Educator to the World, 2 Time Fulbrighter, and Brown PhD

Dr. Luther Luedtke is featured in today's New York Times in a wonderful interview, entitled, "Educator to the World," as told to Patricia R. Olsen. He is the President and CEO of the Newton-based nonprofit organization, Education Development Center, Inc., (EDC), which develops programs to solve economic, health and education problems in the United States and around the world. It has employees in 35 countries.

Dr. Luedtke has had a very interesting career path, beginning with the study of accounting and economics, and receiving a PhD from Brown University (my alma mater) in American Civilization. He has served as chair of a department at USC and was president of a university. He says that he loves to solve problems and to "fix things." Throughout his career he has exhibited outstanding managerial skills (something that you need if you are a researcher at a university with a cadre of students or an academic administrator).

In the interview, Dr. Luedtke also mentioned that he was a Fulbrighter twice (as was I) and he acknowledges the impact on his life that his elementary school teacher, Mrs. Carlson, had.

You can read about some of the very interesting projects that the Education Development Center is engaged in here.

Great educators make a lasting impact and it is very neat and inspirational to see how EDC contributes to global education outside the formal academic setting. Also, how nice that a CEO still acknowledges the influence of one of his teachers, Mrs. Carlson!