The USC Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD) is a research, analysis and professional training organization dedicated to enriching the study and practice of public diplomacy in pursuit of a more peaceful and prosperous world. Established in 2003 and housed in the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the Center works daily to strengthen the field of public diplomacy by conducting research, providing training, organizing convenings, and celebrating achievement through awards such as the Ameri Prize for Innovation in Public Diplomacy.
CPD Staff
Renee Almassizadeh
Assistant Director for Operations and Programming
Sohaela Amiri
Senior Research Officer
Rachel Cohrs Zhang
Website Manager (Consultant)
César Corona
Assistant Director of Engagement
Andrew Dubbins
Assistant Director for Marketing Communication
Janine Hurty
Director of Development, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
CPD ADVISORY BOARD
Marie Royce
CPD Advisory Board Member
Former Assistant Secretary of State, Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
Jonathan Woetzel
CPD Advisory Board Member
McKinsey & Co. Senior Partner and McKinsey Global Institute Director
STUDENT INTERNS
CPD Visiting Scholars
Joshua Shen
U.S. Public Diplomat in Residence 2024-26, CPD Visiting Scholar
To view past CPD Visiting Scholars, click here.
CPD Research Fellows
Jess Carniel
CPD Research Fellow 2024-26
Associate Professor, University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Dmitry Chernobrov
CPD Research Fellow 2022–24
Associate Professor, Department of Journalism Studies, University of Sheffield
Alina Dolea
CPD Research Fellow 2022–24
Principal Academic in Media, Communication and Politics, Bournemouth University, UK
Kyle Long
CPD Research Fellow 2022–24
Senior Director, Organizational Strategy & Change, Northwestern University
Shearon Roberts
CPD Research Fellow 2021-2023
Associate Professor of Mass Communication, Xavier University of Louisiana
CPD Faculty Fellows
Amara Aguilar
USC Annenberg
Anthony Bailey
VP for Global Initiatives, USC
Robert Banks
USC Annenberg
Corneliu Bjola
University of Oxford
Laurie Brand
USC School of International Relations
Caitlin Byrne
Griffith Asia Institute
Geoffrey Cowan
USC Annenberg
Nicholas J. Cull
USC Annenberg
Kathy Fitzpatrick
University of South Florida
Robeson Taj Frazier
USC Annenberg
Vince Gonzales
USC Annenberg
G. Thomas Goodnight
USC Annenberg
Bruce Gregory
George Washington University
Robert Hernandez
USC Annenberg
Tom Hollihan
USC Annenberg
Jeong-Nam Kim
University of Oklahoma
Josh Kun
USC Annenberg
Matthew Le Veque
USC Annenberg
Jan Melissen
Clingendael
Najmedin Meshkati
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Erik Nisbet
Northwestern University
James Pamment
Lund University
Katarzyna Pisarska
Warsaw School of Economics
Adam Clayton Powell, III
USC Annenberg
Alison Dundes Renteln
USC Dornsife
Patricia Riley
USC Annenberg
Philip Seib
USC Annenberg
Varun Soni
Dean of Religious Life, USC
Pamela Starr
US-Mexico Network, USC
Vivian S. Walker
Georgetown University
Rebecca Weintraub
USC Annenberg
Ernest J. Wilson III
USC Annenberg
Diane Winston
USC Annenberg
Aimei Yang
USC Annenberg
R.S. Zaharna