization, Denial and Strategies for Prevention. She recently coedited a special issue of Peace Review focused on religion in war and peace in Africa, and coauthored the forthcoming book Transactional Radio Instruction: Improving Educational Outcomes for Children in Conflict Zones. She has presented at the World Economic Forum, been interviewed multiple times by the BBC and CNN, written for the Washington Post, and has testified before Congress on global education, international affairs, and foreign assistance.