Patrick McNamara

Background

About Patrick McNamara

Patrick McNamara, Ph.D. has worked with universities, corporations, governments, NGOs, and foundations for over 30 years. Patrick is Founding Partner of Partners in Change LLC, a leadership coaching, organizational strategy, and conflict management firm. He is lecturer in conflict and collaboration at University of Nebraska at Omaha, visiting faculty in social entrepreneurship at Jaypee Business School in India, and non-resident faculty of Faith in Leadership at St. Benet’s Hall, Oxford University. Leadership Dr. McNamara served seven years as the Director of International Studies at University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). Previous positions include Senior International Officer, Director of Schwalb Center for Israel, Jewish Studies and the Middle East, Director of Sustained Dialogue Initiative and Director of Omaha World Affairs Council. He is currently on the International Council of Initiatives of Change, part of a global, interfaith NGO “building trust across the world’s divides.” Other experience includes: overseeing grant programs and advising corporate and family donors at the Omaha Community Foundation which annually gave over $80 million to nonprofits; directing the Omaha Hate Crimes Project, a community and law enforcement partnership funded by the U.S. Department of Justice; managing an ink manufacturing company; and litigation paralegal at a Wall Street law firm. Patrick gave a TEDxOmaha Talk on Water Conflict, Water Peace. Fulbright Patrick was a 2011 Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar in India conducting research on water conflict, teaching social entrepreneurship and working at a philanthropic consultancy. He served as Fulbright Program Advisor at UNO for three years and hosted Fulbright Scholars from South and Central Asia. He sat on the selection panel for Fulbrighters from India to come to the U.S. He is now on the Fulbright Specialist list for civic engagement, peacebuilding and entrepreneurship. Primary Investigator or Academic Director on Grant Projects • Over $9 million in Southeast Asia: Since 2015, Patrick leads Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Civic Engagement track • Over $3 million in Afghanistan through UNO’s Center for Afghanistan Studies • Over $2.5 million in India including Partnership 2020: U.S-India Higher Education Cooperation which funds 15 U.S. and Indian university collaborations • in Balkans: BOLD Initiative training Serbian, Montenegrin, and Bosnian young leaders • in Pakistan • in Central Asia University Partnership Program (UniCEN)