Insider Perspectives on USAID: The Promises and Problems of Foreign Assistance

This course will take place on March 10, 2025, in Mercer, 6:00-8:00 p.m., with Gary Theisen.

Register for free to participate in this two-hour course!

USAID–the United States Agency for International Development–has been in the news lately, but what do we really understand about this government foreign aid program? Fe University is pleased to present Gary Theisen, Mercer resident and a former office deputy director at USAID, who will provide factual information and personal experiences about the Agency and hold a question and answer session afterwards. The two-hour program will be held on Monday, March 10, at 6 p.m. at the Mercer Community Center. Registration is required and space is limited.

For the first half-hour, Gary will focus on basic information about USAID’s history, purpose, structure and decision- making. The mandate of USAID, how it operates and what its resources are allocated for, where it operates, and how it is held accountable will be addressed. Further discussion will center on collaboration with other international assistance agencies to address global problems of health, sanitation, education, poverty, nutrition and policy formation in those areas. Insights into how the Agency works internally and how it is subject to political pressures will also be offered from personal experience.

In the second part of the session, Gary will entertain questions from the audience.

Gary Theisen spent 30 years working in international foreign assistance agencies, including five years as a Deputy Office Director in the Bureau of Science and Technology at USAID.  While at USAID he oversaw and contributed to education research and planning efforts in a number of countries including Pakistan, Egypt, Botswana, Indonesia, Bolivia, and Jamaica, among others. From positions he held at other organizations, including the Ford Foundation, the Institute for International Education (IIE), and the World Bank, he gained an outside perspective on the role and efficacy of USAID as an organization and on the capabilities and contributions of USAID employees and programs.

There is no charge to attend this program, but registration is required and space is limited. Registration will end when the limit is reached.

Facilitator: Gary Theisen

Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.

Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 476-2881.

Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.