Meet the IIHA Team

Brendan Cahill is the Executive Director of the Institute of International
Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) at Fordham University and leads its outreach, academic
programs, research, and publications.
For over twenty-three years he has created, directed and taught in humanitarian
programs throughout the world, including South Africa, Jordan, Kenya, India, Egypt,
Myanmar, Kuala Lumpur, South Korea, Nepal, Sudan, Colombia, Nicaragua,
Ecuador, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, England and the United States. He
established one of the first Masters programs in Humanitarian Action in the world,
and, to date, has trained nearly 4,000 aid professionals from over 140 countries. 
He designed and implemented a full undergraduate Humanitarian Studies program at
Fordham University. He created a new Master of Science in Humanitarian Studies
program in New York, an online Master of Arts in International Humanitarian Action
and an undergraduate Minor in Community and Global Public Health.  
The Institute, which he helped create, acts as a bridge between the University and
humanitarian practice, and hosts lectures and symposia on a regular basis. Due to the
work of the Institute, Fordham University is the US partner for NOHA, a consortium
of 12 European universities offering humanitarian education. Mr. Cahill has also
served on the editorial board of their academic journal.
Mr. Cahill is the Publisher of The Refuge Press, an imprint of Fordham University
Press. He is currently co-authoring a textbook in Humanitarian Studies, to be
published by University of Toronto Press. He is the Executive Producer of
Humanitarian Fault Lines, the Institute’s first podcast. His research includes the
intersection of Design and the Humanitarian Sector, and Food Insecurity and
Conflict.
He received his BA from Colby College and his IDHA and MBA from Fordham
University.
Besides his work for the IIHA, he is the President of the CIHC, an independent
humanitarian NGO. He is a Trustee of The Helen Hamlyn Trust in London, a
Director of the KMC Foundation in New York, a member of the Advisory Board of
The Humanitarian Centre of University College Dublin. He is the President of the
Point Lookout Historical Society and the Secretary of the Point Lookout Civic
Association.

He is married with four children and lives in Point Lookout, New York.

: 718-817-5694
: [email protected]

Larry Hollingworth is a Visiting Professor of Humanitarian Studies at the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) at Fordham University in New York. Over the past decade, Mr. Hollingworth served as Humanitarian Coordinator on CIHC-supported missions for the United Nations in Iraq, Lebanon, East Timor, Palestine, and Pakistan. After serving as a British Army officer for thirty years, Mr. Hollingworth joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and held assignments in Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea. He was appointed UNHCR Chief of Operations in Sarajevo during the siege of the city in the Balkan conflict. Mr. Hollingworth has also worked with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). He was awarded Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2002 and honored by the U.S Department of State on the 60th Anniversary of the 1951 Convention Related to the Status of Refugees in 2011. Mr. Hollingworth is a frequent lecturer on relief and refugee topics in universities and is a commentator on humanitarian issues for the BBC. In his current role as Humanitarian Programs Director, which he has held for over 15 years, Mr. Hollingworth directs humanitarian training courses for participants from or intending to enter the humanitarian aid world. He has directed 48 one-month courses and more than 50 one-week courses, of which there are over 2,300 alumni.

Brendan Cahill is the Executive Director of the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) at Fordham University. For nearly twenty years he has created, directed and taught humanitarian programs throughout the world, including South Africa, Kenya, India, Egypt, Myanmar, Kuala Lumpur, South Korea, Nepal, Sudan, Colombia, Nicaragua, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, England and the United States. He established one of the first Masters programs in Humanitarian Action in the world, and, to date, has trained over 3,000 mid career aid professionals from over 135 countries. Recently, New York State Department of Education has approve a new Master of Science program in Humanitarian Studies, a program that will bring skills and experience to those interested in working in the humanitarian sector.

Mr. Cahill designed and implemented a full undergraduate program at Fordham University which has grown quickly. This program, which includes a summer session, is among the fastest growing in the University's history; it combines academic rigor with applied knowledge and experience, especially through carefully managed internships at partner institutions in New York City.

