Education helps displaced communities return home

To help facilitate the safe return of Iraqis displaced by the Islamic State group (IS), commonly referred to as ISIS, the Department of State supports explosive hazard risk education that equips displaced communities with...
Science Envoy for Health Security Dr. Michael Osterholm, center, discusses research to prevent the spread of infectious diseases during a visit to the Ghana Armed Forces United States Naval Medical Research Unit-3 Molecular Lab. Photo by Isaiah Tuolienuo

From Health to Space

By Hillary LeBail and Gavin Piercy Science envoys are preeminent American scientists and engineers who, at the request of the Secretary of State, agree to volunteer their time and utilize their scientific renown to further...
Appointments

Appointments | March 2019

Donald A. Blome - U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia Donald A. Blome (SFS) of Illinois is the new U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia. Blome is currently the chargé d’affairs at the...
In Memoriam

In Memoriam | March 2019

Dianne Marie Andruch, 68, died Sept. 4, 2018 in Tucson, Ariz. She was a Foreign Service officer, both as an office management specialist and later as a consular officer, serving in Indonesia and Mexico...
A stitched 360-degree panorama shows the Bosporus separating the European (foreground) and Asian (background left center) sides of Istanbul as seen from Galata Tower.

Istanbul

Story and photos by Isaac D. Pacheco Istanbul’s prominence as a trading hub and cultural crossroads stretches back to antiquity thanks to its strategic location along a major transcontinental trade route; the Turkish city straddles...
Retirements

Retirements | March 2019

Civil ServiceAlfonso, Mary S.Alix, Cathy D.Athanasaw, Yvonne A.Baden, Barbara J.Bautista, Darlene Y.Bridges, Judith M.Brown, ReneeBurnside, Sharon C.Catington, Susan M.Chodzko, Thomas H.Denver, Thomas J.Flaggs, Christopher H.Gambrill, Paula M.Gniewek, Larry F.Graham, Terrence A.Gravallese, David M.Gromoll, Robert...
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Africa and Public Diplomacy Elizabeth Fitzsimmons supports a public diplomacy English Club program in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. Photo courtesy of Public Affairs Section Brazzaville

Prioritizing People

By Jacqueline Mourot “The work of being a Public Affairs Officer was not going to wait for me to translate training into real tactics in the field as a first time PAO in a...
A historical etching shows Ebenezer Bassett at the time of his nomination to minister resident.Image courtesy of Harper’s Weekly, May 1, 1869.

Ebenezer Bassett

By Christopher Teal When President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Ebenezer D. Bassett as Minister Resident (Ambassador) to Haiti in 1869, Bassett made history. As the first African-American diplomat, Bassett paved the way for others with...
Members of the Office of Economic Sanctions Policy and Implementation pose for a picture. Photo by Lisa Marshall

Leading the frontline on all-government sanctions

By Tarek M. Fahmy The economic pressure campaign against the Iranian regime, nuclear weapons in North Korea, ruthless dictators in Venezuela, human rights violators in South Sudan and corruption in Russia are some of the...
IVLP Murrow participants enjoyed a full-day seminar at the Poynter Institute, where they examined trends, challenges and the future of media around the world. Photo by Ren LaForme

Journalists address responsibility in an age of disinformation

By Joshua Kreiser The Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists convenes journalists from around the world to examine free and responsible reporting and to help those journalists build networks with media professionals in the United...