The George Washington University has named Elizabeth Rule, Ph.D., as the new director of the AT&T Center for Indigenous Politics and Policy (CIPP), which is a unit of CPS.
Dr. Rule, who previously served as the center’s assistant director, started in the new job on May 1.
In her new role, Dr. Rule oversees CIPP’s educational programs including the Native American Political Leadership Program and the INSPIRE Pre-College Program. The programs offer scholarships to undergraduate, graduate and high school students to learn about the public policy decision-making process as well as intergovernmental relations between tribal governments and the federal government.
A member of the Chickasaw Nation, Dr. Rule will also spearhead the center’s effort to shed light on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women as a lead researcher and director of programming.
"It has been my pleasure to serve as the assistant director of the AT&T Center for Indigenous Politics and Policy for the past three years, and I now look forward to continuing the important work of the center and expanding in new directions as the director,” she said. “My goal as director is to serve Indian Country and support tribal sovereignty through a combination of cutting-edge research, education initiatives for Native youth and thought leadership on pressing political and policy issues."
Additionally, Dr. Rule teaches on the GW faculty as an assistant professor of professional studies and serves as the principal investigator on several of the center’s research projects.
"We are pleased and excited to have Elizabeth take on this new role as director of the AT&T Center for Indigenous Politics and Policy,” said Christopher J. Deering, interim dean of the College of Professional Studies. “Her academic background, research interests, strong community connections and close working relationship with our partners at AT&T all provide her with a great foundation to lead the Center forward to bigger and better things.”
Dr. Rule received her bachelor’s degree from Yale University, and her master’s and doctorate degrees from Brown University.
Funded by AT&T, CIPP aims to research issues of national political significance to Indigenous communities, including public health, adequate housing, economic security and education.
“AT&T is committed to supporting, improving and connecting Native American communities through education and technology,” said Tom Brooks of AT&T’s external affairs department. “We are proud to be working with George Washington University on the AT&T Center for Indigenous Politics and Policy to expose Native American students to the world of government and policy. Elizabeth has been a great partner in these efforts over the last several years and will make an excellent leader for the center. We look forward to working together to advance awareness on issues of significance to Native communities.”
Read the full story in GW Today (April 29, 2020)