WR Student Award – Page 3 – The Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication

June 21, 2016November 5, 2022

2016: John Melville

John Melville is the 2016 recipient of the Walter Roberts Award for Public Diplomacy Studies. A second year Master’s student in the Global Communications program, he also works as the speechwriter to the Ambassador at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea where he helps communicate, advocate, and explain South Korean policies to American audiences.

John’s interest in public diplomacy stems from his background in both strategic communications and working with international audiences. Before his job at the Embassy, John worked at a speechwriting firm and as an English teacher in South Korea, where he quickly learned the importance of understanding foreign perspectives when communicating cross-culturally. His coursework at GW has strengthened both his theoretical understanding of issues in Public Diplomacy and his practical skills in cross-cultural persuasion.

After graduation, he hopes to either become a Public Diplomacy Officer in the US Department of State or continue his career in international speechwriting and strategic communications.

The other recipients of this award are:

June 21, 2015November 5, 2022

2015: Iris Froeba

Iris Froeba is the 2015 recipient of the Walter Roberts Award for Public Diplomacy Studies. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Global Communication with a focus on Public Diplomacy at George Washington’s Elliott School of International Affairs. Taking classes at night allows her to work as Program Manager for the Transatlantic Dialogue Program of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom during the day.

Originally from Germany, Iris moved to Washington, DC in 2011. She discovered her love for the United States, intercultural exchange and transatlantic relations during her year as an au pair in Washington. Based on her experiences abroad, she decided to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in International Business and Intercultural Management at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. In addition, she spent a semester abroad in Spain on the Erasmus Mundus scholarship program and gained substantial work experience in the field of public diplomacy with her internships at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main, the American Institute of Contemporary German Studies, and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

Upon her graduation, Iris plans on taking the Foreign Service Office test in her native Germany.

The other recipients of this award are:

June 21, 2014November 5, 2022

2014: Marisa Maldonado

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:

June 21, 2013November 5, 2022

2013: Kimberly Morton

Kimberly Morton is the 2013 recipient of the Walter Roberts Award for Public Diplomacy Studies. The award carries with it a $1,000 prize and recognizes and a student who has performed at a high level in and out of the classroom in public diplomacy-related work, including a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in public diplomacy.

As a graduate of GW’s Global Communication Master of Arts program, Kimberly has coordinated diplomacy-related events at the School Without Walls and produced a promotional video for Paralympic Sports Club DC. She has also interned with Meridian International Center, the United States Olympics Committee, and the National Rehabilitation Hospital. She continues to work with national media (e.g., CNN, MSNBC, and NBC’s Today Show) and international media (Deutsche Welle, CCTC) to share stories about elite athletes, Wounded Warriors, and military families with the world. Following graduation, Kimberly continued her position as Media Relations Coordinator for Hiring Our Heroes, a veteran and military spouse employment program at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

The other recipients of this award are:

June 21, 2012November 5, 2022

2012: Lisa Barton

Lisa Barton is the 2012 recipient of the Walter Roberts Award for Public Diplomacy Studies. The award carries with it a $1,000 prize and recognizes and a student who has performed at a high level in and out of the classroom in public diplomacy-related work, including a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in public diplomacy.

Among her many accomplishments, Lisa has been engaged in public diplomacy through her past experience in the Peace Corps and at the Foreign Service Institute. As a student in the Global Communication M.A. program, she maintained a 3.7 GPA within her field of concentration, Public Diplomacy. Today, she is the Alumni Outreach Coordinator of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. State Department.

The other recipients of this award are:

June 21, 2011July 20, 2023

First Recipient of the Walter Roberts Student Award: Akash Suri

Akash Suri, a graduating Global Communications M.A. student, was named the recipient of the inaugural (2011) Walter Roberts Award for the Study of Public Diplomacy, an honor co-sponsored by IPDGC and the Walter Roberts Endowment Board. This award carries a $1,000 prize and recognizes the graduate student who performed at a high level in and out of the classroom in public diplomacy-related work, and who has an interest in pursuing a career in public diplomacy. Among his many accomplishments, Suri has worked at the U.S. State Department as an online community specialist and Regional Affairs intern. Suri also previously worked at the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the U.S. Embassy to India, and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. “We had a strong field of applicants for this award, but Akash really stood out even among such a talented group,” said IPDGC Director Sean Aday. “Akash is a terrific student, very bright and original in his thinking about public diplomacy, and already has an impressive public diplomacy resume.”

The other recipients of this award are:

Akash Suri, the first recipient of the Walter Roberts Public Diplomacy Studies award with Dr. Walter Roberts, 2011.