Susan Rice

Susan Rice
Executive Office of the President of the United States · Public domain · source
Name	Susan Rice
Birth date	1964-11-17
Birth place	Washington, D.C.
Occupation	Diplomat; public official; academic
Alma mater	Stanford University; University of Oxford; New College, Oxford; University of Oxford Department of Politics and International Relations; St. George's School
Office	United States Ambassador to the United Nations; United States National Security Advisor

Susan Rice is an American diplomat, policy advisor, and academic who has served in senior roles across multiple presidential administrations. She has been a prominent figure in United States foreign policy debates, holding posts that intersect with United States national security and international organizations. Rice's career spans work at the United States Department of State, the United States National Security Council, and the United Nations.

Early life and education

Born in Washington, D.C. to parents active in civil rights movement-era circles, Rice attended preparatory school at St. George's School (Rhode Island). She studied history at Stanford University, where she graduated summa cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. As a Rhodes Scholar at New College, Oxford, Rice read for a degree at the University of Oxford and later pursued graduate work at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (note: she earned an M.P.P. from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government). Early influences included figures associated with Cold War diplomacy, African studies linked to scholars at Harvard University and Princeton University, and mentors connected to the Biden family's political network.

Career in government and diplomacy

Rice joined the United States government as a staffer on the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and later served as a foreign policy adviser in the Clinton administration. She worked at the United States National Security Council under President Bill Clinton and then in the Clinton White House foreign policy apparatus, collaborating with officials from the United States Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the United States Agency for International Development. After leaving the Clinton administration, Rice joined the Brookings Institution and worked alongside scholars associated with Council on Foreign Relations, contributing to debates on Somalia intervention, Rwanda genocide responses, and peacebuilding in Balkans conflicts. She also advised Senator John Kerry and engaged with policy teams tied to the 2008 Democratic National Convention and the Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign.

U.S. National Security Advisor and NSC tenure

As United States National Security Advisor under President Barack Obama, Rice chaired meetings of the National Security Council and coordinated interagency responses to crises such as the Libya intervention (2011), the Syrian civil war, and operations against Al-Qaeda. Her NSC tenure involved coordination with the Department of State under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, engagements with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and oversight of intelligence briefings from the Director of National Intelligence, including James Clapper. Rice's role intersected with debates over targeted drone strikes linked to Pakistan operations, the withdrawal from Iraq War combat operations, and sanctions policy against states like Iran for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action negotiations. Her tenure also faced scrutiny during congressional inquiries by members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate about the handling of the 2012 Benghazi attack.

United Nations Ambassador

As United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Rice represented the United States at the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly, working on resolutions related to Darfur conflict, Iran sanctions, and North Korea's nuclear program. She collaborated with diplomats from United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, and Germany, and engaged with UN agencies such as UNICEF, UNHCR, and the United Nations Development Programme. Her Security Council efforts involved negotiations tied to UN peacekeeping mandates in Haiti, mandates concerning Libya, and debates over Responsibility to Protect doctrine. Rice also participated in high-level discussions at NATO summits and bilateral talks with leaders from South Africa, Kenya, and Turkey on multilateral responses to humanitarian crises.

Political activities and policy positions

Rice has been associated with centrist and interventionist foreign-policy positions often aligned with the Democratic Party foreign-policy establishment, reflecting influences from figures such as Madeleine Albright, Samantha Power, and Zbigniew Brzezinski. She has advocated for robust engagement on human rights issues in contexts like Sudan, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone, while supporting counterterrorism measures against ISIS and Al-Qaeda. On domestic politics, Rice has advised campaigns for Barack Obama, participated in forums with Democratic National Committee members, and publicly commented on nominees for United States Supreme Court appointments. Her policy statements have intersected with debates over intelligence transparency, the use of force authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force statutes, and economic sanctions coordinated with the European Union and United Nations Security Council partners.

Later career, academia, and private sector roles

After public service, Rice joined academic institutions including fellowships at Harvard University and lecture series at Georgetown University and Stanford University; she has taught and participated in panels alongside scholars from Columbia University and Princeton University. In the private sector, Rice has served on corporate boards connected to private equity and technology firms, worked with think tanks like the Brookings Institution and Council on Foreign Relations, and engaged with nonprofit organizations such as International Rescue Committee and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. She has authored essays in outlets tied to the Council on Foreign Relations and delivered speeches at events hosted by World Economic Forum and Aspen Institute. Rice's later roles include participation in presidential transition teams and advisory positions related to United States foreign policy and global health security in collaboration with groups like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Category:American diplomats Category:United States National Security Advisors Category:United States Ambassadors to the United Nations