SUU Graduate Joins CSIS as Director of Africa Program

Published: January 06, 2022 | Author: Southern Utah University | Read Time: 2 minutes

SUU grad joins CSISThe Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) just announced Southern Utah University alumni Mvemba Phezo Dizolele has joined the organization as a senior fellow and director of the Africa Program. Former Africa senior advisor for the International Republican Institute (IRI), Dizolele has worked as a non-resident senior associate for the CSIS Africa Program for over three years.

“Mvemba’s leadership will add to the strength of our Africa Program,” said Dr. John J. Hamre, president and CEO of CSIS. “His expertise and range of experience will further the program’s research and analysis on the major elements of U.S. policy toward Africa.”

Dizolele received his bachelor’s degree in political science and French from SUU before going on to pursue his international MBA in economics, strategy, and international business as well as his MPP in international development and economic policy from the University of Chicago. He is fluent in French, Swahili, Spanish, Norwegian, Kikongo, and Lingala and proficient in Swedish and Danish. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Before joining the IRI, Dizolele worked for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute as a course coordinator for central and south Africa from 2016 to 2019. He has been a lecturer for the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies since 2012, and he was a national fellow and distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution from 2008-2015.

Dizolele’s other accomplishments include testifying in both chambers of the United States Congress and in the UN Security Council. He served as an election monitor and delegate in several African countries, where he also served as a reporter. His works have been published to many outlets, including The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Forbes, International Herald Tribune, and others. Dizolele also has been featured as an analyst on radio stations such as NPR, PBS, BBC, and several others. He also has written a biography titled, Mobutu: The Rise and Fall of the Leopard King.

Dizolele returned to SUU in the fall of 2018 to speak on campus and receive the Outstanding Alumnus Award, an award presented to a graduate who has distinguished themselves through community involvement and/or profession.


Tags: Student College of Humanities and Social Sciences Alumni

Contact Information:

435-586-5400
Contact the Office of Marketing Communication