What's "In the Works" for Vivian Walker?

A professor of National Security Strategy and the National War College in D.C., Vivian S. Walker's research focuses on contemporary challenges to the practice of public diplomacy. In particular, she is looking for answers to the following questions: How can a government's message be effective in the face of inadequate information, competing institutional priorities, and diverse audiences in a globalized information environment? As well as, how should governments react when the weaponization of information threatens national security? 

Currently, Dr. Walker is planning to write a new case study that explores how states deal with counterterrorism narratives in fulfillment of their national strategic interests. Additionally, she is developing a short, interactive training course on public diplomacy for Ukrainian government officials. This course, targeted at strategic planners as well as spokespersons and public affairs officers, models the strategic communication planning process, with an emphasis on the identification of objectives, audiences, tools and performance measures. 

Walker was recently named as Core Course Director for "The Non-Military Instruments of Statecraft," in the Masters program in National Security Studies at the National War College (NWC). This course offers NWC students, a select group of civilians, and military officers a comprehensive introduction to the use of diplomatic, information, and economic tools in the pursuit of national security strategy. She will also serve as an instructor in CPD's 2016 Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy.

Recent publications include: 

• Case 331: “State Narratives in Complex Media Environments: The Case of Ukraine” (Georgetown University, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy),  December 2015.
• “Benghazi:  Managing the Message,” CPD Perspectives on Public Diplomacy, Paper 3 (Los Angeles: University of Southern California Center for Public Diplomacy), April 2015.

About this series:

"In the Works" is CPD's periodic roundup of news from the international PD scholarly community. If you've taken up a new academic position, published a new work or recently embarked on a research project on a public diplomacy topic, let us know! All updates can be sent to cpd@usc.edu. Please be sure to use "In the Works" in the subject heading.