Innovating Public Diplomacy: The 2024 Ameri Prize

The USC Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD) announced the 2024 recipient of the Ameri Prize for Innovation in Public Diplomacy at a special award event held on September 24, 2024, at the University of Southern California Capital Campus in Washington, D.C. The annual Ameri Prize honors U.S. foreign and civil service officers for creative and scalable initiatives that advance global public diplomacy. The program, established by CPD in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State, aims to promote the practice of public diplomacy and further develop the field at a time when it is needed more than ever.

Jane Harman, former nine-term congresswoman and renowned security and public policy expert, opened the event with remarks. Following the announcement of the 2024 Ameri Prize recipient, Assistant Secretary of State Rena Bitter provided commentary on the winning project.

About Rena Bitter

Rena Bitter has served as Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs since August 2021. She oversees global consular operations, including visa issuance, passport services, and the protection of U.S. citizens abroad. Her extensive public service includes roles such as U.S. Ambassador to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Special Assistant to Secretary of State Colin Powell. She has also served as Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City and Consular Chief in Amman, Jordan. Rena joined the State Department in 1994 and has held multiple leadership positions both domestically and internationally.

About Jane Harman

Jane Harman is a former nine-term congresswoman from California and former House Intelligence Committee ranking member. She is currently the chair of the bipartisan Commission on the National Defense Strategy and co-chair of the Freedom House Board of Trustees. Harman is recognized as a national expert on security and public policy issues and has served on advisory boards for the CIA, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and State. Her book, "Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security Problems Makes Us Less Safe," was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2021.