News & Stories

David B. Ottaway Will Be Honored as a Columbia Alumni Medalist

Posted May 16 2012

SIPA congratulates David B. Ottaway ’63IF, ’68GSAS, ’72GSAS, who will be honored as one of the 2012 Columbia Alumni Medalists at this year’s University Commencement on May 16.

The Alumni Medal is the highest honor bestowed by the Columbia Alumni Association. First awarded in 1933, it is given in recognition of distinguished service to the University, including its schools, alumni associations, regional clubs, and University-wide initiatives.

As a member of both the SIPA Advisory Board and the SIPA Campaign Advisory Council, David Ottaway freely shares his global knowledge and expertise for Columbia’s benefit. As a past chair of the International Fellowship Program Task Force, he effectively modeled and influenced key philanthropy toward Columbia. He also helped to lead an initiative to revive and expand the International Fellows program at SIPA, which just completed its first full year in its renewed format.  He and his wife, Marina, have two endowed scholarships at SIPA.

Ottaway is currently a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, a position he has held since retiring from The Washington Post in 2006. Spending over 35 years at the Post, he served in a variety of positions including assistant foreign editor, Africa bureau chief, Cairo bureau chief, national security correspondent, and investigative/special projects reporter.

Ottaway is also the author of several books, including Chained Together: Mandela, De Klerk, and the Struggle to Remake South Africa and The King's Messenger: Prince Bandar bin Sultan and America's Entangled Relationship with Saudi Arabia.

SIPA has more than 17,200 alumni in 156 countries worldwide and sponsors events around the world that provide alumni with meaningful social, intellectual, and professional networking opportunities. Visit SIPA’s Office of Alumni Affairs to learn more about these opportunities.