Nicolas van de Walle *90

Nic died July 15, 2024, of cancer in Rochester, N.Y.

Born June 25, 1957, in Brussels, Nic earned a B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania in 1979 and a master’s degree at the London School of Economics in 1980. After working at the European Community in Brussels and with the U.N. in Tunisia, he received his Ph.D. from the Woodrow Wilson School in 1990.

Nic taught at Michigan State before joining Cornell’s government department in 2004 and to direct the Einaudi Center. His expertise included political science, development studies, public policy, and African studies.

Nic wrote or co-edited seven books on African politics, elections, and the impact of foreign aid. His African Economies and The Politics of Permanent Crisis, 1979-1999 won the American Political Science Association’s 2001 G.M. Luebbert Prize for the best book in comparative politics. He wrote the Africa book review section of Foreign Affairs for 20 years.

A fellow at the Overseas Development Council and a nonresident fellow at the Center for Global Development, Nic consulted for the World Bank and USAID. Honors include the 2022 African Politics Conference Group/John Harbeson Distinguished Africanist Award.

Nic is survived by spouse Michèle; daughters Nadia and Juliette; and three grandchildren.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.