U.S. Department of State

FF Jackie Spedding Empowers Peru’s Women Business Owners

WeConnect International, a non-profit that focuses on empowering women to succeed in the modern global supply chain, has partnered with USAID and the State Department’s Pathways to Access Initiative (PAI) in Peru. On May 3rd, WeConnect released a video synopsis of February’s delegation, in which economists, corporate leaders and government officials, including FF Jackie Spedding, the Senior Advisor for the Global Women’s Business Initiative (GWBI). To watch the WeConnect video, click here. Read more about Jackie here.

Former FF Jen Osetek is featured in the latest May 2012 issue of George Mason University’s “PIA Perspectives 2011”

Former Franklin Fellow Jen Osetek is featured in the latest May 2012 issue of George Mason University’s “PIA Perspectives 2011” in an article titled “Biodefense Combines Theory, Real-World Experience – click here to see page 6 of the article.

Former FF Shelly Porges attended the recent Global Entrepreneurship Congress

Former Franklin Fellow Shelly Porges, Senior Advisor, Entrepreneurship and the Director of the Global Entrepreneurship Program, attended the recent Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Liverpool, UK. Shelly spoke to the heads of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) from all over the world on how GEP and our Embassies are supporting GEW.

FF Ann Mei Chang Tech Talk

Franklin Fellow Ann Mei Chang of Google did a Tech Talk for the Global Broadband and Innovations Program at USAID on February 20th on the topic of considering gender issues when building apps for development projects. Check out the DipNote on February 27th with a summary of the topic and link to the video of the talk.

Lillian Zia

We are pleased to announce that our 119th Franklin Fellow is Lillian Zia.  Lillian is serving in IRO’s Office of eDiplomacy, where she is the Senior Innovation Advisor.  Lillian’s portfolio is to look for opportunities to leverage technology for diplomacy around the world.

Laurel Voloder

We are pleased to inform you that Dr. Laurel S. Voloder is our 117th Franklin Fellow.  Laurel, our 117th Fellow, is assigned to DRL’s Office of International Religious Freedom, charged with monitoring and reporting on religious persecution and discrimination and with formulating U.S. policies and programs to promote religious freedom around the world.  Laurel will oversee policy development and program activities in a portfolio comprising countries in Eastern and South-Central Europe.

Erin Duggins

We are pleased to announce Erin Duggins as our 116th Franklin Fellow. Erin is serving in the Office of USAID’s Chief Operating Officer, where she is a Senior Advisor and will help USAID establish and institutionalize a new Internal Communications and Engagement Team.  In that capacity, Erin will develop a multi-faceted, multi channel communications strategy that establishes a unified platform by which USAID can reach out to 9000 staff, plus PSCs and institutional contractors, located in 80 countries and 3 DC offices with then information needed to achieve results, keep people connected, build community and retain staff that is more than 50% new hires (within past three years).

Debra Gulick

We are pleased to announce that our 115th Franklin Fellow is Debra Gulick.  Debra, who began her fellowship on April 4th, serves in ISN’s Office of the Coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs, where her duties include assisting and advising Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins in her role as Chair of the Global Partnership Working Group (GPWG) in 2012 and as the U.S. representative to the GPWG in 2013.  She will be working closely with the National Security Staff and their efforts in leading the Biosecurity Working Group of the Global Partnership.  She will also be serving as liaison for ISN/TR with U.S. departments and agencies for activities related to the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit.

David Mandel-Anthony

The Franklin Fellows Program is very pleased to announce that our 114th Franklin Fellow is David Mandel-Anthony.  David, who began his fellowship on March 14, joins the Office of Global Criminal Justice (formerly the Office of War Crimes Issues).  His portfolio in J/GCJ includes accountability and transitional justice issues in Sudan, South Sudan, and Kenya and ongoing legal and policy planning in regards to international criminal tribunals.

