Who We Are
APDS President Melanie Ciolek
As 2010-2011 President of the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars, my role is to both represent the students of the Master of Public Diplomacy Program and facilitate opportunities that benefit the students and the growing field of public diplomacy.
At USC, I work with the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, the Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School, and the School of International Relations to increase the on-campus visibility of APDS through a variety of events and activities. Our members also publish PD Magazine and are pursuing relationships with a wide range of actors in government, the private sector, and the non-profit field in order to enhance the study and practice of public diplomacy.
My primary goal is to actively involve continuing and incoming students in APDS activities throughout this year and ensure APDS remains relevant to their interests. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at Ciolek@usc.edu.
APDS Treasurer Regina Guzman
I am the Treasurer of the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars for the 2010-2011 academic year. As APDS Treasurer, I am responsible for keeping record of the organization’s budget and tracking all expenses.
I manage membership information as well as the collection of APDS membership dues. Additionally, I will be in charge of submitting the funding proposals that will help us ensure APDS has the resources it needs to put on a variety of professional activities and events throughout the year.
If you want to know more about graduate student organization funding – or want to take advantage of graduate student travel grants – do not hesitate to contact me at guzmanregina@gmail.com for more information. I look forward to working with you all and know that we will make this a productive and rewarding year.
APDS Communications Chair Brian Tenenbaum
As the APDS Communications Chair, I manage the internal and external communications for our organization. Beyond putting together informative weekly bulletins, my position is charged with increasing the prominence of APDS on campus, in campus media and online.
My position is meant to facilitate the flow of information for APDS and its members. Please feel free to contact me with any news, events or information that is relevant to our public diplomacy field and I will convey it to our membership. I can be reached at btenenba@usc.edu.
APDS Alumni & Professional Chair Candace Burnham
The Alumni & Professional Chair is still a relatively new position for APDS, but in the coming year I will continue to compile job and internship resources, coordinate events and offer members individual career assistance. Keep an eye out for a variety of events related to the Department of State, due to my additional role as a Foreign Affairs Campus Coordinator, as well as site visits, panels and workshops that will expand your skills and shed light on more non-traditional PD careers. Please contact me at cburnham@usc.edu if you have suggestions.
APDS Formal Events Chair Mariana Gonzalez Insua
As APDS Formal Events Chair, I am responsible for coordinating all APDS formal events and the annual APDS conference, which takes place in the Spring. I look forward to reaching out to the professional world in order to bring a variety of practitioners in the field of public diplomacy to our on-campus and off-campus events throughout the 2009-10 academic year. I am excited to hear about the ideas and interests of fellow APDS members, so please get in touch if you have any suggestions (marianagi@gmail.com). This will be a great year for APDS and I hope to see everyone at events throughout the year!
APDS Social Events Chair Seth Mason
As APDS Social Chair, it is my pleasure to bring people together. My role allows me to facilitate any activities that APDS members would like to do, which can range from an evening out in Los Angeles, to a day at a museum, or a hike in the park.
If you have any suggestions for social events or know of an interesting public diplomacy related social activities, send me an email at sethmason@gmail.com and I will share it with APDS.
I have also created the APDS Social Events Committee and if you are interested in joining, please don’t hesitate to send me a note. I look forward to the rest of the year and to seeing all of you at the next APDS Social Event.
PD Magazine Editor-in-Chief Mark Preston
I feel honored for the privilege to serve as Editor-In-Chief of Public Diplomacy Magazine, the official publication of APDS. In addition to overseeing operations, I am responsible for approving editorial content in consultation with the executive board.
PD Magazine is an excellent forum of contemporary dialogue that supports the field of public diplomacy by presenting diverse perspectives among noted scholars and practitioners. Run entirely by graduate students at USC, PD Magazine thrives upon the contribution from various USC departments and organizations to provide funding and offer counsel.
As a member of the APDS board, the editor-in-chief offers additional input for upcoming events and conferences. If you are interested in being part of the editorial team, please don’t hesitate to stop by our weekly meetings. In addition, please visit our website at www.publicdiplomacymagazine.com