The Institute, which he helped create, acts as a bridge between the University and humanitarian practice, hosts lectures and symposia on a regular basis, and is the US partner for NOHA, a consortium of 12 European universities offering humanitarian education. Mr. Cahill also sits on the editorial board of their academic journal.

Mr. Cahill is the Series Editor of the Humanitarian Affairs Series at Fordham University Press. He is currently co-authoring a textbook in Humanitarian Studies, to be published by University of Toronto Press. He received his BA from Colby College and his MBA from Fordham University.

Besides his work for the IIHA and the CIHC, Brendan sits on the boards of the American Irish Historical Society, the Bartow Pell Conservancy, and the Pelham Preservation Society. He is a member of the Advisory Board of The Humanitarian Centre of University College Dublin, the Executive Board of the Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network, and on the Curriculum Oversight and Steering Committee of Jesuit World Learning (JWL). He is an active member of the Strategic Planning Committee for Fordham University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He is a Trustee of The Helen Hamlyn Trust in London and a Director of the KMC Foundation in New York.

He is married with four children and lives in Pelham, New York.

: 718-817-5694
: [email protected]

Lucianny De Leon is a recent graduate from Fordham University, holding a degree in Business Administration with a deep-seated passion for social innovation. During her academic tenure, Lucianny actively engaged in initiatives aimed at community development and sustainability. She has left her mark on global communities through her participation in Fordham's Global Outreach projects, which included empowering youth in St. Thomas and promoting sustainable agricultural practices in Mexico. She has honed her skills in the commercial banking sector with over two years at Chase Bank, where she excelled in customer service and financial management. Additionally, her role as a Business Development Intern at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP provided her with a solid foundation in legal business operations and strategic planning. At the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs, Lucianny, leverages her business acumen and passion for humanitarian work to coordinate programs that drive change and foster a more equitable world. 

: [email protected]
: (718) 817-5732 Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 10am-4pm

Summer Lily is the Communications Officer at the Institute of International Humanitarian
Affairs (IIHA), where she works directly for the IIHA Executive Director, developing and implementing the communications and marketing strategy to fulfill the Institute's overall mission and vision. Summer Lily joins us from Connecticut; however, she brings us four years of international experience in humanitarian work. After graduating with a BA in Communication, Summer Lily accepted a position as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Oregon, where she coordinated after-school education programs. Summer Lily then served as an English Teacher in Catalonia. Following this experience, Summer Lily joined the Peace Corps in Cambodia, where she trained teachers in the most up-to-date English instruction practices and taught English classes to 1st -6th grade. Upon her return from Cambodia, Summer Lily entered the hospitality field as the Sales and Marketing Manager at a historic inn and wedding venue while undergoing a master's program in Strategic Communication at American University. Throughout the years, Summer Lily served on the Connecticut Commission on Community Service to contribute her perspective as a returned volunteer and knowledge in communications.

As a new addition to the IIHA team, Summer Lily has enjoyed connecting with the Fordham and IIHA student and alumni communities. She looks forward to spreading awareness of IIHA’s programs, such as the International Diploma of Humanitarian Assistance, the Humanitarian Fault Lines Podcast, and IIHA’s events and internship program. Summer Lily encourages those interested in humanitarian affairs to follow her and @iiha_fordham or visit her at Canisius Hall on the Rose Hill campus! As Brendan Cahill, IIHA’s Executive Director, puts it best, “We are only as strong as the network we create.”

The Institute acts as a bridge between the University and humanitarian practice, hosts lectures and symposia on a regular basis, and is the US partner for NOHA, a consortium of 12 European universities offering humanitarian education. The IIHA at 2546 Belmont Ave, Bronx, New York also provides space for undergrad and graduate students to bond during meetings and gallery showings. In addition to our courses, the IIHA publishes on a wide range of humanitarian topics, such as A Skein of Thought. Summer Lily recently moved to NYC with her boyfriend and enjoys exploring the local sites, especially while jogging. Additionally, Summer Lily regularly practices her fluency in Khmer, the Cambodian language, and Spanish. She typically goes by "Lily." 

