Jendayi E. Frazer served as the Assistant Secretary for African Affairs from August 29, 2005, until the end of the administration of George W. Bush. Frazer earned her BA, MA and PhD degrees at Stanford University. Her doctoral dissertation examined Kenya’s civilian-military relationship.

 

Before joining the George W. Bush Administration, Frazer was an assistant professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver and editor of the journal Africa Today from 1991 to 1994. She taught public policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government from 1995 to 2001. Her first assignment for the administration was as special assistant to the President and senior director of African Affairs at the National Security Council.

 

During her tenure at the National Security Council, she was involved in decisions that led to establishing the $15 billion President’s Emergency Plan for HIV/AID Relief (PEPFAR), as well as the Millennium Challenge Account. She also helped craft the administration’s policy in ending the wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Burundi.

 

Frazer served as US Ambassador to South Africa (the first woman to do so) before taking over the Bureau of African Affairs.

 

After leaving the State Department, Frazer became a distinguished service professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Wikipedia Bio