FF Luis Alvarez and the Office of Global Intergovernmental Affairs Negotiates MOU between U.S. and Brazil Officials

On Monday, April 9, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on State and Local Cooperation.  This agreement was signed on the margins of the “Brazil-U.S. Partnership for the 21st Century” conference which took place in Washington, D.C. during Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s visit to the United States.  Franklin Fellow Luis R. Alvarez Jr., working in the Office of Global Intergovernmental Affairs, was integral part of the negotiations of the MOU and has worked for the past year on promoting sub-national engagement between U.S. State and Local officials and their counterparts from around the world. The MOU on State and Local Cooperation is highlighted in the fourth paragraph of the Joint Statement by President Obama and President Rouseff (see below for link to statement).”

Link to the White House:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/09/joint-statement-president-obama-and-president-rousseff

Names of the dignitaries in the signing photograph:

1. Brazilian Ambassador Mauro Vieira
2. Brazilian Minister Carlos de Abreu
3. Lauro Gusmão, Executive Secretary from the Secretary of Government, State of Pernambuco
4. Aguinaldo Ribeiro, Minister of the Cities
5. Luciano Almeida, Chairman, Investe Sao Paulo
6. Benito Gama, Secretary of Development, Rio Grande do Norte
7. Maurício Rands, Secretary of Government, Pernambuco
8. Maryland Deputy Secretary of State Rajan Natarajan
9. U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Thomas A. Shannon, Jr.
10. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta S. Jacobson
11. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn
12. Pennsylvania State Senator Mike Brubaker
13. Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs Reta Jo Lewis
14. Nevada Assemblyman and Chairman, International Committee, Council of State Governments, Marcus Conklin

At the table:

1. Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota
2. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Jeff Holiday

The Franklin Fellows Program is proud to announce our 112th Fellow, Jeff Holiday, who serves in the Office of the Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Civil Society and Emerging Democracies (S/SACSED).  He will be working to create and implement new initiatives to strengthen civil society and support emerging democracies.

Courtney Rusin

The Franklin Fellows Program is pleased to announce our 111th Fellow Courtney Rusin. Courtney is serving as an attorney-adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser, Office of Treaty Affairs (L/T).  Her primary focus is advising lawyers and policy-makers on international and domestic treaty law related to Western Hemisphere Affairs, East Asian Affairs, and Oceans, International Environment, and Scientific Affairs.

Amaka Ozobia

The Franklin Fellows Program is proud to announce our 110th Fellow Amaka Ozobia, who joins PRM’s Office of Refugee Admissions (PRM/A) which manages the US Refugee Admissions Program.  She will serve on the Admissions Health Team as a consultant on refugee resettlement, particularly in areas related to refugee health.

Cora Neuman

The Franklin Fellows Program proudly welcomes Cora Neuman, our 109th Fellow, joins EB’s Office of Commercial and Business Affairs (EB/CBA), where she is a Senior Advisor to the Global Women’s Business Initiative (GWBI).  The GWBI is part of CBA’s Global Entrepreneurship Program.  In particular, Cora helps coordinate the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP), which was launched by Secretary Clinton in 2010 and has since become a flagship women’s entrepreneurship program for the State Department.

Jennifer Donofrio

The Franklin Fellows Program welcomes  Jennifer, our 108th Fellow, who joins OES’ Office of International Health and Biodefense, where she serves as the action officer on maternal and child health.  Her portfolio includes Global Health Governance and health issues that may accompany G8/ G20 agendas.  She also covers trade and investment policies and their interactions with international public health and the environment.

Karen Smid

The Franklin Fellows Program proudly welcomes our 107th Fellow Karen Smid who will be serving in DRL's Office of African Affairs (DRL/AF), where she focuses on Senegal, Gambia, Cape Verde, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau and is responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on human rights conditions and democracy-related developments.

Franklin Fellows Partnership in The Global Entrepreneurship Program (GEP)

The January 2012 edition of The Global Entrepreneurship Program (GEP) Newsletter has announced that the program has added the Global Women’s Business Initiative (GWBI) as a partnering organization. This partnership will increase the visibility of GWBI which fosters market growth and business opportunities for women in developing countries.  This is not only between two programs at State, but also two current Franklin Fellows: Shelly Porges and Jackie Spedding. Shelly has worked extensively with the GBWI and GEP since she began her tenure as a Fellow in 2010. Jackie came onboard as a Franklin Fellow in October of last year from Wal-Mart Stores Inc., where she led the Global Women’s Supply Chain Inclusion in Global Sourcing.

