Noah Chestnut is a second year Master of Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California. His research interests include the significance of public diplomacy in both insurgency movements and counter-insurgency campaigns, the relationship between humanitarian assistance and public diplomacy, and using rhetorical analysis with international relations theory to better explain the justifications for public diplomacy. He is the research editor for the Public Diplomacy Magazine (forthcoming Winter 2008/2009). In the fall of 2007, he presented his paper entitled "Freedom of Expression, Public Diplomacy and the War on Terror" at the National Communications Association Convention. In addition to his work in public diplomacy, Noah is as an assistant debate coach for the Trojan Debate Squad.

In 2007, Noah received a Bachelors of Science in Political Science and Communications Studies from Northwestern University. His senior thesis, "The Slave Ship Zong and the Force of Necessity", researched eighteenth century manuscripts from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England to investigate the linkages between the insurance industry and the transatlantic slave trade. Noah was an accomplished debater, winning the prestigious Julia Burke award for Excellence and Character in national debate.