Thomas Pickering, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, the Russian Federation, India, Israel and Jordan, will give the Spring Rudnick lecture at Duke University on Monday, March 2. Pickering’s talk, "The Greater Middle East -- Challenges and Opportunities," takes place in the Fleishman Commons at the Sanford School of Public Policy. The event, which begins at 5:30 p.m., is free and open to the public. A public reception will follow. Parking is free in the Sanford School visitor lot.Pickering's career as a U.S. diplomat spanned five decades, serving as under-secretary of state for political affairs, ambassador to the United Nations, ambassador to Russia, India, Israel, Nigeria, Jordan and El Salvador. He also served on assignments in Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Pickering holds the rank of Career Ambassador, the highest in the U.S. Foreign Service. He has held numerous other positions at the State Department, including executive secretary and special assistant to secretaries Rogers and Kissinger and assistant secretary for the bureau of oceans, environmental and scientific affairs. He most recently led the State Department-sponsored panel investigating the recent attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi.Pickering serves on the board of directors for CRDF Global and the American Iranian Council, is a member of the Global Leadership Foundation, is vice chairman of Hills & Co. and is a member of the Foreign Affairs Policy Board for the U.S. State Department.This event is made possible by the Rudnick Endowment, the Duke Center for Jewish Studies and the Sanford School of Public Policy.For more information, visit http://jewishstudies.duke.edu.
