Plenary: US Post Election Update – Opportunities for Reengagement
This session will feature a conversation about the recent US Election and what the results may mean for United States’ engagement with the rest of the World. Our distinguished panel is comprised of: Daniel Mulhall, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States; Elissa Slotkin, U.S. Representative of the 8th Congressional District of Michigan of the U.S. Congress; Dawn Michele Whitehead, Vice President, Association of American Colleges & Universities; and Erica Carley Harris, Manager of Government & Public Affairs, CIEE.
Watch the Recording
Panelists
- Daniel Mulhall Ireland’s 18th Ambassador to the United States
- U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin, 8th Congressional District of Michigan
- Dawn Michele Whitehead, Vice President of the Office of Global Citizenship for Campus, Community, and Careers at the Association of American College and Universities (AAC&U)
Moderator
- Erica Carley Harris, CIEE
Biographies
Daniel Mulhall is Ireland’s 18th Ambassador to the United States. He did his undergraduate and post-graduate studies at University College Cork. Ambassador Mulhall joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1978. Before coming to Washington, he served as Ireland’s Ambassador in London (2013-17). During his time in Britain, he was a regular speaker on political, literary and historical topics at Universities all over the country. Before departing for Washington, he was made a Freeman of the City of London in recognition of his work as Ambassador.
During his diplomatic career, Ambassador Mulhall has also held a number of positions at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. A keen advocate of public diplomacy, Ambassador Mulhall makes regular use of social media in order to provide information on the work of the Embassy, to highlight Ireland’s achievements and to engage with Irish communities and those with an interest in Ireland. During his time in Washington, he will provide daily updates on Twitter @DanMulhall and through regular blogs to be posted on the Embassy’s website.
U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin is proud to serve the people of the 8th Congressional District of Michigan, a district that spans Ingham, Livingston, and North Oakland counties. Rep. Slotkin has spent her career in national service. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks she was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to be a Middle East analyst. In her role at the CIA, Rep. Slotkin worked alongside the U.S. military during three tours in Iraq as a militia expert. In between her tours in Iraq, Rep. Slotkin held various defense and intelligence positions under President Bush and President Obama, including roles at the White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In 2011, Rep. Slotkin took a senior position at the Pentagon and, until January 2017, she served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.
Dawn Michele Whitehead is the Vice President of the Office of Global Citizenship for Campus, Community, and Careers at the Association of American College and Universities (AAC&U). Her work focuses on advancing practices and strategies to integrate global and experiential learning across curricular and co-curricular initiatives, general education and the majors, within professional schools, and on-campus and off-campus experiences. Whitehead has presented nationally and internationally and has written on global learning, community-based learning, civic engagement, and integrative learning. She earned her Ph.D. at Indiana University Bloomington in Education Policy Studies with a doctoral minor in International and Comparative Education and a concentration in African Studies.
Erica Carley Harris has headed up headed up CIEE’s advocacy and political engagement since 2017 and has been deeply involved in federal and state advocacy in support of international education and exchange programs, including leading industry coalitions. She joined CIEE in 2012 as a Study Abroad Advisor for the Middle East and North Africa and later transitioned to community relations for the J-1 Summer Work Travel program. Erica received her B.A. from Barnard College and a Master’s in Comparative Literature from the University of Colorado, Boulder, specializing in French, Spanish, and Arabic. She lives in Brunswick, Maine, with her husband and two very small children.