- S. Frederick Starr
S. Frederick Starr (born Stephen Frederick Starr on
March 24 ,1940 ) is the founder and Chairman of the Central Asia-Caucus Institute. He is also a notedmusic ian.Academic career
Starr earned his B.A. Degree at
Yale University in 1962 and hisPh.D. in history atPrinceton University . He is fluent in Russian, and is the author or editor of 20 books and more than 200 articles on Russian and Eurasian affairs.He is a research professor at the
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies atJohns Hopkins University . His expertise is inAfghanistan ,Central Asia , theCaucasus ,Russia and the rest of the formerSoviet Union . He focuses on developing nations, energy and environment issues,Islam ic faith, culture and law, and oil politics.Starr began work in the Turkic world as an archaeologist in
Turkey and went on to found theKennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies , which opened U.S. research contact with Central Asia. He served as vice president ofTulane University and president ofOberlin College (1983 -1994 ) and theAspen Institute . He has advised three U.S. presidents on Russian/Eurasian affairs and chaired an external advisory panel on U.S. government-sponsored research on the region, organized and co-authored the first comprehensive strategic assessment of Central Asia, the Caucasus and Afghanistan for theJoint Chiefs of Staff in1999 , and has followed up by close involvement in drafting of recent U.S. legislation affecting the region.Musician
In
1980 Starr, a talented jazzclarinet ist, cofounded theLouisiana RepertoryJazz Ensemble while serving at Tulane. Its members dedicate themselves to preserving the raucous pre-1930 jazz ofNew Orleans . The LRJE has performed across theUnited States . It gave the Doubleday Lecture at theSmithsonian Institution in March1983 , touredFrance and the Soviet Union, and made national television appearances inItaly ,Japan andSweden . Jazz historian Al Rose once called the LRJE "the most authentic band on the scene today." The Ensemble's albums include "Alive and Well" (1981 ), "Uptown Jazz" (1984 ) and "Hot & Sweet: Sounds of Lost New Orleans" (1986 ).
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