Washington, D.C. – March 8, 2017 – Ambassador Susan Elizabeth Rice, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2009-2013) and President Barack Obama's National Security Advisor (2013-2017), has joined American University as a Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow in the School of International Service (SIS). During her residency at AU, Ambassador Rice will work primarily on her next book and mentor SIS students on careers in national security.

"We are honored and incredibly proud to welcome Ambassador Rice to AU and SIS," said James Goldgeier, Dean of American University's School of International Service. "She brings decades of direct, high-level experience in international relations, foreign policy, and national security. I am excited that our students will have a unique opportunity to interact with Ambassador Rice, learn from her, and develop the skills that are truly essential to tackling the most critical global challenges."

"I am very pleased to become a part of SIS and the AU family," said Ambassador Rice. "I look forward to joining this distinguished community."

As the 24th National Security Advisor, Ambassador Rice directed NSC Staff and chaired the Cabinet-level National Security Principals Committee. She provided the President with daily national security briefings and was responsible for coordinating the formulation and implementation of all aspects of the Administration's foreign and national security policy, intelligence, and military efforts. 

As U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) and as a member of President Obama's Cabinet, Ambassador Rice worked to advance U.S. interests, defend universal values, strengthen the world's security and prosperity, and promote respect for human rights. In a world of 21st Century threats that pay no heed to borders, Ambassador Rice helped rebuild an effective basis for international cooperation that strengthened the United States' ability to achieve its foreign policy objectives and made the American people safer.

Ambassador Rice also held positions as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 1997 to 2001; Special Assistant to President William J. Clinton and Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House; as well as Director for International Organizations and Peacekeeping on the National Security Council staff. From 2002-2008, Rice was a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, where she conducted research and published widely on U.S. foreign policy, transnational security threats, weak states, global poverty and development. 

Ambassador Rice began her career as a management consultant with McKinsey and Company in Toronto, Canada. She has served on numerous boards, including the Bureau of National Affairs, National Democratic Institute and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

Rice received her Master's degree (M.Phil.) and Ph.D (D.Phil.) in International Relations from New College, Oxford University, England, where she was a Rhodes Scholar. She was awarded the Chatham House-British International Studies Association Prize for the most distinguished doctoral dissertation in the United Kingdom in the field of International Relations in 1990. Ambassador Rice received her B.A. in History with honors from Stanford University in 1986, where she was awarded junior Phi Beta Kappa and was a Truman Scholar. In 2017, French President Francois Hollande presented Ambassador Rice with the Award of Commander, the Legion of Honor of France, for her contributions to Franco-American relations.

A native of Washington D.C., Ambassador Rice is married to Ian Cameron, and they have two children.

-AU-

American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation's capital and around the world.