USC Master of Public Diplomacy Alumni Spotlight

Twenty years ago, in fall 2006, the first full class of students arrived on campus to take the newly launched Master's Degree in Public Diplomacy (MPD). We in the MPD team knew that each had proven qualities of excellence, but what we could not know was how that group would interact with each other. We need not have worried. The team spirit and family feeling within each MPD cohort made the degree special. From the outset when people asked me what was the best part about my life at USC. I always said the same thing: 'the quality of the students.' To celebrate MPD's 20th birthday I'm glad to introduce a series of interviews with distinguished MPD graduates including some of that original class and their successors, to give a glimpse of their accomplishments advancing foreign policy through public engagement and in fields beyond. Happy Birthday MPD.

- Professor Nicholas Cull

	Laila Mickelwait Co-founder and CEO of the Justice Defense Fund, where she leads public pressure campaigns and strategic litigation aimed at holding corporations and online platforms accountable for enabling online sexual crime.
	Dr. Neftalie Williams Director of the Center for Skateboarding, Action Sports, and Social Change, where he uses skateboarding as a tool for cultural diplomacy in partnership with the U.S. Department of State.
	Sudarshan Ramabadran A policy specialist, author, and strategic communications professional who leads corporate affairs and economic diplomacy initiatives for India's National Stock Exchange while working with governments and diplomatic missions.governments and diplomatic missions.
	Paul Rockower   A public diplomacy pioneer who helped develop the field of gastrodiplomacy, formerly managed U.S. State Department cultural diplomacy programs, and now focuses on extremism monitoring and crisis preparedness in Arizona.
	Mark Naylor   A U.S. Foreign Service Officer whose career has centered on public diplomacy assignments across Liberia, Argentina, Kosovo, Estonia, and Washington, D.C.
	Mona El Hamdani   A Moroccan international development leader who has directed USAID-supported programs promoting youth development, community resilience, and peacebuilding through the International Organization for Migration..
	Matthew Wallin   CEO of the American Security Project, where he leads research and policy initiatives on national security, strategic communication, and public diplomacy
	Madison Jones McAleese   A nonprofit consultant, ordained priest, and social justice advocate whose work bridges ministry, nonprofit leadership, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and digital outreach.
	Jillian Hegedus   A public affairs executive who has led political campaigns, public relations initiatives, and community engagement efforts while serving in local elected office in Los Angeles.
	Henrietta Levin   A national security expert, former White House National Security Council and State Department official, and current Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and instructor at Johns Hopkins SAIS.
	Di Wu   An international relations scholar and author who teaches at Tongji University and researches public diplomacy, strategic communication, and U.S.–China relations.
	Nora AlZahid   AlZahid leads the UN Development Programme's Governance and Policy Engagement portfolio in Saudi Arabia, overseeing partnerships with government entities to advance sustainable development and international cooperation.
	Ted Richane   A documentary filmmaker whose recent work includes The Endless Frontier, a film examining the history and uncertain future of U.S. federal support for scientific research.
	Yael Swerdlow   An entrepreneur whose current company works at the intersection of cognitive warfare, the brain economy and NeuroArts.