M. Peter McPherson

M. Peter McPherson is in his ninth year as president of Michigan State University, a teaching, research, outreach and international university. His leadership has resulted in development of a national model for student overseas study and the partnership that brought the Detroit College of Law to MSU. He has worked to improve education for Lansing-area children through his leadership of the K-12 Blue Ribbon Committee and the Ready to Succeed Committee appointed by the Lansing mayor. This year he was appointed chair of the Michigan legislature’s Commission on Charter Schools. Before joining MSU, McPherson was an internationally recognized advocate for fighting hunger in underdeveloped nations. For six years, he administered the Agency for International Development, organizing the U.S. response to the Great African Famine in 1984-85, sending more than 2 million tons of food to Africa over 12 months. He also led the worldwide effort with UNICEF to prevent diarrhea, then the biggest killer of children in developing countries. His contributions were recognized with the UNICEF award for “Outstanding Contribution to Child Survival,” the U.S. Presidential Certificate of Outstanding Achievement for “efforts to achieve a world without hunger” and the Humanitarian of the Year award from the American Lebanese League.