James Reardon-Anderson | |
|---|---|
| 1stDean ofGeorgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar | |
| In office 2005–2009 | |
| President | John J. DeGioia |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Gerd Nonneman |
| In office 2016–2017 | |
| President | John J. DeGioia |
| Preceded by | Gerd Nonneman |
| Succeeded by | Ahmad S. Dallal |
| InterimDean ofGeorgetown University School of Foreign Service | |
| In office 2013–2015 | |
| President | John J. DeGioia |
| Preceded by | Carol Lancaster |
| Succeeded by | Joel Hellman |
| Director of theMaster of Science in Foreign Service Program | |
| In office 2002–2005 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1944-04-01)April 1, 1944 |
| Died | November 24, 2022(2022-11-24) (aged 78) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse | Kathleen Reardon-Anderson |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Williams College (BA) Columbia University (MA,PhD) |
James Reardon-Anderson (April 1, 1944 – November 27, 2022)[1] was an Americanacademic administrator and scholar onChina and theMiddle East. He was theSun Yat-senProfessor ofChinese Studies atGeorgetown University, thefoundingDean of itsQatar campus, anddirector of theMaster of Science in Foreign Service program.[2] Additionally, he was the interim Dean of theEdmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service from 2013 to 2015.[3][4]
Reardon-Anderson was a graduate ofWilliams College andColumbia University.[5] He was theauthor of five books onChinese history, includingThe Study of Change: Chemistry in China, 1840–1949, which is considered "the first full-length study of the history of a modern science in China."[6]
Reardon-Anderson was born on April 1, 1944. He grew up inFarmington, Michigan. He obtained aB.A. in History fromWilliams College before earning anM.A. andPh.D. fromColumbia University in 1975.[5]
He was married to Kathleen Reardon-Anderson.[7] They had a daughter, Jane, and two sons, Peter and William.[1]
Reardon-Anderson first visited and developed an interest inChina in 1966, when he taughtEnglish inHong Kong through the Williams in Hong Kong program.[2]
He then taught at theUniversity of Michigan and theJohns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies before serving as the director of theInter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies in Taipei in the 1980s. Reardon-Anderson also led theC.V. Starr East Asian Library ofColumbia University aschief librarian from 1982 to 1985.[5]
Reardon-Anderson joined thefaculty of Georgetown University in 1985, where he taught history and the signature "Maps of the Modern World" course of the School of Foreign Service.[8][9][1] He led the university'sAsian Studies program from 1992 to 1995 and then theMaster of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) program from 2002 to 2005.[10] He also served as the director of the Committee on Scholarly Communication with the People's Republic of China of theNational Academies from 1990 to 1992, in which he oversaw a joint project between Western and Chinese scientists on thegrassland ecosystem in China.[11]
In 2005, Reardon-Anderson became the founding dean of Georgetown'sbranch campus in Qatar, serving from 2005 to 2009 and subsequently returning in 2016.[12] During his tenure as dean, he led the joint efforts with theQatar Foundation to protect migrant worker safety and welfare.[13] He was also the interim Dean of the School of Foreign Service from 2013 to 2015.[3][4] He transitioned to the faculty in 2017 and retired from his teaching at Georgetown in 2021.[14]
Following his death, theSchool of Foreign Service in Qatar, where Reardon-Anderson served as the founding chair, namedits library after him. Additionally, Georgetown University created the James Reardon-Anderson Medal, which is awarded to the graduating student with the strongest commitment to Reardon-Anderson's signature course,Map of the Modern World. The inaugural recipient was Kiernan Christ, a long-time teaching assistant for the Map course.[15]