Dr. John Waterbury is a political economist who has published widely on the politics of the Middle East, the political economy of public enterprise, and on the development of international river basins. His book The Nile Basin: National Determinants of Collective Action was a pacesetting analysis.

Dr. Waterbury was president of the American University of Beirut from 1998 to 2008, where he oversaw the first master plan to develop new and renovate facilities, led a strategic academic review, and championed a successful fundraising campaign – the Campaign for Excellence. He received an Honorary Doctorate during his last commencement exercises at the university in recognition of his achievements as a president. He also received an honorary degree from Princeton University in 2008.

Dr. Waterbury has participated in many organizations worldwide as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; the Advisory Board of the Greater Middle East Studies Center, RAND Corporation; the Advisory Board of the Center for Peace and Justice at Princeton University; the Academic Advisory Board to the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development; the International Advisory Board of the National Bank of Kuwait; and as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.