: (718) 817-5734, Ext. 15734
: [email protected]

Alberto Preato is a program manager at the UN Migration Agency (IOM) in Niger and a Visiting Humanitarian Research Scholar at the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs. He received a Master Degree in Sustainable Emergency Architecture at the Universidad Internacional de Catalunya in Barcelona and holds a Master in Sustainable Architecture at the Università Iuav di Venezia (Venice, Italy). Alberto Preato has been on the frontline of some of the most challenging humanitarian responses to natural disaster and complex crisis and has been deployed as shelter and settlement experts in Mozambique, Colombia, Haiti, Honduras, Vanuatu, Fiji and Niger. At the IIHA Alberto will work with partners from all over the world to find innovative design solution to better respond to the needs and uphold the rights of displaced populations in emergencies and protracted crisis.

Mr. Jamie McGoldrick, interim U.N. Aid Coordinator for Palestinian Territories and former Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations Resident Coordinator, and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, joins the IIHA as the first Distinguished Fellow. Mr. McGoldrick brings extensive experience in humanitarian affairs, international cooperation, economic development, and political affairs. Since 2015, he has served as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Yemen. He assumed that position after serving as the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, the UNDP Resident Representative in Nepal since 2013, and the Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of UNDP in Georgia from 2009 to 2013. He was previously a senior manager with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, notably as the Chief of the Humanitarian Reform Support Unit (2006-2009), and Section Chief of the Middle East, North Africa and Great Lakes Unit (2005-2006). He has also held positions with the International Red Cross movement and non-governmental organizations in a number of countries in Africa and as news producer and researcher with several television production companies in the United Kingdom and Europe. Mr. McGoldrick holds a master’s degree in political science and a bachelor’s degree in social sciences, and he has additional qualifications in disaster management, preventive diplomacy and mediation.

Anthony (Tony) Land, PhD graduated from Brunel University in 1971 with the degree of Bachelor of Technology with Honours in Polymer Science and Technology and was awarded the degree of Master of Technology, also from Brunel University, in 1972 for research into high temperature resistant polymeric materials. Between 1972 and 1985, he worked with various NGOs in South Asia. From 1979 to 1985 he was employed by Tearfund and seconded to HEED in Bangladesh and to ACROSS in Southern Sudan, as Field Director. In 1985, Dr. Land joined UNHCR and worked with them in Pakistan, Indonesia, Malawi, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Russian Federation, Geneva and Brussels, in operational field roles and in donor relations, until his retirement in 2006. Since leaving UNHCR, Dr. Land has undertaken various consultancies and taught on courses in humanitarian subjects at Fordham University (New York) as well as Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Manchester University, University of Copenhagen and the University of Medical Science and Technology in Khartoum. In 2014, he was admitted into the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at University of Liverpool. His thesis is titled “Towards enhancing responsibility and accountability in humanitarian action: Understanding the subjective factors that influence evaluation of humanitarian actions and the implementation of the recommendations made.” Having served as the Senior Tutor for the Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation (CIHC) from 2008 to 2014, Dr. Land now holds a Senior Fellowship and is an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) at Fordham University in New York.

: [email protected]

Willem van de Put is a cultural/medical anthropologist and philosopher by training. He worked in international public health since 1989, first with Médecines sans Frontières Holland, where he introduced medical anthropology and mental health programming, later as the founder of TPO Cambodia (1993-1998) and general director of HealthNet TPO (1998-2016). Together with Lynne Jones and the unfailing support of the IIHA at Fordham University, Willem started the course Mental Health in Complex Emergencies in 2004.

Currently Willem works as a research fellow with the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, and is affiliated as research fellow with Fordham University, with a focus on emergency programming and health systems development in fragile states. Willem has also co-founded ‘C4C’, a foundation working on ‘Culture for Change’, applying experience in action research in concrete programmes where cultural traits and beliefs are transformed from perceived barriers for effective healing to drivers of sustainable change.

