
Thomas Asher
Thomas Asher joined Columbia University in 2018 where he shapes and sustains networks drawing together civic leaders, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers and leads work to build civic culture, democratic futures, responsive government, responsible technology, and inclusive cities. Prior to joining CWP, Tom worked at the Social Science Research Council for a decade where he directed grant and fellowship programs to strengthen social science research capacity to address democracy, peacebuilding, and international affairs in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States. He was a visiting fellow at Centre for Humanities Research at the University of Western Cape in 2019. He took a public service leave in 2022-23, executing President Biden’s priority for advancing racial equity while leading a whole-of-government effort to insert robust community engagement and public participation into the design and implementation of federal policies, programs, and practices. Tom also was part of a collective installation on migration in Southern Africa at the landmark 2023 Venice Biennale Architettura. He holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Chicago.