The U.S. State Department’s Diplomat-in-Residence for the central U.S. will speak at Rogers State University on Tuesday evening about his career experiences as a U.S. diplomat and discuss career opportunities in the U.S. Foreign Service.
Robert B. Andrew serves as a Foreign Service Officer in the U.S. Department of State and since September 2014 he has been the Diplomat in Residence for the U.S. Central Region, which includes Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Prior to assuming his current position, he was the Political Section Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Sweden from 2011-2014. In that capacity, he reported extensively on Sweden’s evolving relationship with NATO as well as Sweden’s leading role in the European Union’s outreach to Eastern European countries.
Andrew will speak at RSU from 7-8:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28, in the Baird Hall Performance Studio on the Claremore campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Each year, the U.S. Department of State assigns senior Foreign Service Officers to the position of Diplomat in Residence (DIR) at certain colleges and universities throughout the United States, including the University of Oklahoma where Andrew is posted. The DIR program is central to the effort to recruit the best and brightest to represent America’s rich diversity to the world. DIRs share information about career opportunities at their home universities and throughout the region where they are located. They also identify and counsel diverse candidates for student and career opportunities; guide candidates through the Foreign Service exam application and examination process; represent the Department at conferences and career fairs; support programs sponsored by foreign affairs groups; and engage in outreach to the military, professional organizations and other local groups.
Before joining the Foreign Service, Mr. Andrew was a U.S. Army officer from 1989-2002, during which time he earned the Army Commendation Medal with Valor for his actions in Iraq in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. He has served in Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; and Presidio of Monterey, California. Born in Norman, Oklahoma and raised in Northern California, Mr. Andrew has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from California State University, Chico and a Master of Arts in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
For more information, contact Dr. Sudina Paungpetch by email at [email protected] or Dr. David Ulbrich at 918-343-7798.