Juliana Maitenaz is a graduate student in the Master of Public Diplomacy program and Geoffrey Cowan Scholar at USC Annenberg, from Brooklyn, New York. Prior to beginning her graduate studies, Juliana completed a Fulbright research grant in São Paulo, Brazil, developing her research on the transformation of percussion from an instrument of military force to one of soft power and cultural diplomacy, primarily focusing on how percussive elements in the Brazilian traditions of Carnaval and samba schools are instrumental to the country’s statecraft and national identity. While completing her Fulbright, she performed as a drummer in Carnaval 2024, and wrote a short book, “De Ouvido,” about the culture of pedagogy in São Paulo samba schools. Juliana graduated from Bard College and Conservatory of Music as a dual-degree student with degrees in Global International Studies and Classical Percussion.