A passionate advocate for research, Dr. Wendy Baldwin had what some might call the ideal job. She was the Executive Vice President for Research at the University of Kentucky, lured back to Lexington and her alma mater after a decade serving as the Deputy Director for Extramural Research at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Baldwin was tasked with helping faculty members find new opportunities and funding for research, and by all accounts she attacked this challenge with skill and conviction. Still, something was missing in her professional life.
"I have a career because from very early on I was motivated by the challenges faced by young people - - especially young women - - to make it to adulthood with the basic skills that they need for their lives and able to have the number of children they want," Dr. Baldwin says. She needed something that tapped that still-strong desire to have a more direct impact on the lives of young women facing the most difficult circumstances.
So Dr. Baldwin turned to the New York-based non-profit organization that supported her dissertation research in Bogota, Columbia when she was a graduate student at UK - - The Population Council.
The Population Council is a global research organization with offices in 18 countries, programs in 65 countries, and a motto that proclaims, "Research that makes a difference." The group has dozens of researchers in the field. They're examining HIV-AIDS intervention programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. They're looking at how Bangladesh and Indian authorities provide care and support services to victims of rape. They're looking at approaches for creating opportunities for Mayan adolescent girls in Guatemala.
Today Dr. Baldwin directs the organization's Poverty, Gender, and Youth Program. She is very straightforward about her work: "We develop an evidence base about how adolescents make the transition to healthy, productive adulthood." And since she still calls Lexington home - - she says "Lexington is just a terrific place to live" - - one could argue she has the longest commute in town.
From a practical standpoint, one can learn a great deal about the challenges facing less-developed countries by examining how those countries address gender and poverty issues. Research suggests that economies - - and communities - - do better when disadvantaged young women and girls get protection and support. In this way, the Population Council isn't simply a traditional "humanitarian organization," but one that provides and supports the research from which effective programs are built.
"There is a role for humanitarian organizations, especially in times of crisis," Dr. Baldwin says. "But there is also a need for organizations that seek to understand problems in ways that they can build an evidence base and support fundamental changes. We look for ways that the results of our work can influence governments to change policies - - perhaps to make it permissible for young girls to return to school if married, or [endorse] programs that specifically support school fees. It is exciting to see families or communities change practices in constructive ways."
Multinational companies have seen the value that organizations like the Population Council provides for some time now, as they often see less-developed countries as the source of a potential workforce. "There is growing involvement of the corporate sector in the work that we do," Dr. Baldwin explains. "For many companies that work around the world, they see the need for young people to have positive life courses, and to develop their potential."
However, it's not just about major multinationals - - smaller and more local companies depend on the Population Council's work more today than ever before. As our national economy slows and Bluegrass businesses feel the pinch, we will help ourselves if we rely more - - not less - - on foreign countries. If less-developed countries can advance their own economies by addressing issues of poverty, youth and gender, they will have more willingness and ability to buy the goods and services the Bluegrass produces. "Many of these programs help young people make the transition into income-generating work. One of the most popular aspects of such programming is financial literacy," Dr. Baldwin says. "Young people are eager to learn how to manage their money - - when they are able to earn it - - and how to function in a world that may be very different from what their parents experienced growing up."
Dr. Baldwin is making the case for local businesses of any size to get involved. While multi-million dollar donations certainly won't be turned down, Dr. Baldwin is trying to create opportunities for everyone to contribute and to share in the Population Council's success. Not surprisingly, she's looking for businesses to help students become better researchers.
"I would love to see the business community come together and sponsor an internship so that a student in Kentucky could learn more about this work. I think there are many students in Kentucky who understand the challenges of growing up in a changing world," Dr. Baldwin says. "They could bring their skills to others who are facing challenges that are, frankly, unimaginable to most of us. Also, some have said that the greatest happiness comes from knowing that you have done something that makes the world a better place. It sounds corny, but I believe it, I feel it, I live it and I'd like to see more students get the opportunity to experience it."
Of course, Dr. Baldwin isn't afraid to discuss the emotional benefits of participation. "The work that we do goes to the heart of how girls are valued - - or not. I believe these are issues that everyone can relate to," she says. "Too often problems in developing countries seem so far away and it isn't clear what can be done to make the lives of girls better. I have seen programs that have a transformative effect on girls. I've talked with fathers who were so appreciative of the help in finding a better life for their daughters. There is a fundamental satisfaction that comes from such work. This work is a wonderful way to spread a vision of the compassion of people for others. I would like more people to associate that view with the people of Kentucky."
David Wescott is a Lexington-based vice president for APCO Worldwide, a global public affairs firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. His blog, "It's Not a Lecture," can be found online at itsnotalecture.blogspot.com