Jackson School doctoral student Lucas Olson is credited for contributing research in an opinion piece titled “In Afghanistan, all we are saying is ‘give peace a chance’ ” which was published in The Hill and authored by former Jackson School Lecturer Mark Ward, currently country director in Afghanistan for the International Medical Corps and a retired Foreign Service Career Minister.
Olson, whose research focuses on lessons learned from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, has lived, worked and studied in El Salvador, China, Canada, France, and elsewhere. While earning his bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Economics at the University of Washington, he received a prestigious Killam Fellowship and Fulbright Canada award, administered by the UW Canadian Studies Center, and was a Jackson School International Policy Institute Global Research Group Fellow, made possible through funding from Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Ward has taught in the Jackson School’s M.A. in Applied International Studies program as well as for its undergraduate capstone Donald C. Hellmann Task Force Program, in addition to being a featured guest speaker on Syria and humanitarian assistance at public events hosted by the school.
