Robert E. Henderson
Dean of Fellows

Robert E. Henderson joined the Center as the Dean of Fellows and Director of Public Service in July 2002. In December 2005, he was made Vice President with a mandate to gather information from government agencies and NGOs in support of the new Foundation for International Understanding. From 1998 to 2002, Henderson served as Vice President of The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars concentrating on building relations with the federal government and on Institutional Relations with over 1,000 colleges and universities across the country. Prior to coming to The Washington Center, he served as Senior Manager for the Humphrey Fellowship Program of the Institute of International Education from 1994 to 1997, a mid-career Fellowship for rising policy professionals from developing countries. Rob edited the annual report and other publications, organized the regional selection committees, and worked closely with the host Universities.

From 1993 to 1994, Henderson served as the United Nations Chief Technical Advisor for Electoral Processes to the government of the Republic of Uganda. From 1984 to 1992, he served as the Vice President for Programs of the International Republican Institute of the National Endowment for Democracy, concentrating on building institutions that drive democratic transitions. In this capacity, he observed, managed, or provided technical assistance in 25 international elections on four continents. From 1981 to 1984, Rob served in the State Department as a Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs and then in the Counselor's Office as the Director of Sports managing preparations for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. From 1977 to 1980, he was a Research Fellow in the Third World Studies program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Henderson, an Africanist by training and expert on democratic transitions, has written and consulted extensively on the management and organization of election commissions, non-governmental organizations and political parties in transitional democracies. He has made original contributions to civil society in Albania, Angola, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, Grenada, Guatemala, Hungary, Nigeria, Panama, the Philippines, Romania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Henderson graduated in 1972 from Harvard University cum laude in government and obtained a Masters of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 1980.