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The Fletcher School Appoints new Professor of Public Diplomacy

Former US under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs and Tufts alumna Tara Sonenshine has joined the school as the Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice in Public Diplomacy.

The Fletcher School at Tufts University is pleased to announce that Tara D. Sonenshine, former US under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs and a Tufts alumna, has joined the school as the Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice in Public Diplomacy.

The Edward R. Murrow professorship is intended for a practitioner of public diplomacy

Ms. Sonenshine began her career in international broadcasting with ABC News and is the recipient of ten (10) News Emmy Awards. She also worked as a contributing editor for Newsweek magazine and founded an online news website dedicated to gender equality.

Later, she joined the United States Institute of Peace as Executive Vice President.

On the governmental side, Ms. Sonenshine served on the National Security Council as Deputy Director of Communications, and at the US State Department, she led public diplomacy around the world, including education, cultural affairs, and public affairs.

She has taught public diplomacy at the George Washington University School of Media and Communications, where she most recently has been a Distinguished Fellow, and has served as senior career advisor at the Elliott School of International Affairs. Additionally, she has worked for the International Crisis Group and Brookings Institution.

She is a regular columnist for The Hill, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ms. Sonenshine will lead two workshops at Fletcher this spring, and will teach a course, "The Role of Public Diplomacy in Global Affairs", next fall.

“We are extremely fortunate to have a practitioner of Tara's stature joining us. She will be instrumental in helping Fletcher to advance its commitment to the teaching and practice of public diplomacy in this increasingly complex, challenging, and fast-moving world. Our students and community will benefit tremendously from her experience and insights, as a public servant, an educator, and a leader in the private sector," said Fletcher dean Rachel Kyte.