[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 18, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8122-S8123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. RALPH NURNBERGER

 Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, I am honored today to pay tribute 
to a truly remarkable American, Dr. Ralph Nurnberger. As some of my 
colleagues may already know, Dr. Nurnberger was recently presented with 
the 2003 Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award from Georgetown 
University. I can think of no one more deserving of this award than 
Ralph Nurnberger. I have known Ralph for many years and I have long 
admired his dedication to Georgetown's students and his fellow faculty 
members. Anyone who has the privilege of knowing this fine man will 
agree that Georgetown University continues to be held in such high 
esteem because of professors like Ralph Nurnberger. He is a good friend 
and I extend my most sincere congratulations.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the citation honoring Dr. 
Nurnberger be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

 Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award, Georgetown University, May 17, 
                                  2003

       In 1977, just three years after the Liberal Studies Program 
     started and two years after

[[Page S8123]]

     receiving his Ph.D. in Diplomatic History at Georgetown 
     University, Ralph Nurnberger began teaching in the Liberal 
     Studies Degree Program. Over more than two decades he has 
     taught courses in the Liberal Studies Program that focused on 
     American foreign relations, the American national character 
     and international relations, ideals and American foreign 
     policy, Congressional relations and American foreign policy. 
     Most recently he has been teaching a course on the aftermath 
     of 9/11, considering the domestic and international aftermath 
     for the United States.
       Dr. Nurnberger's teaching has been accomplished with 
     extensive experience in the field of domestic and 
     international affairs and their interaction. His Capitol Hill 
     experience included serving as foreign policy legislative 
     assistant to Senator James Person (R-Kansas) and as a 
     professional staff member of the Senate Foreign Relations 
     Committee. He has been a senior Fellow and director of 
     Congressional Relations for the Center for Strategic and 
     International Studies (CSIS). He spent over eight years as a 
     lobbyist for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee 
     (AIPAC). In the wake of the Rabin-Arafat signing of the Oslo 
     Accords he was appointed the Executive Director of an 
     organization, ``Builders for Peace,'' set up with the 
     guidance of then Vice-President Al Gore to help the Arab-
     Israeli peace process. His current position is that of 
     Counsel with Preston Gates Ellis and Rouvelas Meeds law and 
     lobbying firm and he also heads a government relations firm, 
     Nurnberger and Associates, While teaching and filling these 
     positions he has published extensively in major newspapers 
     and journals. His most recent book deals with lobbying in 
     America; his others have dealt with foreign policy and the 
     political process.
       Student evaluations applaud the examples and insights he 
     can offer from real life experiences which are tempered and 
     refined by his intellectual understanding and historical 
     perspective. Students are particularly impressed with Dr. 
     Nurnberger's ability to decipher complicated and contentious 
     issues and make them understandable. His courses are engaging 
     and insightful. In addition, students value the skillful 
     balance he offers on these subjects, which in turn leads to 
     thoughtful conversation and debate in class. He has become an 
     example for the students in how to conduct civil discourse 
     regardless of the intensity of emotion generated by a subject 
     or the individual's own principles and convictions.
       Over the years Ralph Nurnberger has patiently and 
     meticulously directed numerous student theses, often against 
     great odds but with sincere concern and unforgiving academic 
     precision. When extraordinary demands were made on his time 
     and attention his steady, generous commitment to the 
     student's project made successful completion possible.
       Today, we honor Ralph Nurnberger for his academic 
     excellence which he transmits to and requires from his 
     students; for his intellectual integrity whatever the issue; 
     for his generous guidance of students' research; for his 
     loyalty and enthusiasm for teaching Liberal Studies students 
     these many years; for his ability to make sense of a so often 
     chaotic world and America's role in that world. We are please 
     to present him with the Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award 
     for the year 2003.

                          ____________________