Open World Welcomes the Senator Ben Nelson Fellows

Senator Ben Nelson, fourth from left, with the Nelson Fellows. With them are Founding Open World Chair and Librarian of Congress Dr. James H. Billington, (second from left), Executive Director John O'Keefe (far left), and Open World Russian Country Direc
Press Release

Open World Welcomes the Senator Ben Nelson Fellows

For Immediate Release

Contact:Maura Sheldenmshelden@openworld.gov@OWprogram

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Open World Leadership Center welcomes its first group of Senator Ben Nelson Fellows, four medical doctors and researchers from Russia, on June 24. The Board of Trustees of the Open World Leadership Center at its annual meeting this year voted to create a program of Senator Ben Nelson Fellows to honor Senator Nelson's contribution to Open World and to improving ties between the U.S. and countries of the former Soviet Union. After an orientation in Washington, DC, the delegation will be hosted in Senator Nelson’s home state of Nebraska from June 26 – July 3.

The delegation arrived June 23. On June 24 and 25th , the delegation will meet on Capitol Hill with Senator Ben Nelson, and staff of Iowa’s representative Tom Latham and Nebraska’s 2nd district representative and Open World Trustee, Jeff Fortenberry.

Also in Washington, the Russian doctors/researchers will visit with staff at George Washington University’s Children’s National Medical Center, the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

In Omaha, the group will take part in programming designed by the Council Bluffs (Iowa) Sister Cities Association. The evening of June 26 the delegation and their local hosts will be the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Scott, Jr. Mr. Scott, Chairman of the Open World Board of Trustees, has provided astute guidance on the design of this inaugural group of Senator Ben Nelson Fellows.

In Omaha much of the doctors’ agenda will involve meetings with medical professionals at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), including those with expertise in cryopathy and molecular lymphoma pathology. Council Bluffs mayor Tom Hanafan will meet with the group in the Council Chambers on July 2.

Open World supports Congressional outreach to Eurasia and other countries. It conducts exchanges that establish lasting professional relationships between the up-and-coming leaders of Open World countries and Americans dedicated to showcasing U.S. values and democratic institutions. Open World has introduced more than 19,000 current and future decision makers from Russia, other countries of Eurasia, Egypt, and now Turkey to American political and civic life, and to their American counterparts. The U.S. Congress established Open World in 1999. ###