Carolyn Makinson
Carolyn Makinson
Emeritus, Board of Directors
Carolyn Makinson has served in numerous leadership positions focused on human rights. Carolyn was the Executive Director of the International Rescue Committee UK from 2010 until 2014, the Executive Director of the Women’s Refugee Commission from 2004 to 2010, the Executive Director of MIT’s Center for International Studies from 2002 to 2004, and the director of the Andrew Mellon Foundation’s programs in Population and Forced Migration from 1988 until 2002.
Carolyn has lived and worked extensively overseas as a research affiliate at the American University in Cairo and as a country coordinator in Africa for the Demographic and Health Surveys project. She studied refugee programs in Rwanda, Guinea, and Mozambique as an affiliate of the International Rescue Committee and Save the Children US from 1995 until 1996.
Carolyn earned a PhD in Sociology and Demography from Princeton University, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She also serves on the boards of World Connect and the Vitol Foundation.