The following was submitted by Leslie Granese, director of marketing and enrollment, School for Field Studies:
The School for Field Studies (SFS) Board of Trustees announced on Monday that it has appointed James A. Cramer to be SFS’s fourth president, capping a five-month national search for a leader. Cramer will begin his tenure at SFS in mid-July. The School for Field Studies is the United States’ largest environmental study abroad provider for college undergraduates.
Cramer was President and CEO of World Learning and the School for International Training (SIT) in Brattleboro, Vermont, from 1998-2005. Prior to leading World Learning, he held senior posts at Georgetown University Law Center, the University of Maryland, the University at Albany – SUNY, and UC Berkeley Extension. Most recently, Dr. Cramer lived in Costa Rica where, among other activities, he helped develop an innovative, bilingual, K-12 school that integrated classroom work with community-based experiential education focused on sustainable environmental practices.
While President of World Learning, Cramer served on the Governor’s Commission on International Education, was a founding director of the Brattleboro Foreign Trade Zone, and sat on the Board of the United Way of Windham County. A prolific fundraiser, Cramer secured numerous major gifts for World Learning including a $20 million donation, which at the time, was the largest gift in the history of higher education in Vermont. He served active duty as a commissioned officer in the US Naval Reserve.
“Dr. Cramer brings rich experience to SFS from his distinguished career in higher education and the study abroad industry,” said Jack Waggett, SFS interim president and chairman of the search committee. “His career has been defined by the blending of innovation with academic purpose and effective leadership in cross-cultural settings. Cramer is the experienced, innovative leader that SFS needs to make an even greater impact in local, national, and international arenas.”
“Given the increasing awareness of the need for sound environmental stewardship and environmentally-literate citizens, SFS is positioned to greatly enhance its impact on study abroad and undergraduate research,” Cramer said. “I am inspired and excited to lead this effort.”
“A high priority of my presidency is to ensure that SFS brings its considerable knowledge of best practices in sustainably and environmental stewardship to directly benefit our communities on the North Shore, the Greater Boston area, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Cramer said. “One of the pillars of SFS’s mission is to engage reciprocally with our host communities abroad. While we work cooperatively with communities around the globe, our commitment to our home community is no less important or critical to our mission.”
Dr. Cramer is a graduate of Florida State University and earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Tennessee. The author of numerous academic books and articles, his opinion pieces on international business and intercultural relations have appeared in leading newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal Asia, International Herald Tribune, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, and The Japan Economic Journal.
For more information on SFS, visit www.fieldstudies.org.