Strengthening the humanity and dignity of people in crises through evidence and learning
Faculty and Researchers
Paul HoweDirector and Irwin H. Rosenberg Professor of Nutrition and Human Security Working with Feinstein Since: 2021
Based in: Brookline, MA
As director, Paul Howe is responsible for the overall strategy and administration of the Feinstein International Center. A recognized expert on the topic of famine, he brings to his role over 17 years of experience working with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). In his last assignment, he served as WFP Country Director in Nigeria. He previously worked in Afghanistan, Uganda, and Laos and at WFP’s headquarters in Italy. Even while serving as a senior leader in WFP, Paul continued his research and publication activities on the issues of hunger, famine, and the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
Paul received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a master’s degree from Princeton University, and a doctorate from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex.
He lives in Brookline, MA, with his wife and daughter.
- Hunger and Famine
- Humanitarian/Development/Peace Nexus
- Howe, Paul, and Devereux, Stephen. “Famine intensity and magnitude scales: A proposal for an instrumental definition of famine.” Disasters no. 28(4), (December 2004): 353-372.
- Howe, Paul and Naumova, Elena. “Poverty and famines 2.0: the opportunities and challenges of crisis modeling and forecasting.” Journal of Public Health Policy (2022). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41271-022-00354-w
- Howe, Paul. “The triple nexus: A potential approach to supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals?” World Development, no. 124 (December 2019): 104-629.
- Howe, Paul. “Famine systems: A new model for understanding the development of famines.” World Development, no. 105 (May 2018): 144-155.
News Items
Paul Howe discusses making the world more resilient with TuftsNow
A year after Paul Howe assumed leadership of the Feinstein International Center, TuftsNow sat down with him to understand his aspirations for the center and his thoughts on humanitarian assistance. Read the…
Read MorePaul Howe publishes on poverty and famines in the Journal of Public Health Policy
In their editorial “Poverty and famines 2.0: the opportunities and challenges of crisis modeling and forecasting” in the Journal of Public Health Policy, Paul Howe and Elena Naumova explore how…
Read MoreFeinstein Research Projects
Localization of Humanitarian Assistance
This research program seeks to understand the enabling and hindering factors that support localized or locally led humanitarian responses to natural disasters, conflicts, and prolonged complex emergencies.
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