Alumni Insights: Life as a U.S. Diplomat

In our next #DuqAlumniInsights, we will hear from John W. Foster, A’16, as he shares his personal insight into how foreign policy is crafted and implemented and will highlight the individuals who are serving our country overseas as U.S. diplomats. In this session, moderated by Father John Sawicki, C.S.Sp., Ph.D., an assistant professor in Political Science at Duquesne University, you will have an opportunity to learn the day-to-day duties and responsibilities of a diplomat including how to become a U.S. diplomat, what a diplomat's career looks like, and the relevant skills necessary.

If you would like to share your expertise with your fellow alumni, fill out an application at www.myduquesne.duq.edu/webinarpresenter to be considered.

Note: This webinar was prepared by John W. Foster in his personal capacity. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the presenter and do not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. government or the Department of State.

Speakers:

John W. Foster, A’16, Foreign Service Officer @ U.S. Department of State

John Foster is a 2016 graduate of Duquesne where he majored in History and International Relations with concentrations in Security Studies and U.S. Foreign Policy. After graduation, John began working at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. He has served as the Program Support Specialist for the Ambassadorial Seminar. Most recently, he was a Regional Coordinator in the State Department’s Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism, primarily travelling to Africa and Southeast Asia. In 2018, John was selected as a State Department Rangel Fellow and began his MA in Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University’s Fletcher School, with specialties in International Security Studies and International Political Economy. Last summer, he served at the U.S. Mission to NATO in Brussels. John was commissioned as a U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Officer in July and looks forward to serving overseas at U.S. Embassies. John was married this fall to Duquesne alumna, Julianna Twigg.

Father John Sawicki, C.S.Sp., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Political Science. and Director of the Center for International Relations @ Duquesne University

Father John Sawicki is an assistant professor in Political Science at Duquesne University, and a director of the Center for International Relations. He holds his Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University. Fr. Sawicki teaches national security courses in Political Science and International Relations at Duquesne University. He has lectured on counter-terror finance and religious violence topics at the George C. Marshall Center for European Security in Germany, as well as other U.S. embassy and military command venues in the world.