Ambassador Susan L. Ziadeh enjoyed a 23-year career with the US Department of State where she most recently served as the acting principal deputy assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, and the deputy assistant secretary of state for Arabian Peninsula Affairs. She held senior leadership positions in Riyadh, Baghdad, and Bahrain. Currently a Middle East strategic advisor based in Washington, Ambassador Ziadeh is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. Ambassador Ziadeh is a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, a member of the Middle East Institute’s Board of Governors, and a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy. A recipient of the Department of State’s Distinguished Honor Award, she also received the Department of State’s Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Public Diplomacy. In 2015, she was awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service. Ambassador Ziadeh earned a PhD in History from the University of Michigan, an MA from the American University of Beirut, a master’s of science degree from the National War College, National Defense University, and a bachelor of arts from the University of Washington.