Kirsten Gelsdorf

Our purpose is clear: we work in partnership with a global community of humanitarian actors, researchers and innovators to improve the quality of humanitarian action and deliver better outcomes for people affected by crises.

Kirsten Gelsdorf has spent over 20 years working in the humanitarian sector in operations, policy, and advocacy roles. She has served in response to numerous field emergencies in Africa and Asia and held headquarters positions such as the Chief of Policy Analysis and Innovation for UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Humanitarian Advisor to President Clinton in his role as the UN Special Envoy for Haiti and.

Currently she is a Professor at the University of Virginia where teaches and co-leads a large humanitarian research initiative. In 2019 she co-authored the book Understanding the Humanitarian World. She is the winner of the State of Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award. She holds degrees from Dartmouth College and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

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Kirsten Gelsdorf

Director of Global Humanitarian Policy, Professor of Practice of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia

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