Social Science Research Council

Program Officer, Islam and Muslims in World Contexts

Email asher@ssrc.org
Phone 212 377 2700 ext. 417

Thomas Asher is a program officer at the SSRC. In addition to administering institutional grants that seek to enhance the capacity of universities to engage in outreach to local and national media and various publics, he is working on a related project that seeks to renew the relevancy of university-based social sciences in public policy and public deliberation. Prior to joining the Council, Asher had served as the acting executive director for Food Aid Management, where he monitored humanitarian relief programs and worked with USAID and others in the food aid community in documenting best practices and measurable indices for food security programs. In addition, he has worked as a researcher at Human Rights Watch. Asher also has conducted research and written on participatory politics, local and global governance, and changing economic conditions in South Asia. He holds a doctorate in anthropology from the University of Chicago.