Publications

Van de Put, W. A. C. M. and Eisenbruch, M. (2002). The Cambodian experience. Trauma, war, and violence: Public mental health in socio-cultural context. New York, NY: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers; US.

Eisenbruch, M., de Jong, J. T., and van de Put, W. (2004). Bringing order out of chaos: A culturally competent approach to managing the problems of refugees and victims of organized violence. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 17(2), 123-131.

Van de Put, W. and Eisenbruch, M. (2004): Internally displaced Cambodians: Healing Trauma in Communities. In: The Mental Health of Refugees: Ecological approaches to healing and adaptation. Edited by Kenneth Miller and Lisa Rasco, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, New Jersey/London

Van de Put, W., and van der Veer, G. (2005): Counseling in Cambodia: cultural competence and contextual costs. Intervention, July 2005. Volume 3, Nr 2. p 87-96. Psychiatry, 62 supplement 2, 64-72

Ventevogel, P., van de Put, W., Faiz, H., van Mierlo, B., Siddiqi, M., & Komproe, I. H. (2012). Improving access to mental health care and psychosocial support within a fragile context: a case study from Afghanistan. PLoS Med, 9(5), e1001225.

RUTH MUKWANA is a Helen Hamlyn Senior Fellow of the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs.

(IIHA) at Fordham University. Most recently, she was an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and Fiction Co-Editor for Solstice magazine.

For over twenty years, she worked with the United Nations including senior positions, Chief of Section, Asia & Pacific, Latin America and Caribbean with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Chief of Duty of Care, Wellbeing and Capacity Development in the Executive Office in New York, and Deputy Head of Office for Sudan. She has worked with UNHCR, UNSCO and UNMISS in Sri Lanka, South Sudan, oPt, Tanzania and Switzerland. Her experience includes training, protection, internal displacement, voluntary repatriation, advocacy, access, and refugee status determination.

Ruth is also a fiction writer and a 2020 Center for Fiction/Susan Kamil NYC Emerging Fellow. Her work has appeared in several magazines including Bomb, Solstice, Consequence and the Black Warriors Review and she is currently working on a novel.  She is the Creator and Host of the Stories and Humanitarian Action Podcast. 

Ruth is a Ugandan national with a Law degree from Makerere University, a Masters in international and comparative Law from the Free University of Brussels and a Masters in Fine Arts from Bennington College.

She lives in New York with her daughter.

: (718) 817 5303
: [email protected]

Office Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed 10am-4pm l Virtual Office Hours Thurs, Fri 10am-4pm

If you prefer to make an appointment please email Ruth [email protected] 

Pierrette Quintiliani has been working in the field of humanitarian affairs since 1989.
Throughout her career, she has collaborated with various organizations, including the
Swiss government, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Save the Children,
the World Bank, and Oxfam America. Her advocacy and relief work have taken her to live
and work in different parts of the world, such as the Great Lakes region and Sub--
Saharan Africa, as well as in the Caucasus and South-East Asia.

Ms. Quintiliani holds a master's degree in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University and
a Ph.D. in Sociology from Bradford University (UK). As a scholar, her research interests
revolve around studying relationships and partnerships between humanitarian
organizations, traditional and non-governmental organizations, and local governmental
organizations. For the past fifteen years, she has been teaching about conflicts and
humanitarian assistance at Brandeis University. She is also an advisor to students in
the Coexistence and Conflict department of the Heller School for Management and
Social Policy. Ms. Quintiliani has been teaching at the Institute of International
Humanitarian Affairs since 2019.

James Shepherd-Barron is a practicing disaster management consultant with over thirty years’ experience advising INGOs, UN agencies, thinktanks, and governments on humanitarian coordination and disaster risk management policy and practice. A former UN official and Director of Emergencies for Care International, he was lead consultant on current IASC reference modules for Cluster and Inter-Cluster coordination. He also moderates Disasterwise.org – an online platform which explores the myths, maths and management of disaster – and presents a financial literacy podcast on behalf of CashEssentials.org.