Middle East Expert to Discuss Syria Crisis as Part of Ellsworth Lecture on March 26

March 12, 2014

Gregory Gause, professor of political science at the University of Vermont, will present Johnson State College’s 30th annual Ellsworth Lecture at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, in 207 Bentley Hall. Gause, an expert in Middle East politics, will discuss “The Syria Crisis and the New Middle East Cold War.” The event is free and open to the public.

Gause will address the breakdown of authority in Syria and its connection to the wider crisis in the eastern Arab world. He also will discuss how U.S. policy is playing into the regional dynamics.

Gause, who holds a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University, has written numerous articles and books about the international politics of the Middle East, with a focus on the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf. From 1998 to 2008, he served as director of the Middle East Studies Program at UVM, and he also has served as chair of the Department of Political Science.

In addition to teaching political science courses at UVM, Gause serves on the editorial boards of several major scholarly publications related to political science and the Middle East. His reading and speaking proficiency in Arabic have allowed him rich academic and research experiences in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Palestinian Territories and Morocco.

His lecture is sponsored by the Ellsworth Trust, a private foundation that enriches higher education at Johnson State and the study of political science and history through scholarships for undergraduates, annual lectures, travel grants, multicultural events and more.