Announcing New CPD Student Fellows

"We are thrilled to bring these two high-caliber students to the CPD team," said CPD Director Jay Wang. "The skills they've acquired in professional settings, coupled with their creative and enthusiastic approach to working at CPD should help boost the Center's upward momentum." 

"I'm delighted to be working for CPD as it's an amazing opportunity for me to collaborate with experienced professionals and student scholars, who I'm confident will help me expand my skill-set as it relates to public diplomacy," said Jones.

"Since I am not an MPD student, this is a unique opportunity for me to experience the intersection between PR and public diplomacy, which holds many vital implications for companies around the world," added Swarthout.

Madison Jones is a first-year graduate student in the Master of Public Diplomacy program at USC. She graduated from California Lutheran University with a degree in Communication and a minor in Political Science and spent two years working in public relations in Los Angeles and New York City. She is particularly interested in political communication and the importance of global public opinion.

As a CPD Student Fellow, Madison will work on producing editorial content for the CPD website, helping manage the Center's social media platforms and assisting with research projects.

Katrina Swarthout is a first-year graduate student in the Master of Strategic Public Relations program at USC. A graduate from the University of Alabama, she majored in communication studies and minored in German and public relations. Katrina has worked at Symantec as a Social Media Marketing Intern and is a Project Associate at the USC Center for Public relations.

As a CPD Student Fellow, Katrina will help manage and monitor the Center's digital communications and marketing strategies.

About the CPD Student Fellowship Program

This program was established in 2014 to help recruit the best students to USC. It provides funding for outstanding graduate students to pursue their studies and work at CPD developing, conducting, and promoting our various projects.