The Global Entrepreneurship Program was founded in 2010 to promote entrepreneurship around the world. Former Franklin Fellow Steven Koltai, who currently leads the GEP as the Senior Adviser for Entrepreneurship.

We extend our congratulations to the great work that our current Franklin Fellows and alumni have performed here at the Department of State.

FF Jason Flipper serves as Special Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation

Former Franklin Fellow Jason Flippen now serves as the Special Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation. While in Moscow, Jason will continue to work on Department-wide organizational development and strategy for 21st Century Statecraft.

FF Luis Alvarez returns from trip to Brazil with Special Representative Reta Jo Lewis

Franklin Fellow Luis Alvarez has recently returned from a trip with the Special Representative to Brazil, Reta Jo Lewis. Over the course of ten days, they visited six cities, including the capital Brasilia, in efforts to build and reinforce relationships in the region with Federal and subnational leaders. Both U.S. representatives and Brazilian leaders discussed ways that they can promote economic prosperity through social inclusion, education and increased trade and investment, while working to eliminate social, racial, ethnic and gender discrimination. With Brazil hosting the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, the U.S. is especially coordinating with different Brazilian Federal agencies and public-private partnerships in order to collaborate on best practices of planning and infrastructure for the events.

FF Dr. Ashok Vaseashta Selected as FAPS (Fellow of the American Physical Society) and Published a New Book

Franklin Fellow Prof. Dr. Ashok Vaseashta was recently selected as Fellow of the American Physical Society and Forum on International Physics. The Forum members help advance the knowledge of physics and its diffusion by fostering cooperation and communication among physicists of all countries.  Dr. Vaseashta’s contribution is cited as, “For exceptional contributions and leadership in promoting scientific collaborations throughout America, Europe with focus in Black-Sea Region, and Asian-Pacific Rim for research in nanomaterials to solve grand challenges of the 21st century”. Also, Dr. Vaseashta recently published a book titled “Technological Innovations in Sensing and Detection of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Threats and Ecological Terrorism” a NATO Science for Peace and Security Series, published by Springer.  Dr. Vaseashta currently serves as a Franklin Fellow in the Office of Verification and Transparency Technologies, which leads the State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance in identifying technological solutions for verification and compliance issues for current and future arms control challenges, thereby enabling policy choices.

Former FF Jenny Stein Receives Superior Honor Award

Former Franklin Fellow Jenny Stein has been awarded the Department of State’s Superior Honor Award.  The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor nominated her “for skilled negotiations backed by intense preparation that led to the creation of a governing body for the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and, in that creation, the revival of the Voluntary Principles.” 

The Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights is an initiative that brings together governments, companies, and NGOs to make sure that as companies extract resources in some of the most difficult places on earth, they take tangible steps to minimize the risk of human rights abuses in the surrounding communities.  For more information see www.voluntaryprinicples.org 

This is a great honor, and we are proud to have Jenny as part of the Franklin Fellows family.

Eric Medoff

We are pleased to announce that our 101st Franklin Fellow is Eric Medoff.  Eric is serving in IO’s Office of Peacekeeping, Sanctions and Counter-Terrorism (IO/PSC), where he is the Bureau’s point of contact on issues related to North Korea, Sudan, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire Sanctions, as well as conflict minerals issues.

We are pleased to announce that our 102nd Franklin Fellow is Dr. Jeffrey Kealing.  Jeffrey is serving in the ECA’s Office of Private Sector Exchange, where he is helping to coordinate Department public-private partnerships in education and technology sectors.

Shaun Galloway

We are pleased to announce that our 103nd Franklin Fellow is Shaun Galloway.  Shaun, who reported on November 8, is our first-ever Fellow in the Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT).