Providing higher education and supporting worthy cases/causes

(Frank Owarish, Ph.D.)

I have been involved with education for as long as I can remember; I have always been interested in learning and its correlate teaching. I came to the US for a job at the United Nations Secretariat; over the years I have occupied several jobs from middle level to senior level to director. Most of the jobs had an element of training albeit education.

Also prior to coming to UNHQ/New York City, I had been in the academic world serving as faculty member in a university and benefiting from a fellowship  (of the UK-IUC) to conduct research and study at several UK universities including the University of Manchester, LSE, IDS, Oxford University (Nuffield College). Later on I met a group of professors for the University of Connecticut at an international conference and we became friends; so when they heard that I had gotten a job at UNHQ/New York City, they invited me as a guest speaker to the University of Connecticut on several occasions; they then offered me to teach regular courses. I would use my days of authorized leave at the UN to go and teach at the University of Connecticut. I saw the opportunity provided by Walden University to acquire a Ph.D. Since the academic degrees I held up to that point were from French universities I thought that it would be a good idea to obtain a US qualification and so I studied for a Ph.D. in Management/International Affairs and earned the degree. My mentor/faculty adviser was Prof. Janet Messing from Lehman College, City University of New York. Right after, taking into account my academic performance and previously earned qualifications, Walden University gave me a position of doctoral faculty adviser/reader; I was very honored indeed. I then got a faculty position at John Jay College, City University of New York along with the opportunity to teach several course for the master’s in International Relations at City College, City University of New York. I went on to be a Professor of Business at the Globe Institute of Technology onto the Keller Graduate School of Management, Devry University, where I currently serve as senior faculty. My teaching covers a span of over two decades; I have taught under-grad, grad courses and serve as doctoral faculty adviser. I have met and worked with hundreds of academic administrators, I have cooperated with hundreds of faculty members, I have taught thousands of students. In addition to teaching I served as faculty adviser to students and often gave them recommendation letters for higher studies and for jobs. I am glad to know that they are out there making a positive difference in their lives and in the lives of others (family members and society at large).

While working at the United Nations I obtained the proper authorization to teach in US universities in my own/spare time; I had to comply with an interesting rule, namely that of not accepting outside remuneration or to donate whatever remuneration I received to worthy cases and causes. I donated computer to John Jay College, to students; I donated money to students to buy textbooks, software, calculators. I produced eBooks (with information in the public domain) and distributed them for free. I contributed toward funeral costs. I was a sponsor or co-sponsor of several concerts at the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Auditorium (among other composers/performers we celebrated Sidor Belarsky), at the Harmony Fair in Staten Island and at the UN Branch of B’nai B’rith.