Marisa Maldonado is the 2014 recipient of the Walter Roberts Award for Public Diplomacy Studies. She is a Fulbright Scholar from Mexico City who recently graduated from the Master of Arts Global Communication program. Her research interests while attending GW included digital public diplomacy tools and U.S.-Mexico relations, particularly on the issue of immigration.
Previously, Marisa served as an intern on the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, where she conducted research on immigrant children and supported the organization’s social media strategy. Following her undergraduate studies in international relations, she worked at México Calidad Suprema (Mexico Supreme Quality), a civil association funded by Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture that works to increase and diversify the foreign trade of Mexican agricultural products. She went on to work in strategic communications for three years before coming to GW. Having completed her master’s degree in Spring 2014, Marisa plans on returning to Mexico and pursuing work in public diplomacy for the Mexican government or in an international organization.
Other recipients of this award are: