Simmons Joins CPD as Sixth U.S. Public Diplomat in Residence

Angus Taylor Simmons, a senior Foreign Service Officer at the Department of State, has joined the USC Center on Public Diplomacy as its sixth U.S. Public Diplomat in Residence. Simmons comes to the Center with over thirty years of experience in policy and program implementation, public diplomacy, negotiation, and management responsibilities. Most recently, he served as Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Prior to that, he served two tours as head of the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Najaf, Iraq, and as Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

CPD director Philip Seib welcomed Simmons, saying: "We are delighted that Angus is joining us. His extensive and diverse field experience will prove invaluable to CPD’s work in numerous ways.”

Simmons has had various other diplomatic assignments throughout his career across Asia and South Asia. These include U.S. Consul General in Mumbai, India; U.S. Consul General in Shenyang, China; Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon, Burma. Simmons is a graduate of Oxford University in Oriental Studies as well as the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He speaks Chinese, Japanese and Arabic.

About the U.S. Public Diplomat in Residence Program at CPD

Established in 2005 by joint agreement between the USC Center on Public Diplomacy and the office of the U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, the U.S. Public Diplomat in Residence is a detail assignment for one Senior Foreign Service Public Diplomacy Officer. While in residence at the Center, the U.S. Public Diplomat in Residence teaches at least one course in the USC Master of Public Diplomacy program and engages in individualized program research and writing for the Center's publication series as well as outreach to students and the academic community on matters related to public diplomacy. The U.S. Public Diplomat in Residence program is unique to the University of Southern California.

To read out more about previous Visiting Scholars at CPD, please click here.